An image processing apparatus that stores input image data is disclosed. The image processing apparatus includes a color space evaluating unit which evaluates a color space of the input image data by comparing the color space of the input image data with a reference color space, a frequency distribution calculating unit which calculates an appearing frequency distribution of a color included in the input image data, and a color space determining unit which determines a color space in which the input image data are to be stored by applying color control to the input image data based on the evaluated result by the color space evaluating unit and the calculated result by the frequency distribution calculating unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image processing apparatus and a method thereof in which color image data are input and the color image data are stored by applying color control to the input color image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various technologies have been proposed for an image processing apparatus which processes color image data input from a digital still camera, a digital video camera, a scanner, and so on.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-200902, an image processing apparatus which uses one of the technologies is disclosed. In the image processing apparatus, a color gamut which is a distribution range of colors of input color image data is detected from the input color image data, a color space which substantially includes the color gamut is determined, and the input color image data are converted into image data which are expressed by the determined color space by using a color space converting unit. With this, colors of an object which is taken are precisely reproduced by the converted image data. The image processing apparatus can store the input color image data in a manner so that the degradation of the color image data is as small as possible.
In addition, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-153014, another image processing apparatus which uses one of the technologies is disclosed. In the image processing apparatus, color manuscript image data (in an RGB color space) read by an image reading unit are temporarily stored, and when the color manuscript image data are transmitted, the color manuscript image data are converted into image data corresponding to the image processing ability of a destination image communication apparatus. The conversion is RGB to L*a*b or RGB to L*a*b to sRGB. In the image processing apparatus, the image degradation caused by color space conversion operation errors can be as small as possible by executing the conversion corresponding to the ability of the destination once at the time of transmission of the image data without executing the conversion at the time of storing the image data. The image processing apparatus can make the degradation of the color image data low by decreasing the number of conversion times of the color space.
As described above, various image processing apparatuses and methods thereof have been proposed in which the input color image data are encoded by making the degradation of image data low and the input image data are satisfactorily reproduced.
In the image processing apparatus of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-200902, input image data are divided into plural image regions, and hue and colorfulness (saturation) of each image region in which the image data is divided are calculated, and a color gamut is detected by obtaining the maximum colorfulness in each calculated hue. Further, a color space determining unit determines a color space that substantially includes the color gamut detected by a color gamut detecting unit, and a color space converting unit converts the input image data into image data of the determined color space.
However, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-200902, in order to detect the color gamut, an xy chromaticity coordinate is obtained from the input image data, and after representative hue and colorfulness are obtained in each of the plural image regions, the maximum colorfulness is obtained in each hue. That is, double or triple calculations are needed to obtain the maximum colorfulness.
Further, the color space that substantially includes the color gamut is determined by the maximum colorfulness in each hue; however, an area ratio of a region that belongs to each hue to the entire area of the input image is not considered. Therefore, even in a case where a large color difference exists such as having high colorfulness in a small area, a color space having a one rank larger color gamut is selected. Consequently, the quantization becomes rough and the difference between the input image data and the converted image data becomes large.
In addition, the background of the image is an important element that determines the appearance of the image. However, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-200902, since the area is not considered when the color space is determined, a color space which does not include hue belonging to a nearly uniform background may be selected depending on a predetermined ratio of the area. Consequently, the appearance of the image may be greatly changed.

Image processing apparatus and method thereof


A cylinder of a rotary printing machine having an inner cylinder body includes an elastically deformable cylinder jacket formed as part of a circle, the cylinder jacket being substantially intrinsically rigid, and an adjusting device for acting upon the elastically deformable cylinder jacket so as to vary the outer diameter thereof, the adjusting device having a positioning part supported on and radially displaceable relative to the inner cylinder body for shifting the cylinder jacket jointly therewith in the same radial direction, and having a force deflector displaceable over a positioning travel distance derivable from the radial displacement of the cylinder jacket for acting upon the cylinder jacket so as to deform it.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cylinder, in particular, a rotary printing-machine sheet-guiding cylinder, having an outer diameter which, because the cylinder has an elastically deformable, partly circular cylinder jacket, is variable by an adjusting device.
In the instant application, the cylinder jacket has been described as being "partly circular". This does not mean that only mathematically exact partially circular contours are provided, but rather, that contours which are formed approximately as a partial circle or, in other words, have certain out-of-round features are also included.
A cylinder of the type referred to in the introduction hereto is disclosed in German Patent 44 34 828. The cylinder known from this prior art reference has an elastically deformable cylinder jacket, which is supported by rollers 4 resting on inclined faces of a positioning disk 5 which is rotatable relative to an inner cylinder base body. If a rotation is effected, the radial spacing of the rollers from the cylinder base body is changed and, as a result, the cylinder jacket is widened or, depending upon the relative direction of rotation, decreased in diameter. By such a diameter adjustment, it is possible to adapt to or match the thickness of the printing material or stock. In the heretofore known construction, the cylinder jacket is disadvantageously formed of relatively thin material, such as chromium foil, for example, which is supported from below only locally and, in this respect, has a polygonal contour. Moreover, in the event of a pointwise or punctiform load, the chromium foil and the appertaining supporting sheetmetal are dented and damaged. This can occur even from one crumpled sheet, for example. In the region of the fastening location, the heretofore known embodiment has no roundness.

Rotary printing-machine cylinder having a variable outer diameter


A method for manufacturing coated panels of the type including at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif, the top layer being provided on the substrate, the method may involve at least two steps. A first step may involve providing a synthetic material layer on the substrate. And a second subsequent step, may involve providing a relief on the surface of the synthetic material layer. The relief may include a pattern of recesses and/or projections. the pattern may be at least partially determined by one or more prints.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods for manufacturing panels, as well as to panels which can be obtained by such methods.
More particularly, the invention relates to methods for manufacturing panels of the type comprising a least a substrate and a top layer with a motif, said top layer being provided on this substrate. Herein, this may relate, for example, to furniture panels, ceiling panels, floor panels or the like, which substantially consist of a MDF or HDF (Medium or High Density Fiberboard) basic panel or substrate and a top layer provided thereon. In particular, this relates to a method wherein one or more material layers are provided on the substrate, wherein at least one of these material layers comprises a printed motif. Preferably, this relates to a motif which is at least partially obtained by means of a print performed directly or indirectly on the substrate. However, the invention also applies to panels wherein the motif is realized in another manner, for example, by printing this motif on a carrier sheet and providing this carrier sheet on the aforementioned substrate, such as it is the case, for example, with DPL (Direct Pressure Laminate) laminate panels.
2. Related Art
Such panels are known as such, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 1,971,067, U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,804, U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,827, U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,915, WO 01/48333, WO 01/47724, US 2004/0026017, WO 2004/042168, EP 1 872 959, DE 197 25 829 C1 or DE 195 32 819 A1. From the aforementioned documents, it is also known that the aforementioned material layers can comprise one or more priming layers, wherein these priming layers substantially extend underneath said print, and/or may comprise one or more finishing layers, which substantially extend above said motif. Such finishing layers may comprise, for example, transparent or translucent synthetic material layers, which form a protective layer above the, whether or not printed, motif and may comprise, for example, wear-resistant particles, such as aluminum oxide. It is not excluded that this protective layer comprises a material sheet, such as a paper sheet, which is provided, for example, with a synthetic material, such as an amino resin.
From the aforementioned patent documents, various methods are known for providing the surface of a coated panel with a structure. From the document WO 2004/042168, it is known to provide recesses in the substrate itself or in a priming layer and to perform a print in the form of a motif on this structured substrate. From WO 01/47725, U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,915 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,827, it is known to provide a lacquer-repellent means on the printed motif, such that the afterwards provided thereon transparent lacquer layer solidifies selectively, such that a structure is formed on the final panel. From WO 01/48333, it is known to provide impressions, with the assistance of a mould or press cylinder, in a lacquer layer provided above the motif. From WO 01/47724, it is known to provide a transparent lacquer layer by means of an inkjet selectively above the motif and in this manner realize a structure, wherein the thus provided lacquer layer covers the motif only partially and a portion of the motif is not protected against wear. From DE 197 25 829 C1, it is known to provide impressions, by means of a mold or press cylinder or press plate, in a protective layer applied above the motif. In DE 197 25 829 C1, namely protective layers are used, applied in liquid form, which comprise thermo-hardening resin, such as melamine.
In respect to flexibility and/or in respect to structures to be realized, the herein above mentioned techniques leave much to be desired. For example, it is difficult to realize with these techniques, in a smooth manner, structures corresponding to the motif provided by the print. Moreover, according to some of the known techniques, the motif partially remains unprotected against, for example, wear or moisture penetration.

