A running stability controller is activated upon the instability of a vehicle and controls at least one of an output of an engine, a braking force applied to the vehicle and a gear ratio of an automatic transmission. A manual shifting controller which shifts the automatic transmission according to an operation of a manual shifter is provided. A running stability control detector detects the activation of the running stability controller. A manual shifting control inhibitor operates upon detection of the activation of the running stability controller, and inhibits an operation of the manual shifting controller while the running stability controller is activated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle, more specifically, a vehicle control apparatus for controlling an engine, an automatic transmission and other devices of the vehicle. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with means for preventing an interference between running stability control means and manual transmission shifting control means.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An automotive vehicle may fall in an unstable running condition, in particular, an unstable turning condition, with the lateral road gripping capacity of a wheel tire being exceeded during turning of the vehicle on a road surface having a relatively low friction coefficient, or at a relatively high speed, or to clear an obstacle, for example. The unstable running condition may be an oversteering or understeering tendency of the vehicle. The oversteering tendency is caused when the road gripping force of the rear wheels is considerably smaller than that of the front wheels, resulting in an excessively larger turning angle of the vehicle than the steering angle, and leading to a spinning tendency of the vehicle. On the other hand, the understeering tendency is caused when the road gripping force of the front wheels is considerably smaller than that of the rear wheels, resulting in a considerably smaller turning angle of the vehicle than the steering angle.
To cope with such running instability of the vehicle, there has been proposed running stability control means in the form of a turning stability control apparatus for stabilizing the vehicle turning behavior, such as a vehicle stability control system (VSC system) as disclosed in JP-A-4-266538. Such a turning stability control apparatus is activated when the vehicle turning condition is unstable, namely, when an oversteering or understeering tendency of the vehicle is detected. Described in detail, the apparatus is adapted to reduce the engine output and at the same time apply a braking force to an appropriate one or ones of the front and rear wheels, for producing a moment that reduces the oversteering or understeering tendency of the vehicle, thereby to stabilize the turning behavior of the vehicle.
The turning stability control apparatus may be further adapted to maintain the automatic transmission in the presently established position or shift up or down the automatic transmission, so as to improve the turning stability of the vehicle. The automotive vehicle equipped with the turning stability control apparatus may also be equipped with manual shifting control means which is adapted to shift the automatic transmission in response to an operation of a manual shifting device while a manual shift mode is selected. This type of vehicle may suffer from some drawbacks due to interferences or inadequate coordination between an operation of the turning stability control apparatus and an operation of the manual shifting control means, in relation to the shifting of the automatic transmission.
For instance, a drawback may arise if the automatic transmission is commanded by the manual shifting control means to shift the automatic transmission by manipulation of the manual shifting device in the manual shift mode while the automatic transmission is commanded by the turning stability control apparatus to maintain the presently established position for improving the turning stability of the vehicle. In this case, the automatic transmission may be shifted according to the command generated by the manual shifting control means, contrary to the command generated by the turning stability control apparatus to hold the automatic transmission in the presently established position.
The manual shifting means may be adapted such that the number of the selectable forward-drive operating positions of the automatic transmission which can be established for forward running of the vehicle can be changed by operation of the manual shifting device in the manual shift mode. Generally, the shift lever has two or more forward-drive positions such as "D", "3" and "2", and the hydraulic control device for the automatic transmission has range positions corresponding to the forward-drive positions of the shift lever. As the shift lever is operated from the position "D" to the position "3" and then to the position "2", the number of the selectable forward-drive operating positions of the automatic transmission is reduced, for example, from "4" to "3" and from "3" to "2". When the manual shifting device is operated, the range position of the hydraulic control device is electrically changed, and the number of the forward-drive operating positions of the automatic transmission is changed. If the manual shifting device is operated to change the number of the selectable forward-drive operating positions of the automatic transmission from "4" to "3", for instance, the automatic transmission may be automatically shifted down from a fourth-speed position to a third-speed position, for example, as in the case where the shift lever is operated from the position "D" to the position "3". Thus, the manual shifting device may be used to indirectly shift down or up the automatic transmission without operating the shift lever, by electrically changing the range position of the hydraulic control device. In this case, too, the vehicle control apparatus suffers from the drawback as described above with respect to the manual shifting means adapted to directly shift the automatic transmission.

Vehicle control apparatus having means for preventing interference between transmission controls by running stability control means and manual shift control means


A method includes, producing in an engine thread included in a processor that processes packets, a vector that represents content of a packet, and storing the vector in a memory associated with the processor such that the vector is accessible by another engine thread included in the processor.

Networks are used to distribute information among computer systems. Typically packets or cells are transmitted and received over networks that connect the computer systems. With packets for instance, to determine the appropriate destination of each packet, processors such as microprocessors, central processing units (CPU's), and the like access header data stored in each packet to identify the appropriate destination. As the packets are transmitted and received the header data no longer needed is often removed. Alternatively, additional header data may be inserted into the packets to direct the packets to other appropriate destinations. Additionally, after adding or removing header data, some processors such as network processors insert data into each packet for later verifying that packet content has not been lost or erroneously added during transmission of the packet.


A driver assistance/control system includes a camera operatively connectable to a processor mountable in a host vehicle. A vertical deviation in road contour is detected while the host vehicle is moving. First, second and third images of the road are captured from the camera. By matching image points of the road in the first image and corresponding image points of the road in the second image, a first homography is computed which transforms the first image of the road to the second image of the road. A second homography is computed which transforms the second image of the road to the third image of the road. A chained homography is computed by chaining the first and second homographies. By using the chained homography as an initial guess, a third homography is computed which transforms the first image of the road to the third image of the road.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system that accurately detects the shape and particularly the vertical contour of a road using a camera.
2. Description of Related Art
During the last few years camera based driver assistance systems (DAS) have been entering the market; including lane departure warning (LDW), automatic high-beam control (AHC), traffic sign recognition (TSR) forward collision warning (FCW) and pedestrian detection.
Active suspension and adaptive suspension/semi-active suspension are types of automotive suspensions that controls the vertical movement of the wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body with an onboard system, rather than in passive suspensions where the movement is being determined entirely by the road surface. Active suspensions can be generally divided into two main classes: pure active suspensions and adaptive/semi-active suspensions. While adaptive suspensions only vary shock absorber firmness to match changing road or dynamic conditions, active suspensions uses some type of actuator to literally raise and lower the chassis independently at each wheel.
The term "homography" as used herein refers to an invertible transformation from a projective space to itself that maps straight lines to straight lines. In the field of computer vision, two images of the same planar surface in space are related by a homography assuming a pinhole camera model.


The reference valve timing of an intake valve and an exhaust valve is set based on an engine load detected and an engine rotation speed detected. An engine start and an engine idling condition are detected. The valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is controlled, while maintaining valve overlap amounts to be substantially the same, so that a valve overlap center becomes at an advance side from an exhaust top dead center, with respect to the reference valve timing, at the engine start and in the idling condition during a predetermined period of time after the engine start.

