In a method for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper or chemical pulp, product blanks are supplied consecutively to a stacking surface and placed in an upright position. A separating element is inserted between two consecutive product blanks as the product blanks are moved against a channel wall of a discharge channel for temporary support of a rear side of the product blanks, to thereby form a first product stack with a predetermined number of product blanks between the separating element and the channel wall. The channel wall is opened to thereby allow the first product stack to be transferred to the discharge channel, and a sliding element is inserted between the product stack and a subsequent second product stack, as the first product stack is moved to the discharge channel.

The invention relates to a method for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper, chemical pulp or the like. It additionally relates to a device, in particular for carrying out the method.
In many applications, for example in the paper-processing industry or in the production of hygiene products, product blanks are produced from paper, chemical pulp, non-woven material or the like. In this case, for example when producing envelopes from paper or when producing pocket tissues or the like, the product blanks, in an unfolded state or also in a folded state, can be made of chemical pulp. Such products, in particular hygiene products, are conventionally produced in particularly large quantities, and after folding, packaged in suitably selected packaging sizes, for example in packs of 5 or 10 or even 15. For this purpose, in suitable packaging systems, suitably dimensioned product stacks, i.e. dimensioned according to the provided intended use, for example product stacks of 5 or 10, are firstly formed from the blanks and are subsequently supplied to the actual packer, where they are wrapped for example in a blown film bag or the like.
A method and a device for forming product stacks from product blanks of this type is known for example from DE 41 17 434 A1. In this known system, it is provided to place the product blanks upright on a stacking surface, and further transport subsequently takes place in stacks by means of a plurality of stack supports. This known system is intended for processing envelopes, wherein with regard to the desired exceptionally high quantities and throughputs, in relation to the design of the equipment, the load-bearing capacity of the product blanks is based on paper as the base material. In particular, envelopes have a more uniform geometry by comparison with tissue products and have greater mechanical stability than the rather soft tissue products due to the paper which is used as the base material. Due to the upright orientation of the envelopes directly before the separation thereof into the desired stack quantities, processing without format parts is thus made possible in a particularly simple manner. This means that the stack quantity can be changed, for example due to a change in the requirements in the production process whereby the number of product blanks which are to be grouped together into respective stacks is changed, in a particularly simple manner and without substituting system components. The change in the stack quantity can be carried out in particular by simply changing the point at which the separator is inserted into the series of upright envelopes. However, it is desirable to also achieve such separation without format parts in an automated stack-forming process when chemical pulp is used as the base material, as is used for example in the production and the packaging of pocket tissues, hygiene products, sanitary pads, pantyliners or the like.
The object of the invention is therefore that of providing a method of the above-mentioned type which allows, in a particularly simple and reliable manner, particularly high flexibility in the formation of the product stacks whilst also keeping the stress on the material to be processed low. In addition, a device for carrying out the method is to be provided.

Method and device for forming product stacks of folded or unfolded product blanks made of paper, chemical pulp or the like


In a lead-acid battery, a positive active material includes tin in an amount of from not less than 0.2% to not more than 5% based on the weight thereof. The density of the positive active material after formation is from not less than 3.75 g/cc to not more than 5.0 g/cc. When the lead-acid battery is produced by a battery container formation, a time required between the injection of an electrolyte and the beginning of battery container formation is from not less than 0.1 hours to not more than 3 hours.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the enhancement of discharge properties and endurance of lead-acid battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lead-acid battery has been widely applied as an inexpensive reliable high safety secondary battery for SLI (Starting, Lighting and Ignition) and other purposes. However, a lead-acid battery has a low specific energy that gives a serious obstacle to the development of its application to EV (electric vehicle), etc.
Many methods have long been studied to enhance the specific energy of lead-acid battery. One of these proposed methods is to add tin in the positive active material to enhance the discharge properties of the lead-acid battery. However, this approach is disadvantageous in that tin thus added is eluted from the positive active material with the electrolyte and then deposited on the negative plate to lower the hydrogen overvoltage of the negative plate and hence cause much lead sulfate to be accumulated on the negative plate, thereby reducing the endurance of the lead-acid battery.
It is an object of the present invention to enhance the specific energy of a lead-acid battery by adding tin into a positive active material as well as to prevent the reduction of endurance of a lead-acid battery by inhibiting the deposition of tin on the negative plate.
In a lead-acid battery according to the present invention, a positive acid material includes tin in an amount of from not less than 0.2% to not more than 5% based on the weight thereof. The density of the positive active material after formation is from not less than 3.75 g/cc to not more than 5.0 g/cc. When the lead-acid battery is produced by a battery container formation, a time required between the injection of an electrolyte and the beginning of battery container formation is from not less than 0.1 hours to not more than 3 hours.
According to the present invention, it is possible to remarkably improve the discharge properties and endurance of lead-acid batteries.