Methods for manufacturing panels and panel obtained thereby


When pixel signals are separately read from a plurality of horizontal signal lines to achieve high-speed processing, color difference in image signals and stripes are eliminated.

In general, a CMOS sensor is a solid-state imaging apparatus including a two-dimensional pixel array having pixels. Each pixel includes a photoelectric transducer for generating signal charge in response to an incident light beam and pixel transistors for converting the signal charge to an electrical signal and for outputting this electrical signal. The CMOS sensor reads individual pixel signals through a plurality of vertical signal lines provided corresponding to individual columns of pixels and processes the read pixel signals to output the processed signals to an output unit through a horizontal signal line.
The CMOS sensor can randomly access the individual pixels by selectively scanning the pixels and signal-processing circuits.
Color filters having a predetermined array pattern are provided on the pixel array to convert an incident light beam on the sensor to light beam components having respective colors. These light beam components enter the respective pixels, and color images are captured.
A known CMOS sensor has a higher reading rate than a CCD sensor, but has only one horizontal signal line. This structure limits a further increase in the reading rate of the known CMOS sensor.
To solve this problem, an attempt to achieve a higher reading rate has been made by increasing the number of horizontal signal lines.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views illustrating the signal-outputting operation with a certain color arrangement in a pixel array and two horizontal signal lines. In this example, the two horizontal signal lines are dedicatedly assigned to respective pixel columns of the pixel array.
As shown in the drawings, the color arrangement in the pixel array 1 alternately includes RGr rows (the (2n)th row) and GbB rows (the (2n+1)th row). Each RGr row alternately includes red (R) pixels and green (Gr) pixels, and each GbB row alternately includes green (Gb) pixels and blue (B) pixels. In the drawings, the asterisks (*) indicate rows to be read, and the rows are sequentially selected from the top to the bottom.
In FIG. 5A, the (2n)th pixel row is selected, R pixel signals are output to an output system A through a horizontal signal line 2A, and Gr pixel signals are output to an output system B through a horizontal signal line 2B.
In FIG. 5A, the (2n+1)th pixel row is selected, Gb pixel signals are output to the output system A through the horizontal signal line 2A, and B pixel signals are output to the output system B through the horizontal signal line 2B.
However, in the known method for reading pixel signals described above, the Gb pixel signals and the Gr pixel signals that have the same color are separately output to the respective output systems A and B, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Thus, though the same color in an object is captured through respective color filters, color difference may occur between the pixel rows due to variance in characteristics of, for example, transistors in the different systems. Such color difference generates horizontal stripes.
Since the solid-state imaging apparatus is a high-precision analog circuit processing signals, a slight change in the characteristics of transistors changes the characteristics of pixel signals. Especially, a change in the characteristics of horizontal signal lines causes horizontal stripes that periodically appear when signals are output from all pixels.
This type of problem does not occur when signals are transmitted through a single horizontal signal line. However, the problem may occur when the number of horizontal signal lines is increased to achieve a high reading rate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging apparatus and a method for reading signals therefrom that can read pixel signals separately through a plurality of horizontal signal lines at a high reading rate and that can eliminate, for example, color difference in image signals and stripes.

Solid-state imaging apparatus and its signal reading method

Abstract: In the operation of reading the pixel signals from the (2n)th row, the pixel signals from R pixels on odd columns are output to an output system A through a horizontal signal line (60A). On the other hand, the pixel signals from Gr pixels on even columns are output to an output system B through a horizontal signal line (60B). In the operation of reading the pixel signals from the (2n+1)th row, the pixel signals from Gb pixels on the odd columns are output to the output system B through the horizontal signal line (60B) by the switching operation in a switching circuit (50). Similarly, the pixel signals from B pixels on the even columns are output to the output system A through the horizontal signal line (60A) by the switching operation in the switching circuit (50).


An image processing device for generating depth data, utilizing the a first image and a second image which are captured from different viewpoints, the image processing device including: a disparity value calculation unit which calculates, for each of plural representative pixels included in pixels in the first image, a disparity value of the representative pixel, based on a positional relationship between the representative pixel and a pixel corresponding to the representative pixel, in the second image; a segmentation unit which partitions the first image into plural segments, based on a similarity between pixel values; and a depth data generation unit which determines, for each segment, a disparity value of the segment, based on the disparity value of the representative pixel included in the segment to generate depth data indicative of depths corresponding to the plural segments.

In recent years, 3D displays which display 3D images are becoming widely popular. In addition, there is increasing need for 3D cameras which capture 3D images to be displayed on such 3D displays. Typical 3D cameras capture stereo images by using two pairs of a lens and a sensor.
Methods of generating depth data indicative of the depth of stereo images using stereo images captured by such a 3D camera are known. For example, corresponding points for each pixel are detected in the stereo images and a disparity value between the corresponding points is calculated, thereby generating depth data. Then, various processing is allowed to be performed on the stereo images by using the so generated depth data.

Image processing device, imaging device, and image processing method

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD.


Spectroscopy apparatuses oriented to the critical angle of the sample are described that detect the spectral characteristics of a sample. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic radiation source adapted to excite a sample with electromagnetic radiation introduced to a measurement site of the sample at a plurality of angles of incidence near a critical angle of the sample and a transmitting crystal in communication with the electromagnetic radiation source and the sample. The transmitting crystal may have a high refractive index adapted to reflect the electromagnetic radiation internally. The apparatus includes a reflector adapted to introduce the electromagnetic radiation to a measurement site of the sample at a plurality of angles of incidence near the critical angle between the transmitting crystal and sample. The apparatus includes a detector for detecting the electromagnetic radiation from the sample. Also, provided herein are methods, systems, and kits incorporating the peri-critical reflectance spectroscopy apparatus.