The present invention relates to a variable valve timing control technology for variably controlling the opening and closing timing of an intake valve and an exhaust valve of an internal combustion engine, and especially to a technology for reducing hydrocarbon emissions at an engine idling condition immediately after an engine start.
There are many unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust due to the low combustion temperature immediately after an engine start. Further, since the exhaust gas temperature is also low, an exhaust gas purification catalytic converter is not activated. Therefore, hydrocarbon emissions are likely to increase. Especially, at the end period of exhaust stroke, unburned hydrocarbons adhered to an inner wall of a cylinder are peeled off to be discharged, which promotes an increase of a hydrocarbon emission amount from the cylinder.
Therefore, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-8896, a variable valve mechanism is disposed at an intake valve, wherein, at an engine cold period, the opening time of the intake valve is controlled to be advanced so that overlap amounts of the intake valve and an exhaust valve are increased. Thereby, hydrocarbons with a small molecular weight generated in the vicinity of a top dead center are sucked back to an intake system to increase a hydrocarbon amount remaining in the cylinder to be re-burned at the next stroke, thereby achieving the reduction of the unburned hydrocarbon emissions.
However, at the time immediately after the engine start, if the valve overlap amounts are increased by advancing the opening time of the intake valve as above, at a first cycle more unburned hydrocarbons can be remained as an inner EGR, while there is a possibility that the combustion becomes unstable at a second cycle or thereafter, leading to the deterioration of drivability.
Further, hydrocarbons with a relatively large molecular weight are increased accompanied with this unstable combustion. In order to eliminate these hydrocarbons with a relatively large molecular weight, there is a need to dispose a HC adsorbent using zeolite and the like in an exhaust passage, in addition to a three-way catalytic converter.
In view of the foregoing conventional problems, the present invention has been achieved and an object of the invention is to reduce hydrocarbon emissions from an engine immediately after an engine start without the deterioration of engine drivability, by optimally controlling the opening and closing timing of an intake valve and an exhaust valve.
In order to achieve the above object, with the present invention, the valve timing of an intake valve and an exhaust valve is controlled as follows.
An engine load and an engine rotation speed are detected, and then the reference valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is set based on the detected engine load and rotation speed.
An engine start and an engine idling condition are detected. At the engine start time and in the engine idling condition during a predetermined period of time after the engine start, the valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is controlled, while maintaining the valve overlap amounts to be substantially the same, so that a valve overlap center is positioned at an advance side from an exhaust top dead center with respect to the reference valve timing.
According to this constitution, without an increase of an inner EGR amount (burned gas amount), unburned hydrocarbons included in the inner EGR can be increased and more unburned hydrocarbons can be remained in a cylinder to be re-burned in a next stroke. Accordingly, hydrocarbon emissions can be reduced without damaging the combustion performance.
Further, in the engine idling condition after the above predetermine time has elapsed, the valve timing of the intake valve and the exhaust valve is controlled to a retard side with respect to the reference valve timing, while maintaining the valve overlap amounts to be substantially the same.
According to this constitution, it becomes possible to make the unburned hydrocarbons to remain for a long period in the cylinder, the temperature of which has risen due to the elapse of the predetermined period, so that oxidization of the unburned hydrocarbons after combustion is promoted. As a result, the hydrocarbon emissions from the engine can be reduced effectively.
Further, in a case where the predetermined period of time is set based on the detected engine temperature, this predetermined period of time may be set based on an elapsed time after a measured engine start or a cycle number after the measured engine start.
Moreover, switching from an advance control to a retard control with respect to the above reference valve timing is carried out gradually.
According to this constitution, a change of the valve timing can be made without damaging the engine drivability.
The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with accompanying drawings.

Apparatus and method for controlling variable valve timing of internal combustion engine


A bioreactor production system for growing commercial volumes of algae or other biomass in a uniquely configured, enclosed, biosecure, photo-type reactor vessel, having internal artificial growth light production as well as exterior solar energy capturing devices or the like designed to facilitate enhanced sunlight exposure for photosynthesis organism production. A unique electromagnetic field generation system is integrated with the bioreactor and its operation to substantially enhance growth rate and overall productivity.

Algae has been recognized as a valuable resource, with proper cultivation and processing providing many products including fuels, feed, and a diverse array of chemicals which have uses in pharmaceuticals, and nutritional products like Omega 3 oils, which can be valued at over $500 per gallon.
The production of algae has sustainability advantages when compared to traditional land based crops and fossil fuels. Significant carbon savings are achieved by using energy-rich algae as a feedstock and source of biofuel, since algae consumes more harmful Co2 gas than is generated when its products are used as fuel or within other chemical products. Based on a carbon cost of $15 per ton (the projected carbon cost in 2012 under the post-Kyoto Treaty, the algal advantage has been estimated at a sustainable $0.20 per gallon with carbon costs expected to rise until at least 2050 because of increasingly high-carbon reduction targets.
Algae has the potential to provide a cost effective, economically sustainable substitution for existing fuels and feeds, which have been traditionally produced from fresh water intensive, agriculture land-based crops such as corn and soybeans, and from fossil petroleum. The controversy regarding the use of corn and other food to produce biofuel is well known, with the U.S. liquid transportation fuels market estimated at approximately 180 billion gallons per year and the global fuels market approaching 600 billion gallons per year.
Algal biomass is known to provide a high-protein concentrate (or higher-purity isolate) suitable for animal use or fish feed, and can be made suitable for human consumption. In fact, the ancient Mayan civilization made a bread type food out of Spirulina (Arthrospira sp.) blue-green algae grown and gathered from within their freshwater lakes. Today there is an established market for these algae type protein supplements; in the U.S. alone, the protein ingredient market was 2.40 billion pounds, valued at $3.9552 billion in 2007.
At the time of this writing, soybeans sell for approximately $0.12 per pound, whereas soy protein isolate sells for approximately $1.92 per pound. The nutritional value of several alga species show their protein content to be up to five times easier to digest as human protein than meat or soybean meal. (Biological value measures the degree to which the body can absorb and use the protein, with a higher number suggesting greater absorption and utilization.)
Biofuels Digest has projected that global algal fuel production will reach 1 billion gallons by 2014; other sources suggest that production volumes will not reach these levels until later in the decade.
Either way, algae derived transportation fuels may constitute only 0.0001% or one/one thousandth of the 2014 world fuel needs without giving demand values for other valuable algae products.
It is well known that algae may contain over 50% oil by weight, depending upon the species; other species can contain cellulose or sugar, either of which can be synthesized into fuels, in the amount of up to 40% by weight, and after processing, the remaining 60% to 70% of biomass can be used for valuable non-fuel applications, including:                Specialty Chemicals;        Nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals;        Feeds as well as food;        Naturally derived Pigments;        Products for Personal Care; and        Other unique products
This indicates that it is likely that first-mover algae companies that have commercialized algae production systems operational in the 2010s, will enjoy an pronominal opportunity to enter the bio-oil, chemicals and feeds market without triggering an oversupply market condition for possibly decades.
There have been many attempts to provide a cost effective, enclosed bioreactor system for the cultivation of algae on a commercial scale for biofuel, biomass, and byproduct production, however, none are believed to provide a system which does so in an economically viable and sustainable manner.
Accordingly, there exists a long felt, but unresolved need to provide a fabrication-cost effective, enclosed and controlled bioreactor system for large scale commercial production of protein and energy-rich algae or other forms of biological biomass grown by photosynthesis or the like which is efficient in operation, while operating on an economically viable and sustainable basis.

Enclosed bioreactor system and methods associated therewith


Disclosed is a field effect transistor which has: an operating layer which is of a compound semiconductor; a first conductive layer which is formed as a channel layer; a second conductive layer which is formed below the first conductive layer and through which a current less than that flowing through the first conductive layer is flown; an ohmic electrode which is ohmic-junctioned with the second conductive layer; and a source electrode and a drain electrode which are junctioned with the first conductive layer; wherein the source electrode and the drain electrode are ohmic-junctioned with the ohmic electrode with a resistivity lower than the resistivity between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

In such a field effect transistor, it is known that a transient variation in channel current occurs due to a variation of drain voltage. This phenomenon causes an unstable operation of device, for example, a frequency dispersion of drain conductance.
The above-mentioned transient variation is generally considered as a response at the deep level of a buffer layer or substrate, and a quantity and a time constant of the variation is dependent on the conductivity of buffer layer or substrate and the characteristic of the deep level.
Up to the present, to suppress such a transient variation, a conductive layer with an opposite conductive type to a channel layer is formed under the channel layer, and the conductive layer is short-circuited with a source or drain electrode to fix the potential(for example, Japanese patent application laid-open No.64-59961).
However, in the conventional field effect transistor, since the ohmic electrode contacted with the second conductive layer is short-circuited with the source or drain electrode, i.e., the device has an asymmetrical structure, the interchanging between the source electrode and the drain electrode causes the changing of characteristic. Thus, there rises a problem that it is difficult to design a circuit by employing such a field effect transistor.


A composite pallet includes two parallel bottom block components each including a first bottom block and a second bottom block slidably connected, the first bottom block is capable of sliding relative to the second bottom block to vary the length. The composite pallet further includes two cantilever components each including a first cantilever and a second cantilever slidably connected, the first cantilever and the second cantilever each are fixed to a corresponding one of the bottom block components, the first cantilever being capable of sliding relative to the second cantilever along a lengthwise direction of the cantilever components to vary the length of the cantilever components. A crossed beam component includes a first beam and a second beam pivotably connected at a middle portion, free ends of both the first beam and the second beam are pivotally connected to free ends of the bottom block components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite pallet.
2. Description of Related Art
To facilitate the placing of scattered items and shipping requirements, usually a special design of base structure is used in a pallet. In the existing liquid crystal display (LCD) modules and LCD glass packaging industries, a type of plastic pallet is usually used, which is made according to a specific size for adaptation of length and width dimensions of outer packing boxes for LCD modules or LCD glasses. However, when considering the matching and reliability of stacked pallets, different sizes of pallets need to be used to match the outer packing boxes. Thus, moldings of different dimensions should be designed to form the pallets of different dimensions when the dimensions of the outer packing boxes are different, and this makes it is difficult to save the cost of moldings and efficiently using of pallets in the practical scenes.