Lead-acid battery having tin in positive active material and silica in separator


Method and apparatus for using the storage resources of a storage system effectively, thereby reducing the cost of the storage system and improving its usability. The storage system includes a first storage apparatus and a second storage apparatus. When a host writes data to a virtual volume, the data are written into a pool area. A management table associates an address in the virtual volume with a pointer indicating the data stored in the pool area. The usage amount of the pool area is monitored. When the usage amount of the pool area reaches a predetermined value, a search for available capacity is performed. An unused external volume is detected and associated with an externally connected volume. The data stored in the pool area are then copied to the externally connected volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage system and a storage system control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various institutions such as governments, business enterprises, and universities, for example, data are managed using comparatively large-scale storage systems so that large amounts of various types of data can be handled. This type of storage system is constituted by a disk array apparatus or the like, for example. A disk array apparatus is constituted by a large number of storage devices provided in array form, and provides a storage area based on a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), for example. At least one or more logical volumes are formed on a physical storage area provided by a storage device group, and the logical volume is provided to a host computer (more specifically, a database program running on the host computer). The host computer (to be abbreviated to "host" hereafter) is able to perform data writing and reading to and from the logical volume by transmitting predetermined commands.
The amount of data to be managed in these various institutions increases by the day. In anticipation of a future increase in demand, providing storage systems with a large amount of storage areas in advance is currently being considered. However, the unit price of storage devices is decreasing year by year, and hence there are fears that the prior investment required to purchase a large amount of storage devices in preparation for a future increase in demand is excessive. The cost of the storage system is reduced by instead purchasing storage devices appropriately when a new storage area becomes necessary.
Conversely, when storage areas are only provided in accordance with current needs, it is impossible to respond immediately to new demand, and as a result the convenience of the storage system decreases. Hence there is a trade-off between cost and capacity to respond to change. In response, a technique has been proposed for managing the storage areas of each storage device existing in a storage system as virtual storage areas, releasing unused storage areas assigned to the host, and assigning these storage areas to another host (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2005-31929).
With the technique described in this document, an unused storage area occupied by a certain host can be released forcibly and assigned to another host requiring a new storage area. In so doing, the storage resources of the storage system can be used effectively.
However, even when a host requires a new storage area, it does not always require the entire storage area immediately. Data are stored in the storage area gradually as the data processing service performed on the host progresses. In other words, the amount of data stored in the storage area is small in the initial stage and increases steadily over time. Hence, with the technique described in the above document, it is impossible to eliminate storage area waste in the initial stage.

Storage system and storage system control method in which storage areas can be added as needed