Internal reflection spectroscopy, also known as Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, has been know for many years, and is a widely used method of sampling in infrared (IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as in other spectroscopies. Mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR), or intermediate infrared (IIR), spectroscopy has over the years become a technique of choice when specificity is of utmost importance. It has historically been a difficult technique to use for several reasons. First, absorptivities of many materials are quite high in the mid-wavelength infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., from about 3-8 μm) While this is good from the standpoint of sensitivity, it makes sampling sometimes complex. As a result, a wide variety of sampling technologies have been developed to help introduce the sample to the spectrometer in an ideal fashion. A ubiquitous and problematic sample component is water. In the near-infrared (NIR) region, using wavelengths from about 800 nm to 2500 nm, another problem that can arise is the fact that the path length may be too short. One advantage is that near-infrared can typically penetrate much farther into a sample than mid infrared radiation.
One problem faced when using spectroscopy is the fact that many sample preparations contain water. Water has a very high absorbance in the mid-infrared. Therefore, in order to measure a spectrum of water in the classical mid-infrared region of 4000-400 cm−1, the path length must be limited to less than a few 10 s of microns. ATR can provide this very small path length needed. In other situations however, the path length of ATR is too small for ideal sampling. This can be the main problem when trying to make measurements through mammalian skin or other biological tissue, or when the desired spectral information is from a deeper depth and not adjacent the surface of the mammalian skin.
Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) is often indicated in difficult sampling situations. The spectroscopic usefulness of the effect was first noticed in the 1960s by Fahrenfort and is predictable from basic optical physics. Basically, when light propagates through a medium of high refractive index and approaches an interface with a material of lower refractive index, a transmission and a reflection will occur. The relative strengths of these transmissions and reflections are governed by the Fresnel equations:
                                          r            ⊥                    ≡                                    E              r                                      E              i                                      =                                                                              n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                        -                                                            n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                                                                n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                        +                                                            n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                                                        (        1        )                                          t          ≡                                    E              t                                      E              i                                      =                              2                                                      n                1                                            μ                1                                                  cos                                                                          θ                                                                                n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                        +                                                            n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                                                        (        2        )                                                      r                                                                        ≡                                    E              r                                      E              i                                      =                                                                              n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                        -                                                            n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                                                                n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                      +                                                            n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                                                          (        3        )                                                      t                                                                        ≡                                    E              t                                      E              i                                      =                              2                                                      n                1                                            μ                1                                                  cos                                                                          θ                                                                                n                  1                                                  μ                  1                                                          cos                                                                                θ                ′                                      +                                                            n                  2                                                  μ                  2                                                          cos                                                                                θ                                                          (        4        )            The Fresnel equations give the ratio of the reflected and transmitted electric field amplitude to initial electric field for electromagnetic radiation incident on a dielectric.
In general, when a wave reaches a boundary between two different dielectric constants, part of the wave is reflected and part is transmitted, with the sum of the energies in these two waves equal to that of the original wave. Examination of these equations reveals that when the light is traversing through a high index medium and approaching an interface with a low index medium, the reflected component can be total, with no light being transmitted. The angle at which this occurs is called the critical angle and is defined by the following equation (5):
                              θ          C                =                              sin                          -              1                                                      (                                          n                2                                            n                1                                      )                                              (        5        )
The reflected component has an angle of reflection equal and opposite to the angle of incidence upon the interface. Above the critical angle, all light is reflected. Below the critical angle, some light would transmit through the interface according to the above Fresnel equations. A device operating in this mode would use light that refracts according to Snell's Law (equation (6)):n1 sin θ=n2 sin θ′  (6)
As previously stated, above the critical angle reflection is total. Fahrenfort first noticed that upon total reflection, a standing, or evanescent, wave is set up at the interface between high and low index. The wave has an exponentially decaying intensity into the rarer (lower index) medium. If an absorbing substance is placed in the vicinity of this evanescent (standing) wave, which extends a distance into the rarer medium, it can absorb portions of the light in specific wavelengths corresponding to the absorption properties of the material. In this way, the total reflection is said to be "frustrated" by the absorption of the sample. The returning light at the detector then is evaluated to determine the missing energy. It follows that this mode can be used to obtain an infrared spectrum of a material in contact with the high index medium through which the light is traveling. The strength of this interaction can be predicted through several equations developed by Harrick. First, the depth of penetration is defined as the 1/e point of the exponential decay of the evanescent (standing) wave (equation (7)):
                              d          p                =                              λ            /                          n              1                                            2                                                      π                                                  (                                                                                sin                        2                                                                  θ                                        -                                                                  (                                                                              n                            2                                                                                n                            1                                                                          )                                            2                                                        )                                                            1                2                                                                        (        7        )            where n2 is the sample refractive index and n1 is the crystal refractive index. The depth of penetration is defined as the point at which the strength of the evanescent wave electric vector decays to a value of 1/e (where e is Euler's number) from its original strength. Quick calculations are often done using the depth of penetration to characterize the strength of signal that will be obtained with ATR. The quick calculations may be less accurate but are suitable for providing a guide. A more accurate equation for the point where the evanescent wave electric vector decays was derived by Harrick, namely the effective thickness or effective depth, de.
An additional complication arises if the sample is thin compared to the 1/e point of the evanescent wave. The effective thickness calculation results in a number that can be used in Beer's Law calculations, and is closely related to the path length in a transmission measurement made at normal incidence. There are now three refractive indices to worry about: n1, the index of the crystal, n2, the index of the thin layer of sample, and n3, the index of whatever is beyond the sample, usually air. Also, since the geometry is usually not near-normal, the calculation must be done for three orthogonal axes. Finally, the measurement is polarization dependent and should be calculated for two orthogonal polarizations. For purposes of this discussion, the thin layer is assumed to by isotropic and the polarization is deemed to be random. So the effective depth equation, for thin layers of sample where the sample layer thickness is much less than the depth of penetration, is as follows:
                              d          e                =                              1                          cos                                                                                θ                                                                    n              2                                      n              1                                                                    d              p                        2                                                        E              02                              r                                                                                2                                      ·                          (                                                exp                                                        (                                          -                                                                        2                                                                                z                            i                                                                                d                          p                                                                                )                                                  -                                  exp                                                        (                                          -                                                                        2                                                                                z                            f                                                                                d                          p                                                                                )                                                              )                                                          (        8        )            where the z values are the initial and final z-dimension positions of the film relative to the surface of the ATR prism. The E term is the square of the strength of the electric vector in medium 2 E is proportional to light intensity. For polarized incident lightE02,∥r2=E02,xr2+E02,zr2  (9)andE02,⊥r2=E02,yr2  (10)and this results inde,∥=dex+dez  (11)andde,⊥=dey  (12)andde,random=(de,⊥+de,∥)/2  (13)
The three orthogonal electric field components are calculated from Fresnel's equations:
                              E                                    0                            x                        ,            2                    r                =                              2                        cos                                                                                θ                                                  (                                                                                sin                        2                                                                  θ                                        -                                          n                      31                      2                                                        )                                                            1                /                2                                                                                (                                      1                    -                                          n                      31                      2                                                        )                                                  1                  /                  2                                                                          [                                                                            (                                              1                        +                                                  n                          31                          2                                                                    )                                                                                sin                      2                                                            θ                                    -                                      n                    31                    2                                                  ]                                                    1              /              2                                                          (        14        )                                                      E                                          0                                z                            ,              2                        r                    =                                    2                            cos                                                                                θsinθ                                                                                n                31                2                                                                                (                                          1                      -                                              n                        31                        2                                                              )                                                        1                    /                    2                                                                                [                                                                                (                                                  1                          +                                                      n                            31                            2                                                                          )                                                                                sin                        2                                                                  θ                                        -                                          n                      31                      2                                                        ]                                                            1                /                2                                                                                and                            (        15        )                                          E                                    0                            y                        ,            2                    r                =                              2                        cos                                                                          θ                                              (                              1                -                                  n                  31                  2                                            )                                      1              /              2                                                          (        16        )
In the equations immediately above, a thin film approximation is used, in order to greatly simplify the calculation of the field strength. As previously mentioned, Harrick proposed this approximation. The requirement to use this approximation is that the film must be very thin relative to the depth of penetration if the sample were infinitely thick. The depth of penetration for a thick film at 6 μm measuring wavelength would be 2.32 μm. A monolayer of anthrax spores, for example, would have a thickness of approximately 0.4 μm, so the thin film approximation is valid for early detection and identification of anthrax spores deposited onto an ATR prism. The values used in the above equations are as follows: n1=2.2, n2=1.5, n3=1.0, θ=45°, zi=0. and zf=0.4 μm. Calculated values for the field strength are as follows: E0x,2r=1.37, E0z,2r=0.79, and E0y,2r=1.60. Calculated effective path for each vector are dexiso=0.45 μm, deyiso=0.62 μm, deziso=0.15 μm, de,∥iso=0.60 μm, de,⊥iso=0.62 μm, and de,randomiso=0.61 μm. The final value for effective thickness is therefore 0.61 μm.
A single reflection through the ATR system modeled here would give rise to a signal (at 6 μm wavelength) that is comparable to a layer of spores measured in transmission that is 0.61 μm thick, assuming a spore monolayer with a thickness of 0.4 μm. So the ATR technique, even in a single reflection, gives rise to a spectrum with 1.5× the strength of a transmission measurement. This figure can be increased dramatically by using multiple reflections, making ATR infrared an excellent identifier of biological warfare agents such as anthrax.
Other concepts relating to ATR spectroscopy are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,908,773 to Li et al. for ATR-FTIR Metal Surface Cleanliness Monitoring; 7,218,270 to Tamburino for ATR Trajectory Tracking System (A-Track); 6,841,792 to Bynum et al. for ATR Crystal Device; 6,493,080 to Boese for ATR Measuring Cell for FTIR Spectroscopy; 6,362,144 to Berman et al. for Cleaning System for Infrared ATR Glucose Measurement System (II); 6,141,100 to Burka et al. for Imaging ATR Spectrometer; 6,430,424 to Berman et al. for Infrared ATR Glucose Measurement System Utilizing a Single Surface of Skin.
An often overlooked benefit of the ATR sampling mode for detecting and classifying samples, however, is the immunity to the effects of scatter. Harrick notes that the ATR mode, unlike transmission or regular reflectance, removes the effect of light scatter. Even if a sample is granular in nature, a situation that normally would give rise to light scattering, the ATR spectrum will maintain a flat baseline. This means that different preparations of the same sample can be more similar to each other, and therefore easier to classify in the same group. If there exists real chemical differences between two samples, the differences are more easily discerned because the sample morphology, preparation, and packing are removed as variables. An advantage of ATR, often overlooked, is its immunity to the effects of scatter. A "perfect" infrared spectrum would contain only information related to the molecular structure of the sample. Sampling artifacts almost always are superimposed on this pure spectrum. However ATR can remove some of the differences due to sample scatter, improving the ability to identify and classify a sample. This can be a huge advantage in the area of tissue spectroscopy.
An interesting recurring theme in the spectroscopy literature is the admonition to stay away from the critical angle (Internal Reflection Spectroscopy: Theory and Applications, Francis M. Mirabella, CRC Press, 1993) because spectral distortions will result. This was noted early on in the seminal book by Harrick, and has been repeated many times since. The basis for this warning is seen in the depth of penetration equations listed above. As the angle of incidence gets smaller and approaches the critical angle, the depth of penetration of the evanescent wave into the rarer medium gets larger and larger, up until the critical angle, at which point the total internal reflection condition no longer holds. Below the critical angle, internal reflectance turns into the much more common and much less useful external reflectance. External reflectance is also governed by the laws of Fresnel reflection, but the resulting reflection is no longer total. In external reflection, it is not possible to couple a large efficiency of energy back into the ATR prism and subsequently to the detector.
For many samples, it would be desirable to have a large depth of penetration into the sample. This could be achieved by introducing electromagnetic energy very close to a critical angle for the sample. In most spectrometers, the light beam has a significant angular dispersion, in order to fill the detector and obtain high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, because there is much angular dispersion, as the critical angle is approached, a portion of the beam starts to exceed the critical angle, while another portion of the beam is still at an angle that is well away from the critical angle. In addition, in most samples there is dispersion in the refractive index across the spectral region of interest, and so the critical angle is different for different wavelengths. So these factors require the average angle to often be several degrees away from the critical angle.
It can be readily seen that the depth of penetration into the rarer medium can actually become quite large. There are many applications in which a larger depth of penetration would be desirable. The non-invasive measurement of body constituents is amongst these. The teaching, repeated many times in the literature, is that ATR can not have a large path length and can not have a large depth of penetration, because distortions of the spectrum occur near the critical angle. This problem could be overcome by the use of a highly collimated beam of light. Light sources are now available that can be highly collimated, yet still contain excellent amounts of energy. Many lasers such as quantum cascade lasers and light emitting diode (LED) sources are now available that can be highly collimated and still contain large amounts of energy. But this is not a complete solution to the problem.
Another problem that needs to be overcome is the fact that most samples themselves exhibit wavelength dispersion in their refractive index. If useful spectroscopic information about a sample is desired, whether by fluorescence, near infrared, terahertz, or some other spectroscopy, the signal should be collected over some range of wavelengths. It will almost certainly be true that over the wavelength range of interest, the critical angle will vary with wavelength. The critical angle will even change within the same sample depending on various characteristics of the sample, such as the sample morphology or the physical state of the sample. Therefore it is very difficult, if not impossible to know, a priori, where the critical angle will lie, for a given sample at a given wavelength. What is needed is an added dimension to the ATR measurement, namely that of a mapping of not only intensity versus wavelength, but of intensity versus wavelength versus angle of incidence and/or reflection.
An ATR sampler can be designed that allows for multiple reflections. Multiple reflections thereby multiply the strength of the infrared spectrum. The number of reflections can be adjusted to arrive at an optimum effective path length to give the highest possible signal-to-noise ratio. The apparatuses and methods described here provides for measurements that are at least one, and probably two, orders of magnitude more sensitive than making the measurement in a transmission mode or a traditional ATR mode. In order to successfully map the angular space of interest, it would be desirable to cross over the critical angle and also collect data below the critical angle. This data could be useful in determining a true critical angle for each wavelength.