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


Devices and methods for removing portions of gradients relate to a float with an upper concave surface for collecting the gradient portion.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating portions of liquid in a vessel. Specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating portions of a liquid density gradient where layers or zones of materials are produced during the course of centrifugal separation of cellular and/or subcellular material. The present invention is applicable to cell separation and subcellular fractionation and analysis, and to density gradient methods used in molecular biology, in polymer chemistry, in physical chemistry, and in the characterization of physical particles generally. The present invention further relates to an automated method and apparatus for recovering fractions from multiple density gradients in parallel using floats that float on the surface of the gradient.
B. Description of the Related Art
The publications and other materials used herein to illuminate the background of the invention and to provide details respecting the practice are incorporated herein by reference, and for convenience are respectively grouped in the appended List of References and are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Density gradient centrifugation has been used to separate biological particles on the basis of, for instance, sedimentation rate or banding density. Continuous gradients may be formed either using simple manual techniques, or by using gradient formers, of which a variety have been described (Boch and Ling). In other methods, step gradients may be made initially, and used directly in simplified procedures, or they may be linearized by diffusion, or mechanically by slowly turning the tubes in an angled position. Samples of material, such as cellular material, are placed in a centrifuge tube above such a gradient, subjected to centrifuging in a centrifuge for a predetermined time period and then removed from the centrifuge. The centrifuging causes specific portions or fractions of the cellular material to move to specific portions of the gradient.
If dyes or other observable indicators are present, visual inspection may reveal separate zones or layers of material. The various zones or layers may also be made visible by scattered or reflected light, by light absorbance, or by fluorescence to guide recovery. Once identification of separations is made, one or more zones or fractions of the gradient may be removed for further analysis. Gradients may be removed or recovered by pumping the desired portion of the gradient out of the centrifuge tube through a small tube extending to the bottom of the centrifuge tube. Alternatively, the gradients can be removed by displacing the gradient with a denser fluid introduced to the bottom, with the gradient then collected through a tight-fitting inverted funnel at the top. The gradient may pass through a flow cell in a calorimeter, spectrophotometer, turbidometer or fluorometer to determine the location of particle bands. The simplest method for collecting a gradient is by puncturing a hole in the bottom of a plastic centrifuge tube, and allowing the gradient to drip out, in which case, the drops may be collected individually or in groups.
In zonal centrifuges, gradients are unloaded while the rotor is spinning, and centrifugal force maintains the order of zones. This technique is not readily adaptable to recovering gradients from individual centrifuge tubes.
To attain reproducible precision rate zonal centrifugation or precision isopycnic centrifugation done in multiple-parallel gradients, gradients must be unloaded in a consistent identical manner, with as little loss of resolution as possible. Current unloading methods do not provide a reliable means for processing large numbers of gradients in a reliable, reproducible manner. Therefore, there is a need for a simple method for unloading identical gradients, and for recovering from them identical fractions.
One object of the present invention is to provide a simple and reliable means for unloading individual layers or zones from liquid density gradients.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a float is formed with a concave upper surface thereby defining a well. The float is adapted for insertion into a vessel such as a centrifuge tube having a density gradient therein. The float may be pushed downward in the tube to allow a portion of the density gradient to spill over an upper edge of the float, thereby allowing a desired portion of the density gradient to spill over into the well. A pipetter may then be used to remove the separated portion of the density gradient now located in the well. By repeatedly pushing the float successively lower into the tube, various portions of the density gradient may be easily separated and removed.
The float of the present invention may be used in any of a variety of applications. For instance, the float may be used in manually conducted separation procedures where a technician manually pushes the float down in order to capture a portion of a gradient in the well, then remove the separated portion of the gradient with a pipetter or syringe.
The float of the present invention may form part of an automated system where a remote controlled pipetter is lowered into a tube to both push the float down, and to capture a portion of a gradient. The automated system may include an optical reader to identify zones or layers of the gradient in the tube in order to determine the movement of the float necessary to capture a desired portion of the gradient. Alternatively, the automated system may be programmed to lower the float to a predetermined depth thereby capturing a predetermined portion of a gradient for removal.
The float of the present invention may also form part of an automated system in which samples isolated by the float are expelled from the centrifuge by brief application of air pressure. In this version the pipette tube is stationary, and the centrifuge tube, float, an airtight cap and means for holding the cap in place comprise a unit which is moved vertically at suitable intervals by a stepping motor. The stationary pipette enters the cap through a small O-ring. Tubular means for conduction of air under pressure through the cap are provided, together with means for moving a series of collecting tubes to receive the expelled fractions.
The float of the present invention and the automated fractionation and recovery systems may further be reduplicated to form an array of recovery systems such that a set of identical or comparable gradients may be unloaded in parallel.
The float of the present invention may also be modified through the inclusion of a circumferential groove in the upper cavity of the float so that it may be easily grasped by a gripper which can serve to insert the float before centrifugation, and remove it after the gradient zones have been recovered.
A float of the instant invention can be configured of a particular material or of particular materials so to have a particular density. That also can be achieved by having particular coatings on the float, having the float contain a ballast, by having a hollow float containing a material or materials of particular density and so on. Moreover, the float need not be a solid but can be perforated, for example by a tube or tubes, or can be porous to enable passage of fluids therethrough.

Method and apparatus for unloading gradients


Methods and apparatuses for selecting appropriate anisotropic filtering levels for images. An image is obtained, that image is Fourier transformed into its frequency components, and then those frequency components are normalized. The Fourier transformed into its frequency components are assigned to Fourier buckets (or bins) having dimensions selected in accord with the number of available anisotropic filtering levels. A predetermined threshold value is used to select one of the Fourier buckets by comparing the predetermined threshold value with the contents of the Fourier buckets. The selected Fourier bucket is used to determine an appropriate anisotropic filtering level for the image. Some embodiments of the present invention can provide for an automatic selection and setting of the appropriate anisotropic filtering level.