Provided is a range switching device for performing switching among drive, reverse, and neutral ranges of a transmission. The device includes a first switching valve driven by a first actuator and a second switching valve driven by a second actuator. The valves switch an oil channel to transmit the oil pressure from an oil pressure supply source between first state and second states. When the first and second switching valves are in the first and second states respectively, the oil pressure is transmitted to the forward fastening element. When the first and second switching valves are in the second state and first states respectively, the oil pressure is transmitted to the reverse fastening element. When both the valves are in the first or second state, oil pressure transmission to the forward and reverse fastening elements is substantially blocked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to range switching devices that perform switching among drive, reverse, and neutral ranges in an automatic transmission of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a range switching device that prevents reverse running and ensures safety even in the case of a failure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automatic transmission such as a CVT or a planetary gear step AT provided in an automobile or the like, the drive, reverse, and neutral ranges are switched by controlling the oil pressure supplied to engagement elements such as a forward clutch and a reverse clutch.
Switching among such drive, reverse, and neutral ranges has conventionally been performed by a manual valve connected by a mechanical linkage to an operation lever operated by the driver.
Recently, there has been proposed a technology so-called shift-by-wire system in which switching of running ranges is performed only by electric signals, without providing a mechanical linkage between the operation lever and the transmission.
As an example of a conventional technique relating to shift-by-wire systems of automatic transmission, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2008-128475 describes a range switching device in which spool valves are actuated by three solenoid valves to switch the oil pressure supplied to drive and reverse hydraulic servos.
Further, JP-A No. 2008-128473 describes a range switching device in which running ranges are switched by two solenoid valves and the running range can be maintained even when either one of the solenoid valves fails in the running range.
However, with the technique described in JP-A No. 2008-128475, when switching between drive and reverse is performed using a drive/reverse switching valve, where a failure mode occurs such that the state of the valve is reversed, abrupt switching can take place from drive to reverse or from reverse to drive.
To resolve this problem, it is possible to increase the failsafe ability by detecting the failure state and creating different combinations of control states of a plurality of valves, but in this case where the failure detection speed is low, the designed combination is not obtained and the vehicle might run in reverse.


A frame using tubular columns and tubular rafters of generally rectangular cross section. Columns are arranged parallel, spaced apart, opposed pairs that are connected by bolted-on girts to form wall frames. Rafters are arranged parallel, spaced apart, opposed pairs that are connected by bolted-on purlins to form roof frames. Inwardly facing sides of columns and rafters have pluralities of castellated holes. Outwardly facing sides of columns and rafters have another plurality of castellated holes. All connections for braces and crane lifts are made in the inwardly facing sides of the columns and rafters. Joints have either a ridge plate or a haunch plates, each plate with two bolt holes that may be pivot holes and additional bolt holes for securing the plates. Base plates have two pairs of parallel vertical spaced-apart flanges, each pair fitting within and releasably attachable to a column. Pairs may be arranged parallel or perpendicular.

This invention relates to rapidly deployable rugged building structures. More particularly, it relates to a light-weight foldable prefabricated building frames for making rapidly deployable rugged building sections.
A need exists for improved sturdy building structures. Less weight reduces costs for material and transport, as well as making erection of the prefabricated structures easier, safer, and faster.

Frame for sectional foldable prefabricated building


A bottom bracket axle assembly for a pedal powered vehicle provides an axle that includes a spindle at each end for engaging a pedal crank arm. Each spindle includes a bearing support for mounting the axle in a bottom bracket tube having cup-mounted bearings on each end thereof. The axle includes a hollow enlarged diameter central section that may be formed from a seamless tube. Both outer and inner diameters of the central section are greater than an outer diameter of each spindle outward of its bearing supports and the outer diameter of the central section may be sized so that it substantially equals the inner diameter of the cups and bottom bracket. In this instance, a clearance is provided between the inner diameter of the cups and outer diameter of the central section so that free rotation may occur therebetween.

It has become increasingly desirable to construct components for bicycles and other pedal powered vehicles having reduced weight while maintaining or enhancing component strength. Designers have paid increased attention to the pedal crank assembly that transmits power from the legs of the rider to the wheels of the bicycle. This assembly experiences extreme stress both in torsion and bending. This stress is largely cyclic and, thus, bottom bracket assemblies must retain sufficient strength to resist fatigue failure.
Designers of pedal powered vehicles have generally constructed pedal crank axles for bottom brackets as a single, approximately uniform diameter shaft. An example of such a prior art shaft is depicted generally in FIG. 1. The shaft 10 has tapered spindles 12 at either end that project from the bottom bracket (not shown). The center 14 of the shaft 10 is, as noted, of roughly similar diameter to these spindles 12 and passes through the interior of the bottom bracket. The bottom bracket supports the shaft by means of bearings (not shown) positioned in end caps or cups proximate each spindle. In general, one cup is axially fixed while the other includes a locking ring for axial adjustment. The bearings generally used are unsealed balls that are positioned about the circumference of the shaft and directly engage radiused shoulders 16 of an increased diameter section 18 machined on to each side of the shaft. In this manner, the shaft 10 is held axially and radially within the bottom bracket. Since ball bearings are positioned between the axle shaft outer diameter and inner circumference of the bottom bracket, there is a substantial difference between the inner diameter of the bottom bracket and the smaller outer diameter of the shaft.
In conventional designs of bottom bracket axles, the center portion of the solid axle shaft is of similar diameter as the outwardly positioned spindles and merely extends through the hollow central portion of the bottom bracket with substantial radial space between the shaft outer diameter and bottom bracket inner diameter. This space is largely wasted while a heavy and relatively thick central axle section is needed to provide adequate strength.
A further disadvantage of conventional bottom bracket axle designs is that they must have sufficient shaft strength to resist torsional, bending and cyclic loads. As a result such shafts, which are generally formed of steel alloy, are rather heavy.
These conventional designs also do not adapt well to modern light-weight materials such as titanium. Shafts constructed in the conventional manner (with a conventional narrow central section) from titanium have proven flexible or whip like under torsional loading and their shoulders have experienced undue wear in contact with ball bearings.