Methods, devices and kits for peri-critical reflectance spectroscopy


Self-propelled hydrodynamic underwater toys with integrated propulsion mechanisms are described. In some embodiments, the propulsion mechanisms is partially or completely within an internal compartment in the toy's body. The propulsion mechanisms are adapted to be charged with a volume of fluid and to thereafter discharge the volume of fluid under pressure to propel the toy through a body of water. In some embodiments, the propulsion mechanism includes an expandable reservoir. In some embodiments, the propulsion mechanism is a replaceable propulsion mechanism. In some embodiments, the toy includes a trajectory-stabilizing structure that is adapted to impart at least one of a steering moment and a righting moment to the toy during underwater travel. The toy may be adapted to have positive, negative or neutral buoyancies, and can be adapted to maintain its buoyancy and/or its center of gravity while being propelled through a body of water by the propulsion system.

The disclosure generally relates to toys for use in water, and more particularly to hydrodynamic toys adapted to be launched for self-propelled travel through an underwater trajectory.
Aerodynamic toys capable of being hand-launched through the air have been known for many years, and include balls, flying discs, boomerangs, toy gliders, etc. Aerodynamic toys typically are characterized by a combination of properties allowing a user to launch the toy into the air by hand so that the toy travels a substantial distance through the air along a trajectory selected by the user. Specifically, each of these toys has a size and shape that, in relation to the weight of the toy, enables an average user to apply a launching momentum sufficient to overcome, at least temporarily, the forces of gravity and wind-drag on the toy. Some aerodynamic toys are also configured to create lift when launched through the air to increase the distance the toys travel before descending to the ground.
While hand-launchable, aerodynamic toys are well-suited for use in air, they are not well-suited for use underwater. For example, objects traveling through water experience a significantly higher amount of drag than do objects traveling through air, because water has a much higher density than air. Similarly, objects experience greater buoyancy in water than in air due to the higher specific gravity of water than air. For these reasons, toys intended for use underwater should employ hydrodynamic rather than aerodynamic values and thus, typically will have different combinations of size, shape, and weight, than those intended for use in air. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,514,023 and 6,699,091, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, various hand-launchable projectile toys are disclosed that are hydrodynamically configured to travel substantial distances underwater. The toys include elongate, contoured bodies that include fins or other trajectory-stabilizing structures that project from the tail section of the body. In some embodiments, the trajectory-stabilizing structure is adapted to impart a righting moment to the toy during underwater travel, while in others the structure is adapted to impart a steering moment to the toy during underwater travel.
These underwater toys are adapted to be hand-launched through a pool or other body of water, with the particular configuration, construction, and/or buoyancy of the toy affecting its hydrodynamic path through the body of water. The hand-launchable size and geometry of the toys enable them to be grasped in a user's hand, such as in the notch formed by the user's thumb and index finger, and manually propelled through the body of water. However, some users may lack sufficient strength, size and/or coordination to effectively launch these toys along a suitable underwater path through the body of water. Others simply may desire an underwater toy that does not require manual propulsion through the body of water.