Graphics processing is an important feature of modern high-performance computing systems. In graphic processing, mathematical procedures are implemented to render, or draw, graphic primitives, e.g., triangles or rectangles, on a display to produce desired visual images. Real time graphics processing is based on the high-speed processing of graphic primitives to produce visually pleasing moving images.
Early graphic systems were limited to displaying image objects comprised of graphic primitives having smooth surfaces. That is, visual textures, bumps, scratches, or other surface features were not modeled in the graphics primitives. To enhance image quality, texture mapping of real world attributes was introduced. In general, texture mapping is the mapping of an image onto a graphic primitive's surface to create the appearance of a complex image without the high computational costs associated with rendering actual three dimensional details of an object.
Graphics are typically produced by graphics designers who use application program interfaces (API's), which are standardized software interfaces, to render desired images that can be run on multiple platforms, operating systems; and hardware. Examples of API's include the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL®) and D3D™. This enables graphic designers to design graphics without knowing any of the specifics regarding the system hardware or how their commands will be implemented.
FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a graphics system 100 that includes a graphics processing unit 102. As shown, that graphics processing unit 102 has a host interface/front end 104. The host interface/front end 104 receives raw graphics data from a central processing unit 103 that is running an application program stored in memory 105. That application program can be input from a computer readable medium 105A. The host interface/front end 104 buffers input information and supplies raw graphic information to a geometry engine 106. The geometry engine has access to a frame buffer memory 120 via a frame buffer interface 116. The geometry engine 106 produces, scales, rotates, and projects three-dimensional vertices of graphics primitives in "model" coordinates that are stored in the frame buffer memory 120 into two-dimensional frame-buffer co-ordinates. Typically, triangles are used as graphics primitives for three-dimensional objects, but rectangles are often used for 2-dimensional objects (such as text displays).
The two-dimensional frame-buffer co-ordinates of the vertices of the graphics primitives from the geometry engine 106 are applied to a rasterizer 108. The rasterizer 108 identifies the positions of all of the pixels within the graphics primitives. This is typically performed along raster (horizontal) lines that extend between the lines that define the graphics primitives. The output of the rasterizer 108 is referred to as rasterized pixel data.
The rasterized pixel data are applied to a shader 110 that processes input data (code, position, texture, conditions, constants, etc) using a shader program (sequence of instructions) to generate output data. Shaders can be considered as a collection of processing capabilities that can handle large amounts of data at the same time, such as by parallel processing data.
The shader 110 includes a texture engine 112 that modifies the rasterized pixel data to have the desired texture and optical features. The texture engine 112, which has access to the data stored in the frame buffer memory 120, can be implemented using a hardware pipeline that processes large amounts of data at very high speed. The shaded pixel data is then sent to a Raster Operations Processor 114 (Raster op in FIG. 1) that optionally performs additional processing on the shaded pixel data. The result is pixel data that is stored in the frame buffer memory 120 by the frame buffer interface 116. The frame pixel data can be used for various processes such as being displayed on a display 122.
The foregoing overview of graphics systems has presented a simplified view of graphics. In practice, a graphics designer often works with texture bitmaps that are tiled to produce a graphic design. For example, a brick wall can be formed by taking a simple texture bitmap, say a several brick separated by mortar, and then tiling that texture bitmap to form a wall. While the foregoing is accurate as far as it goes, it too is also somewhat simplified. While a good image of a wall from a "head-on" view can be formed by tiling the same texture bitmap over and over, when the view changes to an angle or to perspective, the texture bitmap should be changed. After all, a brick that is perceptively far away is smaller, and thus takes fewer pixels to show, than a close brick. However, simply eliminating pixels can cause visual problems. However, changes to a texture bitmap can be implemented using mipmaps, i.e., texture bitmaps having size variations.
FIG. 2 illustrates how a simple image can become complicated by a simple change in perspective. A graphical image 200 represents a more or less "head-on" view of a tiled structure comprised of blocks formed by lines 202-210. When a viewer's viewpoint changes to an upward angle the lengths of the lines 204-210 change as shown in FIG. 201. If each block is a textured bitmap the visually far away textures require fewer pixels and those pixels form a more elongated shape. In general, the process of determining which texels map to screen pixels is called "texture sampling and filtering."
To ensure a realistic appearance the texture tiles close to a viewer's perspective must look very detailed while those farther away become less detailed. While some detail loss is inevitable, good texture filtering minimizes and controls detail loss while providing a natural look. For example, a word on a wall far away should not simply disappear because its lines are formed by eliminated pixels. Without texture filtering an image can become highly pixilated (splotches caused by lost pixels). To avoid pixilation effects many graphic forming and editing programs allow a graphics designer to implement various types of filtering. For example, a simple point sampling routine samples the nearest texel, a bilinear filter samples a 2×2 area of the texture and then averages, and a trilinear filter samples a 2×2 on one mip level, a 2×2 on the next mip level, and interpolates between the two values.
While the foregoing filtering techniques improve graphics quality, the best filtering method is often anisotropic filtering. In anisotropic filtering pixels are not derived from a symmetrical shape. Rather, pixels are formed by increasing the samples along the "long edge" of the figure and then interpolates as in trilinear filtering. The number of pixels used for filtering determines the filter level. 1× anisotropic filtering uses 8 pixels, 2× anisotropic filtering uses 16 pixels, 3× anisotropic filtering uses 24 pixels, and so on. Some graphics cards can achieve 16× anisotropic filtering (128 pixels). However, the higher the anisotropic filtering level the more computation time is required to implement the filter. Furthermore, with some images the visual difference between say 4× and 16× anisotropic filtering is difficult or impossible to detect, in other images the visual difference can be dramatic. Thus, sometimes 4× anisotropic filtering is highly beneficial because it produces high quality results relatively quickly while at other times 4× level anisotropic filtering is insufficient from an artistic viewpoint.
It is possible to implement graphics design packages that would allow a graphics designer to specify numerous editing and formatting attributes, including the type of filtering that is to be used. Such design packages would enable a designer to specify the level of filtering. Since high levels of anisotropic filtering does not harm graphical views it might seem that a designer would simply choose the highest possible level of anisotropic filtering. Unfortunately, many design projects are subject to a computational budget. For example, a game designer might be given a computational budget that permits the game being designed to run with a specified performance at a specified frame rate at a specified resolution and on a specified graphics system. If that budget is exceeded performance may be compromised. To meet the computational budget a graphics designer may have to limit or even eliminate some of the numerous editing and formatting attributes at his disposal. Since high levels of anisotropic filtering require extensive computational time, an anisotropic filtering level that is too high can seriously reduce the computational budget available for other tasks. Thus a designer should often select a relatively minimal anisotropic filtering level to ensure that adequate computation resources are available to meet other requirements.
In the prior art a graphics designer had little but his experience and trial and error to assist him when selecting an appropriate anisotropic filtering level. In practice, a designer could select an anisotropic filtering level and then note the impact of that level on his computational budget.
In view of the foregoing, a method of determining an appropriate anisotropic filtering level for a given image would be beneficial. Even more beneficial would be an automatic method of determining an appropriate anisotropic filtering level. Also beneficial would be a system and a method for reducing the impact of anisotropic filtering levels on computational budgets by enabling selection of an appropriate anisotropic filtering level for a given situation. A method of selecting an appropriate anisotropic filtering level and then automatically setting that level also would be beneficial.

Fourier transform optimized anisotropic filtering


A vehicle power transmission device having a structure with a carrier of a planetary gear device brought into spline fitting with a case that is a non-rotating member to stop rotating and a ring gear of the planetary gear device rotatably supported by the case via a bearing, is provided with a play reducing device that presses the carrier against the case to reduce a play in thrust direction formed between the carrier and the case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle power transmission device, and, more particularly, to a technique of suppressing rattling of a planetary gear device included in the power transmission device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a planetary gear device is included in a vehicle power transmission device including an automatic transmission, a power distribution mechanism of a hybrid vehicle, etc., and power output from a drive source is output to a drive wheel via the planetary gear device. Such a planetary gear device may have a carrier that is brought into spline fitting with a case that is a non-rotating member to constantly stop the rotation of the carrier. One example is a support structure of a rotating member of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-308094, for example. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-308094 discloses the structure having a carrier of a planetary gear device in spline fitting with a case and discloses a technique of suppressing noise generated in the structure. Specifically, if the carrier of the planetary gear device is in spline fitting with the case, a gap (play) is formed in the thrust direction and the circumferential direction between the carrier and the case and, when rotational fluctuations transmitted from a drive source are transmitted to the carrier, the carrier and the case repeatedly collide in the thrust direction and the circumferential direction due to the rotational fluctuations and the collides (rattling) are transmitted as noise through the case to a driver. On the other hand, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-308094 describes that the generation of noise is suppressed by restricting the location of the spline fitting of the carrier and the case to a location with relatively low sensitivity to the noise (a location with relatively high rigidity) in the circumferential direction of the case.
However, a structure described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-308094 does not constrain collision of a carrier and a case (rattling) and is not necessarily a sufficient solution of the problem. Therefore, a technique has been requested that constrains the rattling itself. On the other hand, a technique is also conceivable that constrains the rattling through control. Specifically, in a range tending to generate the rattling, an operating point of the drive source is changed to an operating point that constrains the occurrence of the rattling. However, when the rattling is suppressed through the control, the operating point of the drive source (engine) for avoiding the rattling deviates from an operating point for optimum fuel cost as depicted in FIG. 9, it is problematic that a fuel cost performance of vehicle deteriorates. As depicted in FIG. 9, it is also problematically difficult to generate sufficient power in a lower rotation speed range of the drive source. Therefore, the rattling constraint through the control is not certainly a means of preferably suppressing the rattling since the fuel cost deterioration and the insufficient drive force are problematically generated while the rattling is suppressed.


There are provided an image processing method and image processing apparatus, which can suitably access a necessary partial image, and can suppress wasteful data transfer by returning data with a small number of tiles for a thumbnail image of a low resolution or the like so as to reduce the number of times of file seek operations, and returning data with a large number of tiles for an image of a high resolution to be returned in response to an enlargement request. To this end, a server encoded data fragmentarily transmits encoded data which is hierarchically encoded by dividing an image into a plurality of tiles in response to a request from a client. The server calculates an occupation ratio of the displayed area of the image requested from the client to the entire image. When the ratio is equal to or lower than a threshold, the server selects encoded data divided to have a larger number of tiles. Otherwise, the server selects encoded data with a smaller number of tiles. The server extracts data corresponding to the displayed area from the selected encoded data, and transmits the extracted data to the client.