The invention relates to an expansion valve and to a method for controlling an expansion valve, in which the opening and closing movement of the valve-closure member is set as a function of the pressure difference which is present in a feed opening on the high pressure side and in a discharge opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an expansion valve and to a method for controlling it, in particular in the form of vehicle air-conditioning systems which are operated with CO2 as refrigerant and have a valve housing with a feed opening and a discharge opening, and with a valve member which can be displaced out of a valve seat of a through-flow opening arranged between the feed opening and discharge opening to allow the refrigerant to flow through.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the preferred refrigerant for refrigerant cycles of air-conditioning systems of motor vehicles of the future, since this substance is very safe in the event of accidents, on account of being non-combustible, and furthermore it is not considered an environmental pollutant. CO2 refrigeration cycles, unlike R134a refrigeration cycles, are also operated in the supercritical range.
An expansion valve which is used in refrigerant cycles of air-conditioning systems using CO2 is known from DE 100 12 714 A1. This expansion valve has a throttling opening with a fixed cross section for transferring the refrigeration medium from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side for the purpose of pressure expansion. This cross section is always open for through-flow. If an excess pressure is formed on the high-pressure side in the refrigerant cycle, a bypass valve connected in parallel with the throttling opening is opened, so that the excess pressure which exceeds the optimum high pressure is reduced. The bypass valve only opens when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded on the high-pressure side.
This arrangement represents a functionally reliable configuration of an expansion valve, but it is necessary for both the setting of the threshold value and of the orifice diameter to be matched to the particular air-conditioning system, in order to achieve a maximum performance coefficient over the entire range of applications of the air-conditioning system.
DE 102 19 667 A1 has disclosed an expansion valve with an electronic control which has an electrically actuable device for displacement of a valve member, with a further throttling location, the passage cross section of which can be adjusted in a manner coupled to the passage cross section of the first throttling location, being provided arranged in series with the first throttling location. This series connection of at least two throttling locations, of which at least one can be actuated by a solenoid valve, means that the pressure difference at each individual throttling location is lower than if there is just one throttling location. This increases the accuracy of control. In particular, it is possible to thereby deal with the discrepancies in the pressure difference which occur between summer and winter.
However, this solution has the drawback of requiring a complex structure. Actuation of the solenoid valve requires the use of a pressure and temperature sensor or a control box with software in the control circuit, making this expansion valve expensive to produce and assemble.

Expansion valve and method for controlling it

Otto Egelhof GmbH & Co. KG, Regelungstechnik


A "V" type pull rake includes a rigid primary frame to which rake arms are pivoted for movement about vertical and horizontal axes. The rake arms include at their outer ends upstanding posts to which control assemblies are connected and extend over the rake wheels and raked material to the primary frame. The control assembly includes a pair of pivotally interconnected members with the control assembly of each rake arm including two pivotal connections allowing pivotal movement about vertical and horizontal axes. Rake arms extensions are pivotally connected to the outer ends of the rake arms and actuating rods for raising and lowering the rake wheels extend along the rake arms over the pivotal connection to the rake arm extension and include a pivot rod for allowing the actuating rod to function when the rake arm extension is pivoted relative to the rake arm.

This invention relates to a pull type rake having a main frame and a pair of secondary frames which are connected to the main frame for movement between a transport closed position and an operative open position.
The rake of this invention is sometimes known as a "V" rake or a bifold rake. Representative of the prior art is the patent to Tonutti U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,853. The rake of this patent involves a control assembly for pivoting the rake arms between their open and closed positions wherein the control assembly is rigidly connected to the rake arm by gusset plates allowing an arm of the control assembly to extend between a pair of rake wheels. It is an object of the present invention to position the control assembly above the rake wheels and allow the rake arms to pivot in such a manner that they can follow the contour of the ground. By positioning the control assembly above the rake wheels, it does not interfere with the rake wheels but also allows larger windrows of raked material to form thereunder.
Another representative "V" type rake is manufactured by Sitrex, Srl. in Perugia, Italy. The control assembly for operating the rake arms is raised above the rake arms but not above the rake wheels and still extends between the rake wheels. A single hydraulic cylinder on either side extends between a post on the rake arm and the center main frame.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a rigid primary frame having a pair rake arms pivoted thereto about horizontal and vertical axes to allow the rake arms to float over the ground and pivot between open and closed positions.
A further object of the present invention is for each of the rake arms to have pivotally connected to their outer ends extension rake arms which will allow the rake wheels to better follow the contour of the ground. A problem associated with the addition of the extension rake arms is providing an actuating rod for raising and lowering the rake wheels which will operate across the hinge connection between the rake arm and the extension rake arm. This problem has been overcome by the present invention through the use of an actuating rod mounted to the rake arm and the extension rake arm across the pivot connection by including a hinge rod which is pivotally interconnected between two actuating rod portions. The hinge rod is positioned across the hinge connection between the rake arm and the rake arm extension such that the hinge rod pivotal connections move alternately between positions coaxial with the axis of the pivotal connection between the rake arm and rake arm extension. Thus, it is seen that the actuating rod can still operate to raise and lower the rake wheels as the rake arm extension pivots up and down as the rake travels over irregular ground.


The disclosure generally provides a WRrNYVAC comprising multiple antigens from different stages of a malaria parasite (Plasmodium) life cycle, methods for producing them, immunogenic vaccine formulations comprising WRrNYVAC, such as P. vivax containing formulations (WRPvrNYVAC) and P. falciparum containing formulations (WRPfrNYVAC) and methods for the prevention and/or treatment of malaria infections and poxvirus infections.

Malaria remains one of the world's most prevalent serious infectious diseases. In 2015, 95 countries and territories retained ongoing malaria transmission and an estimated 3.2 billion people—nearly half the world's population—were at risk of malaria (WHO, 2016). Approximately 214 million cases worldwide in 2015 and an estimated 438,000 million deaths per year (WHO, 2016) existed. Mortality is primarily in children under the age of five and in pregnant women. Every 45 seconds, an African child dies of malaria. The disease is transmitted from person to person by infected mosquitoes. Past eradication efforts involved massive insecticide campaigns. These proved successful in the Southeast United States. But, these efforts failed in most poorly developed tropical countries. Current efforts involve distribution of mosquito nets, particularly mosquito nets impregnated with insecticide, to prevent mosquito bites at night. During the past 15 years, coverage of mosquito control interventions increased substantially in Africa. In 2014, more than half of the population at risk in Africa (56%) had access to an insecticide-treated mosquito net, compared to 2% in 2000 (WHO, 2016). However, emerging parasite resistance to antimalarial medicines and mosquito resistance to insecticides, if left unaddressed, could render some of the current tools ineffective and trigger a rise in global malaria mortality. If an individual is treated, convalescent time can be between 5-20 days. Specifically for Plasmodium vivax (Pv) malaria, infections can reoccur months to years later from the original infection based on the unique biology of Pv malaria parasites forming hypnozoites that remain dormant in liver cells. Currently, there is no effective, durable malaria vaccine available for Pv malaria. The need for a malaria vaccine remains critical for protection of millions of people from this disease.
Malaria caused by Pv remains a major public health threat, especially in Africa, Thailand, South America, South East China, and the Koreas among children and pregnant women. Pv is the most frequent and widely distributed cause of recurring (Benign tertian) malaria, it is one of the five species of malaria parasites that commonly infect humans. Although it is less virulent than Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest of the five human malaria parasites, Pv malaria infections can lead to severe disease and death, often due to splenomegaly (a pathologically enlarged spleen). Pv is carried by the female Anopheles mosquito, since it is only the female of the species that bites. An effective malaria vaccine offers a valuable tool that reduces the disease burden. It could also contribute to elimination of malaria in some regions of the world. Current malaria vaccine candidates are directed against human and mosquito stages of the parasite life cycle, but thus far, relatively few proteins have been studied for potential vaccine development.

The Government of the United States, As Represented by the Secretary of the Army


In one aspect, a computerized method for managing consistency and availability tradeoffs in a real-time operational database management system (DBMS) includes the step of implementing consistency in an AP mode of the real-time operational DBMS by implementing the following steps. The method adds a set of schemes that enable a real-time operational DBMS to linearize read/write operations in all situations except a first specified situation and a second specified situation. The real-time operational DBMS is in AP mode, at least one master node for every data item is available in the database cluster of the real-time operational DBMS at all times. The method implements a CP mode of operation.