In recent years, the number of pixels to be handled by digital cameras which have prevailed remarkably has become increasingly huge, and general-purpose cameras having, e.g., about two to five million pixels are popular. As digital cameras for professionals, those of 10-million pixel classes are beginning to prevail, and higher resolution will be required in the future.
On another front, users who enjoy uploading images taken with digital cameras to an online album service on the Internet are increasing. In such systems, various types of image browser software are available. In general, a list of thumbnail images is displayed, and the user selects an image to be displayed in an enlarged scale from the list and displays it in a larger scale than the thumbnail image.
However, when image data with a large pixel size which is taken by the aforementioned digital camera in recent years is to be downloaded from a server every time the user selects to display it in an enlarged scale, a very long wait time is required until that image is displayed on a client terminal.
In order to solve such a problem, techniques for saving multi-resolution data, which are encoded by dividing data of respective resolutions into a plurality of tiles, in a server in advance, and downloading and displaying only partial data required upon display of user's choice have been developed. As a typical one of such techniques, a technique that combines Flashpix and IIP, a technique that exploits JPEG2000, and the like are known. That is, according to these techniques, since each image data has a plurality of resolutions, a change in display size at the client can be coped with. Also, since such multi-resolution image data are divided into tiles, the client can randomly access a partial area of an image. Furthermore, by reducing the tile size to be divided, a wasteful transfer data volume can be reduced.
Note that Flashpix is an image file format standardized by Digital imaging group (DIG). Flashpix has multi-resolutions, and an image of each resolution is divided into tiles of 64×64 pixels. Also, IIP is an abbreviation for Internet Imaging protocol, and this protocol allows the client to acquire only required data from Flashpix data by designating the resolution and tiles of the Flashpix data.
Furthermore, as the technique that exploits JPEG2000, one which uses JPEG2000 and JPIP is known. JPEG2000 is an image coding scheme which was standardized in 2001 as an image coding scheme which has multi-resolutions and uses tile division. Note that JPIP is JPEG2000 image coding system-Part 9: Interactivity tools, APIs and protocols, which is being laid down as a protocol required to fragmentarily access and display a file encoded according to JPEG2000.
Also, similar techniques are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-23630 (U.S. Pre-Grant Publication No. AA2003018818) and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-40674.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-23630 discloses a technique associated with a server/client system that exchanges partial data of image data which are stored in a server and are encoded by JPEG2000. According to this technique, there is disclosed the following system. That is, a client requests the server to send partial data of compressed data, which is not stored in a buffer yet, on the basis of information indicating which partial data of a codestream stored in the server has already been stored in the buffer of the client. In response to this request, the server extracts the requested partial data of the compressed data, and returns it to the client. Finally, the client combines the received data and the already stored data to obtain an image.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-40674 discloses a technique for progressively displaying JPEG2000 encoded data stored on the server side at high speed on the client side. According to this technique, a server extracts subband encoded data of a resolution level designated by a client from a file, and transmits it to the client. On the other hand, the client issues a request that designates a desired resolution level to the server, and reconstructs image data by combining coefficients of decoded subbands of the resolution level of the currently displayed image, and those of subbands obtained by decoding the encoded data received from the server, thus implementing progressive display.
However, Flashpix and JPEG2000 mentioned above use largely different tiles. That is, in Flashpix, since the tile size is fixed, i.e., 64×64 pixels at respective resolutions, the number of tiles decreases with decreasing resolution (decreasing image size). By contrast, in JPEG2000, since the numbers of tiles are fixed for respective resolutions, the number of tiles remains the same even when the resolution is lower (the image size is smaller). That is, in order to display an image of 128×128 pixels, Flashpix requires four tiles, and JPEG2000 may often require 100 or more tiles.
On the other hand, the screen resolution on the client side normally ranges from about 320×240 pixels to about 2048×1536 pixels. Upon displaying an image stored in the server on the display screen of the client by an interactive operation, it is often displayed within a window of a viewer of a sort in place of the entire screen. More specifically, an image display area is normally narrower than the screen of a client device. Therefore, when the client wants to display the entire image, it selects an image with a lower resolution, and issues its request to the server; when the client wants to enlarge only a part of an image, it selects an image with a higher resolution, and issues its request to the server.
Note that Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-179760 discloses a method for generating JPEG2000 encoded data from fragmentarily received data, and decoding the generated data. In such case, the head of each tile is sought and decoded. Therefore, as the number of tiles including areas required in display increases, the number of times of file seek operations increases, resulting in a long decode time.
In JPEG2000, the number of tiles becomes large when the entire image is displayed. For this reason, upon decoding the entire image with a low resolution (small image size), a very long decode time is required although its size is small (resolution is low).
However, both of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2003-23630 and 2004-40674 merely describe the technique for exchanging data extracted from JPEG2000 encoded data stored on the server side according to a client request. In the server/client system, a decrease in tile size brings about an effect of reducing a wasteful transfer data volume. However, when the number of tiles of an image is decreased without careful consideration, such data becomes hard to handle in the server/client.
Therefore, a tile division method which shortens the decode time of an image with a low resolution (small image size), and reduces a wasteful transfer data volume is demanded.

Image processing method and image processing apparatus


A vibration-powered generator (100) has a vibrating element (10) and a coil (40) arranged therearound, and is configured to obtain electromotive force by moving the vibrating element (10) relatively to the coil (40). The vibrating element (10) has a plurality of magnets (20a to 20d) arranged so as to oppose the pole-faces of the same polarity; end supporting portions (12, 13) which support the plurality of magnets from both ends in the direction of arrangement; and a cushioning (16). The cushioning (16) is held between the end supporting portion (12) and the magnet (20c), while being compressed under a stress exceeding the repelling force between the pole-faces of the magnets, so as to keep the magnets (20a to 20d) in a row without leaving a gap in between, overcoming the repelling force.

There has been a demand on simple power generators, capable of compensating or substituting disposal dry cells, from the viewpoints of sustaining or improving the global environment, and of ensuring emergency power supply. Of these sorts of power generators, there has been proposed a vibration-powered generator configured to generate induced current by allowing a permanent magnet to vibrate in a reciprocating manner inside a coil. Regarding this sort of technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a vibration-powered generator configured to allow a vibrating element, having two magnets arranged so as to oppose the pole-faces of the same polarity while keeping a gap in between, to vibrate in a reciprocating manner relative to a coil. The two magnets are connected to each other with a thin magnetic rod.
Patent Document 2 discloses a vibrating element having a plurality of magnets of the same size, arranged so as to oppose the pole-faces of the same polarity without leaving a gap in between, and fixed with nuts and bolts, and a vibration-powered generator using the same. According to the vibration-powered generator having the magnets arranged without leaving a gap in between, a sharp magnetic field gradient is formed at a position of contact between the pole-faces, in the direction orthogonal to the normal on the pole-faces (also occasionally referred to as "axial transverse direction", hereinafter), and thereby a high level of electromotive force may be obtained.


A cogeneration system including a heat pump type air conditioner including an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger bypass conduit, and a cogeneration unit including a second outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger bypass conduit, second outdoor heat exchanger connecting conduits, and second outdoor heat exchanger bypass conduit to cause the refrigerant to be evaporated in the second outdoor heat exchanger during a heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner, and to cause the refrigerant to be condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger during a cooling operation of the heat pump type air conditioner, so that the heat pump type air conditioner can provide a constant heating capacity irrespective of a variation in outdoor temperature during the heating operation thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cogeneration system in which waste heat of a drive source such as an engine is used in a heat pump type air conditioner, and, more particularly, to a cogeneration system which includes a heat pump type air conditioner having a simple inner configuration while achieving an enhancement in heating performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a conventional cogeneration system.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional cogeneration system includes a generator 2 to generate electricity, a drive source 10, which operates to drive the generator 2, and generates waste heat during the operation thereof, such as an engine (hereinafter, the drive source 10 will be referred to as an "engine"), a waste heat recoverer 20 to recover waste heat generated from the engine 10, and a heat consumer 30 to use the waste heat recovered by the waste heat recoverer 20, such as a thermal storage tank.
The electricity generated from the generator 2 is supplied to various electric home appliances including the heat pump type air conditioner 4 and various home illumination devices.
The generator 2 and engine 10 are disposed in an engine room E defined in a chassis (not shown), which is constructed separately from the heat consumer 30.
The heat pump type air conditioner 4 includes compressors 5, a 4-way valve 6, indoor heat exchangers 7, expansion devices 8, and outdoor heat exchangers 9.
When the heat pump type air conditioner 4 operates in a cooling mode, each compressor 5 compresses a refrigerant introduced thereinto. The compressed refrigerant passes through the 4-way valve 6, outdoor heat exchangers 9, expansion devices 8, indoor heat exchangers 7, and 4-way valve 6, in this order, and returns to the compressors 5. In this case, each outdoor heat exchanger 9 functions as a condenser, and each indoor heat exchanger 7 functions as an evaporator to absorb heat from indoor air.
On the other hand, when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, the refrigerant compressed in each compressor 5 passes through the 4-way valve 6, indoor heat exchangers 7, expansion devices 8, outdoor heat exchangers 9, and 4-way valve 6, in this order, and returns to the compressors 9. In this case, each outdoor heat exchanger 9 functions as an evaporator, and each indoor heat exchanger 7 functions as a condenser to heat indoor air.
The waste heat recoverer 20 includes an exhaust gas heat exchanger 22 to absorb heat from exhaust gas discharged from the engine 10, and a cooling water heat exchanger 24 to absorb heat from cooling water used to cool the engine 10.
The exhaust gas heat exchanger 22 is connected with the heat consumer 30 via a first heat supply line 23. Accordingly, the exhaust gas heat exchanger 22 can transfer the waste heat absorbed from the exhaust gas of the engine 10 to the heat consumer 30 via the first heat supply line 23. As mentioned above, the heat consumer 30 may be a thermal storage tank.
The cooling water heat exchanger 24 is connected with the heat consumer 30 via a second heat supply line 24. Accordingly, the cooling water heat exchanger 24 can transfer the waste heat absorbed from the cooling water of the engine 10 to the heat consumer 30 via the second heat supply line 24.
Meanwhile, where the above-mentioned cogeneration system is configured such that the waste heat of the engine 10 is recovered to be supplied to the heat pump type air conditioner 4 during a heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner 4, it is possible to achieve an enhancement in the heating efficiency of the heat pump type air conditioner 4.
For example, the cogeneration system may be configured to include an additional outdoor heat exchanger (hereinafter, referred to as a "second outdoor heat exchanger") disposed in the engine room E to receive waste heat recovered by the exhaust gas heat exchanger 22 and cooling water heat exchanger 24 such that the refrigerant compressed in each compressor 5 is circulated through the indoor heat exchangers 7, expansion devices 8, second outdoor heat exchanger, 4-way valve 6, and compressors 5, in this order, during the heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner 4, and is circulated through the 4-way valve 6, the outdoor heat exchangers 9, expansion devices 8, indoor heat exchangers 7, 4-way valve 6, and compressors 5, in this order, during the cooling operation of the heat pump type air conditioner 4. In this case, the heat pump type air conditioner 4 can provide a constant heating capacity irrespective of a variation in outdoor temperature when the heat pump type air conditioner 4 operates in the heating mode, and can provide a desired cooling capacity when the heat pump type air conditioner 4 operates in the cooling mode.
In this case, however, the cogeneration system must include at least two bypass conduits and at least two bypass valves, in order to establish a refrigerant bypass path. Although the bypass conduits and bypass valves are typically arranged in the heat pump type air conditioner 4, they cause the heat pump type air conditioner 4 to have a complex inner configuration and an increased size.


Apparatus to detect a deformity in thickness of a tubular element. The apparatus comprises a plurality of sensors and is installed in at least a rolling stand, having at least three rolling rings, of a rolling train able to obtain said tubular element.

One of the known methods for producing weldless tubular elements consists, in a first step, of working a solid profile so as to obtain the hole, by means of a mandrel. The next step consists of reducing the measurement of the section of the tubular element to the desired value. This operation is normally carried out by passing the tubular element through one or more rolling stands, each mainly consisting of at least three rolling rings disposed at 120° with respect to each other and made to rotate by respective shafts. The rolling rings have a peripheral surface shaped as the profile of an arc of a circumference that defines a rolling surface to define part of, or substantially all, the external profile of the tubular element.
This process can mainly cause two types of problem for the quality of the tubular element, both connected to a deformity in thickness.
A first problem concerns a deformity in thickness due to the eccentricity of the mandrel, during the making of the axial hole, with respect to the nominal section of the tubular element to be made.
A second problem concerns a deformity in thickness not due to eccentricity between hole and section but due to localized circumferential variations in the thickness of the tubular element. These variations derive from two situations.
A first situation is connected to the presence or absence of constant contact of the surface of each rolling ring with the external surface of the rolled product.
The second situation concerns the fact that the rolling rings are independent of each other and each ring defines, with respect to the adjacent one, a discontinuity that is mirrored in the development of the surface of the tubular element, in particular on its internal surface, generating a so-called "daisy" section profile of the tubular element.
The deformity in thickness of the final product can therefore derive both from a starting defect, connected to the eccentricity of the mandrel with respect to the nominal sizes of the tubular element, and also from a defect in rolling, connected to the motion and action of the three rolling rings that are independent of each other but work the same piece simultaneously.
In any case, the deformity in thickness has a negative influence on the quality of the whole working, following passes through several rolling stands. Furthermore, the resistance and performance of the tube when in use can also be affected.
Different methods or systems are known to detect the thickness of a tubular element during production and try to make it uniform, adopting correction systems downstream of the rolling line or downstream of a corresponding rolling unit or rolling stand.
One of the known systems provides to use a detection apparatus that works by means of an X-ray radiation principle, and uses one or more transmitter probes and one or more receiving probes, between which the tubular element is made to transit. According to the radiation captured by the receiving probe after the tubular element has passed through, an electric current is generated that is processed and digitized by a measuring transducer and subsequently sent to a central processing system to calculate the thickness of the wall of the tubular element.
Normally, a plurality of transmitter probes and receiving probes are disposed uniformly around the circumference defining the external diameter of the tubular element.
One disadvantage of this technique is its complexity, since the indication obtained for each pair of X-ray probes is the sum of two thickness contributions, corresponding to two opposite parts, or thicknesses, of the cross section of the tubular element, so that it is impossible to know directly and certainly whether the thickness of the tubular element is uniform over the whole circumference, since even if the detections of the probes are identical, the thickness may not be uniform between one part and the other of the tubular element.
Another system provides to use laser and ultrasound technology. In this case, a transmitter probe emits a pulsing laser that generates an ultrasonic wave which propagates from outside to inside the thickness of the tubular element, is subsequently reflected by the internal surface of the tubular element and then returns toward its external surface. A laser interferometer, inspecting the external surface of the tubular element, determines the time taken by the ultrasonic wave to twice pass through the thickness of the tubular element, that is, in an out-and-return travel. Since the speed of propagation of the ultrasonic wave is known, the system is able to deduce the thickness of the tubular element as a function of the passage time measured.
In this case, the detection refers to the portion of thickness cooperating with the probes.
This detection technique also provides the movement and partial rotation of the support parts of the probes, for example by means of automatic mechanical arms, to obtain the detection of the measurement on several surface portions of the tubular element so as to substantially cover the whole circumference thereof.
One disadvantage of this known technique is the sensitivity of the detection with respect to the position of the transmitter probe and the receiving probe. In fact any displacement thereof, even by a small value, can give an erroneous thickness indication.
Furthermore, the devices described above are in general rather expensive and difficult to manage and to maintain.
Another detection system is similar to the previous one but provides to use an electromagnetic transducer which, since it is able to generate magnetic field impulses, causes ultrasonic waves that are reflected by the surfaces of the tubular element and captured by a receiving probe.
In the last two cases cited, the detection systems also have the disadvantage of being very sensitive to the positioning both of the probes and of the tubular element, which negatively affects reliability.
All the systems described, moreover, entail possible problems in setting and adjusting the position with respect to the axis of the tubular element being detected, so that even a slight dis-axiality can entail quite considerable errors.
Document DE 10 59 672 B (DE'672) describes a device for the continuous control of the thickness of the wall of a non-metal pipe, for example made of plastic, in which at the point of measurement the pipe is supported by an internal support made of ferromagnetic material.
The measurement is obtained by means of unipolar probes, for example 3, disposed at 120° around the circumference of the pipe. Each of the probes, measuring the auto-induction, that is, the angle of loss of a measuring coil, allows to obtain the value of thickness of the wall in contact with the corresponding probe.
The solution described in DE'672 is not suitable to continuously measure the thickness of metal pipes during rolling.
One purpose of the present invention is therefore to obtain an apparatus, and the corresponding method, to detect the deformity in thickness of metal tubular elements, which provides reliable measurement results and which is relatively simple in installation and in functioning.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain an apparatus that reduces the incidence of errors deriving from the positioning of the detection elements with respect to the metal tubular element.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

Apparatus to detect the deformity in thickness of tubular elements and corresponding method


A patient support apparatus includes a frame, a patient support surface, one or more force sensors that detect weight on the patient support surface, a recharger, and a controller. The recharger is adapted to recharge a personal electronic device of the patient's. The controller controls power supplied to the recharger based on outputs from the force sensors. Additionally or alternatively, a barrier is provided having a coil therein. The recharger includes a magnet for magnetically coupling to the barrier, and the recharger wirelessly receives power from the coil when the recharger is magnetically coupled to the barrier. Alternatively, the magnet holds a personal electronic device that receives power wirelessly from a coil inside the barrier. In still another variation, a pendant is included for controlling movement of the patient support apparatus and the pendant includes a recharger adapted to recharge a personal electronic device.

The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses—such as beds, stretchers, cots, recliners, and the like—and more particularly to patient support apparatuses that include power supplies for powering and/or recharging a patient's electronic devices, such as, but not limited to, a cell phone, tablet, MP3 player, etc.
Many patient support apparatuses don't include any outlets or ports for charging or recharging a patient's personal electronic device. For those that do, the power recharging port may be positioned at an inconvenient location, may not be easily sanitized, may subject a cable to a shearing risk when a siderail is raised or lowered, and/or may suffer from one or more other disadvantages.