A real-time operational database management system (DBMS) can be used for handling real-time mission-critical applications in the area of real-time bidding, fraud detection for online payments, continuous risk management for stock accounts, revenue assurance.
In many of these use cases the real-time operational DBMS can support up to a few million reads/writes per second focusing on primary key operations over a diverse record set. Low read latency, high write load, and high uptime can be important in these use cases and consistency need not be guaranteed. Therefore, the real-time operational DBMS can be prioritized availability over consistency during network partitioning events (e.g., split-brain) and the system works in AP (available and partition tolerant) mode as per the CAP theorem. The CAP theorem postulates that only two of the three properties of consistency, availability, and partition tolerance can be guaranteed in a distributed system at a specific time.
The real-time operational DBMS can be used to replace systems of record that contain critical transactional data, especially when they are used in real-time applications. Such systems of record need to prioritize consistency over availability during network partitioning events (e.g. split-brain event) and the real-time operational DBMS can operate in CP (consistent and partition tolerant) mode as per the CAP theorem. One issue with the real-time Operational DBMS can be focused on determining how much availability can be retained while providing strict consistency (e.g., linearize all read/write operations to the database) with a per-row atomicity guarantee. Since the real-time operational DBMS may be extremely fast already, a goal can be to ensure that the performance and most of the availability can be preserved while adding consistency support that linearizes all operations to the database. As expected, this goal can pose various technical challenges. The processes and system provided herein can be used to ameliorate this issue.

Methods and systems of managing consistency and availability tradeoffs in a real-time operational DBMS


A channelized stratified regenerator with integrated heat exchangers are disclosed using micromachining to precisely construct structural geometries, such as fins and axial stratification of material to be used in a Stirling cycle based system. In operation, a working fluid passes through the regenerator when traveling between two heat exchangers. In some implementations, the regenerator and the heat exchangers are formed as a single construction. In other implementations, the regenerator and heat exchangers are formed separately, but are constructed to integrate efficiently with one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to engines and coolers and, more particularly, to Stirling cycle engines and coolers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional Stirling cycle engine or cooler includes a displacer moved by a working fluid, such as a gas. Portions of the working fluid travel in passageways between a hot area and a cold area. As the working fluid travels from the hot area to the cold area, it passes through a conventional random fiber mesh material called a regenerator that retains heat from the working fluid thereby lowering the temperature of the working fluid. As the working fluid returns from the cold area back to the hot area, it receives some heat back from the regenerator thereby resulting in increased efficiency. Unfortunately, manufacture of conventional regenerators can demand extensive highly trained labor with many manufacturing steps.
Conventional regenerators can be difficult to integrate with other components of Stirling cycle engines or coolers, such as heat exchangers. For instance, due to differences in geometries of the conventional regenerators and heat exchangers manifolds are used to maintain uniform flow of the working fluid through the heat exchangers and regenerator. These manifolds contribute to "dead volume" that reduces efficiencies.
Another problem posed by conventional integration of regenerators with heat exchangers is that the regenerators are compressed fitted between the exchangers which adds more variableness to the final porosity of the regenerator both during time of assembly and also through the lifetime of operation. As the conventional regenerator ages, the amount of compression placed upon the regenerator by its fitting between the two heat exchangers can change, which diminishes long term reliability. In some cases compression lessens to a degree in which the regenerators become loose enough to vibrate and oscillate, which can result in shedding of small unwanted particles and subsequent machinery failure.
The random fiber mesh material used in the conventional regenerators is sintered which produces small particles that can migrate throughout the Stirling cycle engine or cooler potentially causing damage. Construction of conventional regenerators provides little in the way of accurate control over either bulk or axial regenerator porosity of the random fiber mesh material. Consequently, extensive operational testing is required to verify performance of conventional regenerators and undesirable amounts of costly scrap materials are produced. Attempted remedies include some conventional regenerators using spaced apart foils, however, spacing between these foils is undesirably inconsistent and unpredictable. Due to drawbacks of conventional regenerators and heat exchangers, reliability and performance of Stirling cycle engines and coolers suffers.

Channelized stratified regenerator system and method


A user interface component and method of using the same navigate across a boundary coupled to a scroll bar display element only after user input to move a user control at least a predetermined distance beyond the boundary is received. A boundary may be defined within a scroll bar display element, or may be defined between a scroll bar display element and another display element (such as another scroll bar display element). By preventing navigation of a boundary until a predetermined distance beyond such boundary has been crossed, inadvertent user input which would otherwise result in accidental navigation of a boundary is disregarded.

As computers have become more complex and powerful, the manner in which end users or operators interface with computers has grown increasingly important. Early computers relied on switches, lights, and/or punch cards that required an end user to interact essentially in the computers' native binary languages. Eventually, video displays were developed that enabled end users to interact with computers through textual information and commands. Another significant step in this evolution was the development of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), which permitted end users to interact with computers through the more intuitive operations of "pointing and clicking" on graphical display elements with a pointer controlled by a mouse or other user interface device. For example, to print a file, an end user in a text-based system might be required to enter a command such as "print <filename>". With a graphical user interface, a similar operation might be accomplished by merely moving a pointer with a mouse and clicking on an graphical icon showing a graphic representation of a printer.
Information is often presented to an end user in a graphical user interface component known as a window. A window may be used to display a relatively large document with only a portion of the document shown at any given time. Scroll bars on the window may then be used to navigate through the document--that is, to scroll through the information in a document so that a different portion of the document is displayed in the window. A scroll bar itself has a number of controls. For example, an end user may control a slider (or puck) on a scroll bar by clicking and holding down a mouse button over the slider, and then moving the pointer to scroll to a specific location in the document. An end user may also click on arrow buttons found at each end of a scroll bar to scroll a document line-by-line. Also, an end user may click on regions in the scroll bar between the slider and the buttons to scroll the document page-by-page or screen-by-screen.
Windowing technology is used by a large variety of computer software applications to display all or portions of records, documents and other information. For example, windows may be used by browser or viewer applications to view linked records such as hypertext documents. Hypertext documents may be found, for example, on the Internet, as well as in many private networks and in individual computer systems. Hypertext documents are linked together via embedded hypertext links that an end user can click on to either jump to different documents, or to jump to different locations within the same document. A wide variety of information formats such as text, graphics, video, sound, and animation may be integrated into these hypertext documents. Other common usages of windowing technology include word processors, database applications, spreadsheets, graphic design applications, and many others too numerous to mention.
It has been found that navigation using a scroll bar is often problematic, particularly when a document being viewed in a window has a boundary that initiates a predetermined action whenever the boundary is crossed during scrolling. User manipulation of a scroll bar with a mouse or other user input device is often not very precise, typically due to the inherent difficulties in manually manipulating a mechanical device such as a mouse. Therefore, it is sometimes possible for an end user to inadvertently cross a boundary in a document, resulting in accidental initiation of the predetermined action specified for the boundary. Some predetermined actions may be quite complex and time-consuming, and therefore may adversely impact an end user's productivity.
As one example, word processors typically include hard or soft page breaks within documents to define the breaks between pages when they are printed. In addition, many word processors provide WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") editing, where the information shown on a computer display closely matches that of the printed output. Many such word processors provide a "page" view mode, where the boundaries of a page are shown, along with any whitespace defined between the page boundaries and the margins set for the page. Whenever a page break is encountered when scrolling in page mode, a predetermined action of jumping across the whitespace between the end of one page and the beginning of the next is performed by the word processor.
Due to this additional action performed across page breaks, it has been found that it is difficult, particularly with larger documents, to drag a scroll bar slider and accurately deposit a cursor near the top or bottom of a page without inadvertently jumping to the adjacent page. Any small "overshoot" of the slider by the end user may result in a comparatively large scroll of the document across the page boundary. This problem is even more pronounced if the page boundary is defined by a hard page break that results in a page that is only partially filled with information and separated from the next page by significant whitespace. In fact, in some instances where a page has only a few lines, a user may inadvertently scroll completely past the page to the next page without realizing that he or she has done so.
In other applications, dragging of a slider may not be tracked by the contents of the window, so the end user has no visual feedback of where movement of a slider has scrolled a document to until after the slider is released. Thus, in either event, it can be difficult at times to locate specific locations in a document using a scroll bar.
Therefore, a significant need exists for an improved manner of navigating with a scroll bar in a graphical user interface environment.

User interface component and method of navigating across a boundary coupled to a scroll bar display element

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is a method and apparatus for altering a carbon-containing compound in an aqueous mixture. According to a first aspect of the present invention, it has been discovered that for an aqueous mixture having a carbon containing compound with an ozone reaction rate less than the ozone reaction rate of pentachlorophenol, use of corona discharge in a low or non-oxidizing atmosphere increases the rate of destruction of the carbon containing compound compared to corona discharge an oxidizing atmosphere. For an aqueous mixture containing pentachlorphenol, there was essentially no difference in destruction between atmospheres. According to a second aspect of the present invention, it has been further discovered that an aqueous mixture having a carbon-containing compound in the presence of a catalyst and oxygen resulted in an increased destruction rate of the carbon containing compound compared to no catalyst.

The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for altering carbon-containing compounds with corona discharge. More specifically, hazardous waste compounds are altered or converted or destroyed to less hazardous compounds or elements with the corona discharge.
Disposal, clean up and/or site remediation of hazardous carbon containing compounds continues to be a challenge, especially for organic compounds that are difficult to oxidize or are xe2x80x9cnon-oxidizablexe2x80x9d. J Hoigne and H Bader, OZONATION OF WATER: SELECTIVITY AND RATE OF OXIDATION OF SOLUTES, Ozone: Science and Engineering, Vol. 1, pp 73-85, 1979 identify the following compounds as xe2x80x9cnot [be] oxidized directly by ozone even during an extended ozonationxe2x80x9d: chloroethylenes including specifically tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene, benzene, aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes, carbonic acids, specifically oxalic acid. Other non-oxidizable compounds include but are not limited to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), methylisobutylketone (MIBK) also known as hexone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, perchloroethylene (PCE), and pentachlorophenol (PCP).
Research in this field has been ongoing for many years. In the paper TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS WITH ELECTRIC DISCHARGES, W L Hudson, The American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1979, various embodiments of xe2x80x9cplasma reactorsxe2x80x9d are shown and discussed. The reactors tend to have the common features of one electrode positioned above or away from the liquid containing the carbon-containing compound to be treated and a second electrode in contact with the liquid containing the carbon-containing compound to be treated. However, Hudson states
The only encouraging success with the treatment of liquids with electric discharges has been in a partial vacuum at or near the vapor pressure of the liquid being treated, more specifically in the pressure range 20 to 70 mm of Hg. If the pressure is less than the vapor pressure of the liquid being treated, the liquid boils, sometime violently. If the pressure increases as a result of gas buildup in the system the discharge might extinguish itself and at best becomes much less efficient.
Hudson does, however, report a test using pulsed discharge at 1 atmosphere pressure. Hudson reports percent reacted of a carbon containing compound as ranging from 7 percent reacted to 92 percent reacted. Compounds reacted were Fe++, and carbon containing compounds reacted of phenol, sewage, and acrylonitrile.
In an article of the Journal of Chemical Society, GLOW DISCHARGE ELECTROLYSIS. PART I. THE ANODIC FORMATION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN INERT ELECTROLYSIS, R A Davies, A Hickling, pp 3595-3602, 1952, the authors studied the formation of hydrogen peroxide using glow discharge. They observed the influence of varying electrical current, volume of anolyte, surface area, electrode distance, size and shape of electrode, type of gas atmosphere (air, N2, O2, H2, N2O), pressure and type of electrolyte. For type of gas atmosphere, they found no difference in the amount of peroxide production. In a second article in the Journal of Chemical Society, GLOW DISCHARGE ELECTROLYSIS. PART II. THE ANODIC OXIDATION OF FERROUS SULFATE, A Hickling, J K Linacre, pp 711-720, 1954, ferrous sulfate oxidation was studied by varying the same parameters as had been done for hydrogen peroxide formation. Again, it was found that varying the atmosphere from N2 to H2 had no appreciable effect. A minor effect was observed for O2 atmosphere.
In a report, HAZARDOUS WASTE REMEDIAL ACTIONS PROGRAM ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT, R B Craig, DOE/HWP-102, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., August 1990, pp 121-125, there is described tests in which air ions, specifically O2xe2x80x94, are used to destroy acrylamide, chlorobenzene, styrene, phenol, benzene, methoxychlor, 2,4-dichlorophenol, chloroform, benzoic acid, and citric acid.
In a paper, THE DEGRADATION OF ORGANIC DYES BY CORONA DISCHARGE, S C Goheen et al., Chemical Oxidation: Technology for the 90""s Conference February 1992, a corona discharge reaction vessel is shown with one electrode suspended above a liquid surface and a second electrode in contact with the liquid. Electricity was applied from 5-15 kV, 10 to 50 xcexcA to degrade organic dyes, specifically Malachite Green, New Coccine, methylene blue, and silicic acid. Air and nitrogen were used and found to influence the amount of electrical current needed, but with no effect on chemical reaction rate, except that oxygen was necessary. There was no reaction with only nitrogen and reaction rate increased with increasing oxygen concentration, thereby concluding, xe2x80x9coxygen is clearly required for the dye to react with species generated by corona dischargexe2x80x9d.
Corona discharges are relatively low-power electrical discharges that can be initiated at or near ambient conditions. The corona is in the gas phase and, when generated with an electrode above a liquid surface and an electrode in contact with the liquid, the corona is also immediately on the liquid surface. It should be noted that corona discharge is not merely another configuration of electrolysis where chemical reactions are accomplished by charge transfer oxidation and reduction. Hickling et al. (cited above) proved that charge transfer is only a minor factor in corona discharge and that the chemical effects are fundamentally different. Most noticeably, many equivalents of chemical reaction can be accomplished for each electron of charge transfer. Each electron accelerating through the electric field collides with many gas molecules creating other charged particles and neutral active species (free radicals and atoms). Depending on the conditions of the discharge active species accounting for between 8 and 180 reactions have been measured for each electron of charge transferred. These can bring about ionization, excitation or dissociation of solvent molecules by collision; in addition to charge transfer reactions observed in a typical electrochemical process.
Corona discharge is most similar to radiolysis or electron beam processes and the concepts and ideas developed in radiation chemistry can be directly applied to this type of corona discharge process as pointed out in by Hickling in his book THE MECHANISM OF CHARGE TRANSFER, Chapter 5, xe2x80x9cElectrochemical Processes in Glow Discharge at the Gas-Solution Interfacexe2x80x9d, pp. 328-373. However, there are some noteworthy differences between the two processes. For example, although the energy per electron in corona discharge is relatively low (xcx9c100 eV) as compared to most ionizing radiation (xcx9c104-107 eV), the dose rate can be extremely high. It was measured by Hickling et al., that for a current of 0.075 A, the number of singly charged gaseous ions reaching the solution surface per minute was 2.8xc3x971019. Assuming an average energy of 100 eV, the dose rate for corona discharge amounts to 2.8xc3x971021 eV minxe2x88x921. This is significantly higher than the dose rate normally used in radiolysis (xcx9c1016-1020 eV ccxe2x88x921 minxe2x88x921). Therefore, the amount of chemical change that can be affected in corona discharge is much greater than that in radiolysis, and high concentrations of substrate can be used. Furthermore, under these conditions, impurities seem to have much less effect (Hickling, ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN GLOW DISCHARGE AT THE GAS SOLUTION INTERFACE, pp 329-373, J. of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 1964). Thus, corona discharge is distinct from typical electrochemical processes because it can bring about chemical changes which are similar to those which result from ionizing radiation. Corona discharge is also distinct from radiolysis because the energy input is of the order of an electrochemical process.
The research described above has not resulted in a corona discharge method and apparatus that is capable of cost effectively removing hazardous carbon containing compounds from water, or destroying the hazardous carbon containing compounds in water. Hence, there is still a need for a method and apparatus for altering a carbon containing compound in an aqueous mixture.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for altering a carbon-containing compound in an aqueous mixture. According to a first aspect of the present invention, it has been discovered that for an aqueous mixture having a carbon containing compound with an ozone reaction rate less than the ozone reaction rate of pentachlorophenol, use of corona discharge in a low or non-oxidizing atmosphere increases the rate of destruction of the carbon containing compound compared to corona discharge in an oxidizing atmosphere. For an aqueous mixture containing pentachlorphenol, there was essentially no difference in destruction between atmospheres. According to a second aspect of the present invention, it has been further discovered that an aqueous mixture having a carbon-containing compound in the presence of a catalyst and oxygen resulted in an increased destruction rate of the carbon-containing compound compared to no catalyst.
It is hypothesized that when corona discharge dissociates solvent molecules in a water system it can form free radicals, .H, and .OH. The .OH, hydroxyl, radical is an extremely aggressive oxidizer (oxidation potential 2.80 Volts) and the primary species considered active in advanced oxidation technologies such as UV/O3 and UV/peroxide (and Fenton""s reagent, Fe/peroxide). The energy requirement for PCP destruction by corona discharge was compared with that of UV/O3 process (electricity to power the lamps and generate O3) and was found to substantially match. Further experiments also investigated the destruction of perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride with corona discharge. Each was destroyed in laboratory tests to 99+%. These carbon-containing compounds are not considered oxidizable (Perox-pure, a UV/peroxide process cannot successfully treat these carbon containing compounds). Although, the mechanism has not been elaborated, another reaction pathway, besides oxidation by .OH, is believed to play a critical part.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for destroying a carbon-containing compound in an aqueous mixture with corona discharge.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for destroying a carbon containing compound that has an ozone reaction rate less than or equal to pentachlorophenol in a low or non-oxidizing atmosphere.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for destroying a carbon-containing compound that has an ozone reaction rate greater than or equal to pentachlorophenol in the presence of a catalyst and oxygen.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.