Patient support apparatuses with personal electronic device charging


The present disclosure relates generally to devices and methods useable during well drilling operation. More particularly, the present disclosure pertains to a drilling rig incorporating a dual top drive apparatus useable for decreasing connection time of pipe segments useable during well drilling or other well operations, and methods of connecting pipe segments useable during well drilling or other operations.

Conventional rotary drilling is performed using a rotary table, which includes a motor mounted on or below the derrick floor for rotating the table, and a Kelly which rationally connects the table to a drill string. Alternative drilling systems have been increasingly used, in which the pipe string drive has been modeled after a drilling unit, including a section of pipe connectable to the upper end of the drill string, and a motor for rotating the upper pipe section to turn the string. In recent years, rotary table drilling units are being replaced with these direct drive drilling units (e.g. top drives, kelly drives).
A typical direct drive drilling unit includes a motor drive assembly and a pipe handling assembly. The drive assembly includes a motor connected to the drill string by a cylindrical drive sleeve drilling extending downwardly along the centerline of the well from the drill motor. A direct drive unit is normally suspended from a travelling block for vertical travel supported by a derrick assembly. The drilling unit can be mounted on a carriage connected to a pair of vertical guide rails secured to the derrick.
Drilling is accomplished by the powered rotation of the drill string by the drill motor. The drill string is composed of loose drill string elements with a cutting tool or a bit fixed on the end of a drill string. The drill string elements consist mainly of a piece of pipe, which is provided on either side with fixing elements (e.g. threads) for connecting together adjacent pipe segments. This entire powered drilling assembly can then be moved upwardly and downwardly, with the string, to drive the string directly, without requiring a Kelly and Kelly bushing type connection. The cutting tool and/or drill bit can be threadably connected to the lower end of the drill string which, through the rotational energy supplied by the drill motor, cuts through the earth formation and deepens the well.
During drilling operations, the drilling tool is guided into and through earth formation by using a drill string. Additional drill string elements (e.g. segments of drill pipe) are repeatedly added to the upper end of the drill string, so that the drilling tool can extend ever further down-well. Assembling such a drill string takes a relatively long time, especially when a large number of pipe sections are assembled in the course of drilling a deep well.
Additionally, when it is necessary to perform maintenance and/or repairs on a drill string or tools attached thereto, the amount of time required for such an undertaking increases substantially as the depth of a well increases. For example, as the well is drilled, the bit becomes worn and the cutting elements thereof must periodically be replaced. To access a drill bit, the entire drill string must be removed from the well. Other types of damage and/or wear can also require raising the drill string. During the hoisting operation, the drill string is at least partially disassembled (e.g. the drill string is often separated into sections of three joined pipe segments). The time required to raise and disassemble can therefore be substantial.
As such, when replacement of the bit or other types of repairs, replacement, and/or remedial operations become necessary, at least a portion of the drill string is removed from the well, pulled above the derrick floor, and moved to a pipe storage rack on the derrick or similar location. Subsequent drill string elements are pulled from the well, exposing the next pipe section above the floor, which is similarly removed. This sequence, usually referred to as tripping out, is continued until the necessary portion of the drill string, which can include the entire drill string, is removed from the well. After replacement of the drill bit and/or completion of other remedial operations, the drill string is then reassembled, e.g. tripped in, by reconnecting and lowering all of the pipe sections previously removed.
As drilling depths and the length of wellbores increases, drilling efficiency must be increased and/or new techniques developed to offset the costly day rates for retaining and operating equipment capable of addressing deep well applications. To prevent a great deal of time from being lost when assembling or dismantling a drill string, a need exists for devices and methods that decrease the time required to disconnect drill string segments and raise a drill string.
A need also exists for apparatus and methods that can quickly and continuously prepare pipe members for connection, while concurrently performing drilling operations.
A further need exists for a drilling apparatus having multiple pipe hoisting and driving capabilities available and/or proximate to one another for the purpose of connecting and/or lowering a pipe segment, while a second pipe segment is engaged and prepared for connect.
A need exists for efficiently communicating drilling fluid into the drill string without requiring deactivation of the drilling fluid pump while successive drilling string segments are being connected.
Embodiments usable within the scope of the present disclosure meet these needs.

Dual device apparatus and methods usable in well drilling and other operations


A device for use as a cast for orthopedic leg injuries is disclosed which has a plurality of inflatable, adjustable pressure air chambers contained within a resilient outer support casing which may easily be installed around a patient's lower extremity to control tissue edema and minor undisplaced fractures, acute sprains, and ruptures of supporting ligaments. The cast apparatus of the present invention uses three sets of air chambers to support the lower leg, the ankle, and the lower foot, respectively, of a patient. The ankle portion of the cast apparatus has special support apparatus designed to provide excellent ankle support in a unique manner. Splint members may also be used in conjunction with the cast apparatus of the present invention, with a variety of techniques being used to mount the splint members onto the cast apparatus. The device can also readily be used as a cast for upper extremities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a cast for orthopedic leg injuries, and more particularly to an inflatable cast having a plurality of adjustable pressure air chambers contained within a resilient outer support casing which may easily be installed around a patient's lower extremity to control tissue edema and minor undisplaced fractures, acute sprains, and ruptures of supporting ligaments.
The traditional techniques of treating orthopedic leg injuries have revolved around three type of devices: casts, which have application primarily in broken legs; splints, which are utilized to immobilize and stabilize injuries; and pressure bandages, which are used both to control swelling and to present a degree of support, particularly to ankles. Splints and elastic bandages are often used in conjunction with each other. As in other areas of medicine, creative individuals have come up with a variety of departures from these standard themes in order to present better techniques of patient treatment.
One of the first alternative devices is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,435, to Nicholson. The Nicholson apparatus is an inflatable splint which holds a cooling medium, such as crushed ice, on its interior side. The inflatable splint fits over the patients lower leg, and is inflated both to stiffen the splint and to bring the cooling interior surface of the splint into intimate contact with the patient's leg. The Nicholson device is designed to be used only temporarily rather than over an extended period.
Another variation on the theme of a cast is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,656, to Young et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,590, to Stancik, Jr. These devices are both one-time inflatable casts, which are each applied in similar fashion to a patient's lower leg in a loose-fitting manner. Following the initial installation, they both have an inflatable compartment for placement adjacent the patient's leg located in the interior of the cast filled with foam to closely fit against the patient's leg.
Young et al. uses the introduction of a foam-producing substance into the inflatable compartment to provide the close fit. Stancik, Jr. injects a material which hardens in the inflatable compartment, in a manner similar to that of the Young et al. reference.
These devices have a drawback which limits their application considerably. Both the Young et al. and the Stancik, Jr. devices are essentially replacements for a fixed shape cast, in that once the foam sets they will be in a fixed configuration. Thus, their only application is as a replacement for a fixed cast, and due to their added cost and lack of additional advantages they present no substantial advantage over standard casts. Additionally, they are inapplicable in situations where there is any substantial tissue swelling. Finally, they provide no support for the ankle, other than the mere presence of the inflatable compartments.
The problem of providing a variable and changeable inner configuration is solved at least in part through the use of an inflatable cast apparatus, with air-inflated inner chambers being used to place pressure on the leg. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,248, to Larson, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,805, to Tourin, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,565, to Johnson, Jr. The Larson and Johnson, Jr. '565 devices are remarkably similar, both having front and back hard shells which are fastened together with hardware (Larson) or straps (Johnson, Jr. '565) to enclose the lower leg and foot.
The Larson device has inflatable liners in each shell half covering the entire lower leg and most of the foot, while the Johnson, Jr. '565 device has inflatable air bags in each shell half extending the length of the lower leg. They both offer little adjustment for different size legs other than the inflatable compartments, and are really designed mainly to immobilize a patient's leg. They also provide no particular support for the ankle other the mere existence of the inflatable compartments, which provide little ankle support.
Differing somewhat from these hard shell designs is the Tourin apparatus, which has more parts than any of the other devices of this type known. Rather than using hard shells, the Tourin device uses a complex frame having front and back inflatable cushions supported from a frame. Tourin suffers some of the same deficiencies as the Larson and Johnson, Jr. '565 devices, and adds substantially to these deficiencies with its complexity, undoubted high cost of manufacture, and its difficulty of assembly.
As might be expected, the art has more recently produced devices which, although completely different, do provide ankle support alone. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,945, to Johnson, Jr. (the same Johnson, Jr. as in the '565 patent) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,891, to Grim are examples of ankle braces using inflatable compartments. Johnson, Jr. '945 uses shell members with inflatable, partially foam-filled liners to provide ankle support, while Grim uses an ankle brace with inflatable bladders which are pumped up when the wearer walks or runs. Both devices are only suitable for ankle support, and are not intended for the same applications as that of the present invention.
It is accordingly the primary objective of the present invention that it provide an improved cast apparatus having inflatable cushioning support for the leg of a patient. As such, it is an objective that the inflatable cushioning for the patient's leg should be adjustable in pressure at any point in time over the entire period of use by the patient to allow the pressure to be used to control edema after the initial occurrence of an injury, and to provide continuing support as the healing process continues. The mechanism for providing the pressure to the cast apparatus should be easy and convenient to use, as well as being capable of precision in its operation to precisely adjust the pressure on the patient's leg.
It is a further objective of the cast apparatus of the present invention that it provide ankle support specifically designed for the ankle instead of mere air cushions which happen to bear in part against the ankle. The ankle support apparatus must be fully integrated in the cast apparatus of the present invention, and must further be capable of pressure adjustment independently of the inflatable cushioning provided for the leg of the patient.
It is yet another objective of the cast apparatus of the present invention that it be capable of providing support and cushioning for the foot of the patient. In addition to restricting the degree of movement and providing support for the patient's foot, the cast apparatus of the present invention should also present foot cushioning allowing the patient (with the approval of his of her physician) to place weight on the leg supported by the cast apparatus of the present invention. Like the ankle support apparatus, the foot cushioning and support apparatus must be fully integrated in the cast apparatus of the present invention, and must further be capable of pressure adjustment independently of the inflatable leg cushioning and the ankle support apparatus.
It is an additional objective of the adjustable cast of the present invention that it be easy both to install and to adjust on the leg of a patient. It should also be manufacturable of lightweight, non-rigid material which is both tough and durable to afford it excellent strength and durability. It is a further objective of the cast apparatus of the present invention that it offer the ability to use one or more rigid splints if desired, with the splints being easily installable in integrated fashion into the cast apparatus. Finally, it is also an objective that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives of the present invention be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
It should be noted that this invention can readily be applied to other extremities, including the arm, wrist and hand, and should not be considered as limited to a leg and foot.

Adjustable pressure cast for orthopedic injuries


A container is assembled from several panels generally comprised of one or more layers of relatively rigid stiffening material (such as corrugated cardboard) sandwiched between two layers of a strong, flexible material, such as woven polypropylene. These panels form four side wall assemblies and, in combination with a flexible bottom panel, form a self-supporting, generally cubic material receiving box. An integral closure assembly, including cover flap, front flap and side flaps, advantageously enable the container to conveniently and safely secure relatively large volumes of dense debris without spillage even when the fully laden container is dropped during handling. The container, when empty, may be collapsed for convenient storage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to industrial containers, and more particularly to collapsible, lightweight, free-standing containers designed for transporting bulk material, such as hazardous solid waste, in the form of an aggregate or a slurry.
2. Background Information
Conventional bulk shipping containers generally use either a bag concept or a rigid box concept. The bag type container tends to be lightweight and easily collapsed when empty into a small volume for easy storage and shipping. It is, however, difficult to load and unload because it lacks rigidity and thus will not support itself in an open orientation to facilitate loading. Also it is difficult to handle mechanically, such as with a fork lift, without puncturing the bag. The rigid box design, on the other hand, has the rigidity necessary to facilitate loading, to permit stacking of loaded containers, and to allow easy handling with fork lifts and other mechanical devices. However, by their very nature, such containers are not collapsible and thus require large volume for storing and shipping even when empty.
Recent attempts to overcome these difficulties are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,922 (the ""922 patent) issued to J. H. Lapoint, Jr., et al. which is hereby fully incorporated by reference herein. The ""922 patent discloses a collapsible shipping container constructed using side wall assemblies made from a double layer of flexible material formed into pockets into which stiffeners are inserted. These containers can be collapsed into a small volume for storage or shipping while empty. They are lightweight and rigid enough that they can be filled and discharged easily, can be stacked during shipment even when loaded, and generally will not slump, tilt, or topple over during shipment. They also have loop type handles so that they can be easily handled by mechanical equipment like fork lifts without danger of breaching the containment integrity of the container.
A drawback of this approach, however, is that it utilizes a relatively complex closure assembly in order to provide the requisite structural integrity to resist spillage of the contents during handling. This closure assembly includes a discrete cover piece, several overlapping layers of flaps on the top of the container, and a relatively large number of flexible ties at spaced locations about the entire periphery of the cover piece. The discrete or non-integral cover piece may become separated from the rest of the container assembly and be lost. Multiple layers of materials tend to increase the cost of manufacturing the container. Moreover, the relatively large number of flexible ties in a complex closure arrangement increases the time and labor costs of using the container in its eventual application. Moreover, the use of ties about the entire periphery of the cover generally requires access to all sides of the container to secure it. This lends to disadvantageously prevent one from placing several empty containers side by side for simultaneous filling, or from otherwise placing a container in confined locations, i.e. against a wall, for filling.
Thus, a need exists for a bulk material container that has a simplified closure assembly, substantially without any discrete or unattached components, and that may be sealed shut from one side thereof to simplify its manufacture and use.
According to an embodiment of this invention, a collapsible container adapted to receive bulk material therein, includes:
a plurality of wall portions, each of the plurality of wall portions including a plurality of layers of flexible sheet material and a semi-rigid stiffener superposed therebetween;
a bottom portion including at least one layer of flexible sheet material disposed integrally with the plurality of wall portions, wherein the bottom portion and the plurality of wall portions define a material receiving cavity;
a flexible closure assembly disposed integrally with at least one of the plurality of wall portions, the flexible closure assembly adapted to selectively open and close the material receiving cavity;
wherein the collapsible container is a unitary device adapted for being alternately collapsed for storage and erected to a self-supporting configuration for receipt and containment of the bulk material.
The above and other features and advantages of this invention will be more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Collapsible, lightweight bulk shipping container


A snowmobile throttle control apparatus includes a pair of bushings with a hole and closed ends and a separate axle pin. The bushings are assembled to a thumb lever and mounted over the axle pin. The axle pin allows for a controlled gap to be maintained between the throttle lever, bushing assembly and the control housing. The thumb lever is allowed to flex open when a side load is applied. Thus allowing the thumb lever assembly to travel without binding on the control housing. This insures proper functioning of the RPS feature.

Many different types of recreational vehicles have been developed and are used by sports enthusiasts. Recreational vehicles include, for example, vehicles such as boats, airplanes, gliders, motorcycles, ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), snowmobiles and the like. Different environments are used for different recreational vehicles. Specifically, in water environments, recreational vehicles are boats or jet skis; in air environments the recreational vehicles are hang gliders or airplanes; in sand the recreational vehicles are dune buggies or ATVs; and in snow environments the recreational vehicle of choice is usually a snowmobile.
At least since the early 1960's snowmobiles have been used by sports enthusiasts in winter environments. Snowmobiles can travel on snow by the use of two front skis and a track somewhat similar to a tank track, which runs from the back of the skis to the back of the snowmobile. The track is used to propel the snowmobile forward in the snow and the skis are used to change the direction of the snowmobile. Traditionally, snowmobiles have utilized a handlebar type steering mechanism instead of a steering wheel type steering mechanism. Usually on the snowmobile driver's righthand side when he or she is seated in the snowmobile seat is the throttle and on the left hand side is the brake. The right hand side of the handlebar usually includes a handle grip adapted for engagement with the glove of the snowmobiler and a throttle, which is adapted to be depressed to accelerate the snowmobile. The thumb of the driver's right hand engages the throttle. The left hand side of the handlebar can likewise include a brake that extends parallel to the handlebar grip directly opposite to the snowmobile.
The natural tendency of snowmobile throttle control levers is for the legs to warp together. When this happens the lever squeezes the control housing, thereby preventing the throttle lever from moving freely. The throttle lever attaches to an axle pin, which actuates an RPS (Runaway Prevention Switch). When the thumb lever is unable to move freely, the RPS switch will not function properly. The thumb lever must also possess the ability to spread so that the legs do not bind, thereby ensuring proper RPS function when the operator provides side-load to the throttle lever.
Based on the foregoing it can be appreciated that when the operator of snowmobile provides a side load to a throttle lever, the throttle lever does not move freely and hence the RPS does not function properly. It is believed that a solution to this problem involves the implementation of a pair of bushings with a hole and closed ends placed on either side of axle pin for maintaining controlled gap between throttle and bushing assembly, which is disclosed in greater detail. This ensures proper functioning of the RPS when the operator provides side-load to the throttle lever.

Snowmobile throttle control top hat design