Corona method and apparatus for altering carbon containing compounds


A system and method of alerting and responding to a school emergency allows faculty members to alert other faculty members and students of an educational institution of an emergency all at the same time. Moreover, the method allows faculty members to automatically contact a first responder in order to resolve the emergency. The faculty member is able to include details of an emergency such as, but not limited to, the location of the emergency and the type of emergency situation. Additionally, the method notifies parents after the emergency is resolved and provides a feature which allows parents to find their children using a global positioning system (GPS) module.

School emergencies happen often and include a wide range of situations. From medical emergencies to school shootings, school emergencies can happen anytime and require vast preparedness from everyone involved. Unfortunately, the unpredictable nature of school emergencies impedes full preparedness for every emergency which may occur in schools. Recent school shootings have highlighted this problem where students, faculty, and staff are caught by surprise, not knowing what was happening or where it was occurring, and emergency response was delayed. Schools and other educational institutions have implemented emergency plans, drills, and other proactive actions to prepare everyone who may be involved in an emergency to know what to do and hopefully help alleviate the tragedies. Unfortunately, the emergency plans, drills, and other proactive actions cannot cover every possible situation, which can leave students, faculty, and staff unprepared for many situations. Response systems have also been implemented to reduce and improve emergency response to school emergencies. For example, some law enforcement agencies have implemented direct communication channels with schools. However, these response systems have limited capabilities with few people being able to activate the response system. There are many cases where an emergency occurs at a location far from anyone able to activate the response system, which results in emergency response being delayed and tragedies increasing. There is a need for a better emergency alert and response system which allows greater involvement from different people in order to increase emergency alertness, identify where the emergency is taking place, and improve emergency response to school emergencies to reduce tragedies.
An objective of the present invention is to provide an emergency alert and response system. The emergency alert and response system allows for greater involvement from people in schools and other educational institutions in order to increase alertness from everyone who may be affected by a school emergency. The emergency alert and response system provide a system which increases and facilitates the dissemination of information regarding the school emergency so every person who could be affected by the emergency is notified as to exact nature of the emergency and the exact location that it is occurring. By communication in real time, the emergency alert and response system further provide a system which facilitates and streamlines the communication between people involved, affected, or alerted of the emergency with appropriate law enforcement or other response agencies. In further embodiment of the present invention, the emergency alert and response system can be modified and adapted to work with other emergencies which may not be involved with educational institutions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method of alerting and responding to a school emergency


A direct broadcast system having a high altitude communication device that transmits broadcast signals, which are received by an antenna, is provided. The system includes an outdoor unit (ODU) electrically coupled to the antenna. The ODU includes a low noise block converter (LNB) that receives and amplifies the broadcast signals. An ODU receiver is electrically coupled to the ODU and selects a desired frequency of the broadcast signals. Integrated receiver and decoders (IRD(s) are electrically coupled to the ODU receiver via a single distribution cable. The IRD(s) convert the broadcast signals into IRD output signals. Methods of performing the same are also provided, herein, including a transport select method and a service select method for receiving the broadcast signals. A direct broadcast system installation method and wireless communication between the ODU and the IRD(s) are also provided.

Direct broadcast systems use various orbital slots, which correspond to different services including video and audio programming. Additional new services are continuously being offered for direct satellite broadcast system users. Typically when new services are offered existing direct satellite broadcast system components need to be replaced or altered to accommodate for the new services. The services are broadcasted via radio waves within the direct broadcast system.
Typical direct broadcast systems include a direct broadcast receiver for receiving direct broadcast signals. The direct broadcast receiver includes a low noise block converter (LNB) or a series of individual separate LNBs. The LNB(s) may be directly connected to an integrated receiver and decoder (IRD) or may be connected to a multi-switch followed by one or more IRD(s). The LNB(s) receive, combine, and amplify the direct broadcast signals. A program channel is selected on the IRD(s), which in turn may directly receive a direct broadcast signal having a particular frequency corresponding to the program channel from a particular LNB or may use the multi-switch to switch to a different LNB.
Typically, 32 different frequencies are transmitted on any particular satellite. The satellite splits the frequencies between two polarizations, left hand circularly polarized (LHCP) signals and right hand circularly polarized (RHCP) signals to increase efficiency and allow the frequencies to be packed closer together given a certain amount of bandwidth allocated to each frequency. Use of the RHCP signals and LHCP signals allows for an increased number of frequencies to exist on the same bandwidth and increases capacity of the satellite. Half of the frequencies are assigned to the RHCP signals and the other half of frequencies are assigned to the LHCP signals.
Each LNB can only receive one of the polarizations at any particular time. Thus, a LNB typically receives 16 frequencies at any point in time. Received polarization is determined by a direct current (DC) voltage control mechanism that is applied to an output of the LNB(s). The DC voltage is either +13V or +18V dependent on the polarization desired. Each LNB can then select a desired polarization and convert the satellite signal at approximately 15 GHz and translate it in frequency down to 950-1450 MHz, or a 500 MHz wide signal band. The 500 MHz wide signal band is the signal that is normally fed into the IRD(s). Each IRD then selects one of the 16 frequencies from the input spectrum and one or more channels contained within the chosen frequency.
A site may have multiple IRD(s), typically internal to the customer site, each of which requiring a separate wire to connect to the multi-switch or LNBs. The multi-switch allows multiple IRD(s) to access the entire available spectrum, up to approximately 32 frequencies on each satellite, requiring each tuner to be coupled to the multi-switch with an associated wire. Also, each IRD may have multiple tuners, especially in more advanced IRD(s) that offer advanced consumer features, such as watch and record, picture-in-picture, and independently acquired data feed features. Thus, each tuner requires a designated wire since currently used selection mechanisms are not designed to operate in a shared medium environment. For example, a three-tuner IRD requires three wires. Separate wires are used for two main reasons. First the control mechanism is DC coupled, which can cause interference between tuners that are using a single wire. Second the transmitted signals received by each tuner are at the same frequencies and having the same bandwidths, also causing conflict between signals.
The multiple wires increase the number of required ports on multiple system components and potentially require increased hole size in an exterior wall of a building to accommodate for additional wires between the LNB(s) and the IRD tuners. The multiple wires not only increase installation complexity but also decrease system esthetics.
Also, in order to accommodate system upgrades, such as additional satellite access, advanced modulation schemes, newly introduced frequency spectrums, or other system upgrades, existing IRD(s) are often replaced and system wiring is expanded.
Additionally, existing direct broadcast systems are bandwidth inefficient in that communication signals are distributed from satellites to sites at a larger bandwidth than required or used by a particular site. The larger bandwidth is received by the LNBs and distributed to the IRD(s), which only use a portion of the bandwidth associated with desired customer services.
It would therefore be desirable to minimize the number of wires between LNBs and IRD(s) within a direct broadcast system, thereby potentially minimizing system installation complexity, minimizing system costs, and improving system esthetics. It would also be desirable for the direct broadcast system to support both existing daisy chain wiring and site-run wiring architectures, minimize system adjustments when different satellites or broadcast bands are utilized, and minimize system upgrade costs.

Direct broadcast signal distribution methods