A cutting device includes a cutting blade, a receiving block, a motor, a cutting blade movement mechanism, and a receiving block movement mechanism. The cutting blade includes a blade portion. The receiving block includes a contact surface including a first contact surface and a second contact surface. The motor is configured to rotate. The cutting blade movement mechanism supports the cutting blade and is configured to move the cutting blade between a separated position and a contact position in concert with a rotation of the motor. The receiving block movement mechanism is configured to move the receiving block from a first opposed position to a second opposed position in concert with the rotation of the motor.

The present disclosure relates to a cutting device.
A cutting device is known that can perform a full cut operation and a half cut operation on an object to be cut. The full cut operation is an operation that cuts the object into two or more pieces. The half cut operation is an operation that cuts the object while leaving a portion remaining. For example, a known cutting device includes a cutter receiver and a cutter blade. The cutter receiver is switched between a first state and a second state. The first state is a state in which a flat surface of the cutter receiver is opposed to the cutter blade. The second state is a state in which a surface of the cutter receiver on which a protrusion is formed is opposed to the cutter blade.


Provided are a decorative part, a wheel, and a fixation structure of such decorative part and wheel that are unaffected by variations in sizes at the time of manufacturing. The decorative part is to be attached to a vehicular wheel. This decorative part has the fixation portions to be fixed to the wheel; and the first plate-shaped ribs and the second plate-shaped ribs that are arranged at given intervals. The decorative part is to be fixed to the wheel with linear convex portions formed on the wheel being arranged in between and positioned to the first plate-shaped ribs and the second plate-shaped ribs.

Conventionally, as a method for decorating a vehicular wheel, there is known a method in which a plurality of concave regions with a given depth are to be formed on the spoke portions of a wheel, and a decorative part is then fitted to these concave regions (see Patent document 1). This decorative part is attached and fitted in a way such that it is, for example, press-fitted into the concave regions, or installed through a fastener member(s) such as a bolt, a nut and/or a fastener.

Decorative part, wheel, and fixation structure of decorative part and wheel


A pump for transporting particulate material includes an inlet, an outlet, a passageway, a first and second load beam, a first and second scraper seal, and a first and second drive assembly. The inlet introduces the particulate material into the passageway and the outlet expels the particulate material from the passageway. The passageway is defined by a first belt assembly and a second belt assembly that are opposed to each other. The first and second load beams are positioned within the first belt assembly and the second belt assembly, respectively. The first scraper seal and a second scraper seal are positioned proximate the passageway and the outlet. The first drive assembly is positioned within an interior section of the first belt assembly and drives the first belt assembly and the second drive assembly is positioned within an interior section of the second belt assembly and drives the second belt assembly.

The coal gasification process involves turning coal or other carbon-containing solids into synthesis gas. While both dry coal and water slurry can be used in the gasification process, dry coal pumping is more thermally efficient than current water slurry technology. For example, dry coal gasifiers have a thermal cold gas efficiency of approximately 82%, compared to water slurry gasifiers, which have a thermal cold gas efficiency of between approximately 70% and approximately 77%.
One of the devices currently being used to pump dry coal to a high pressure is the cycling lock hopper. While the thermal cold gas efficiency of cycling lock hopper fed gasifiers is higher than other currently available technology in the gasification field, the mechanical efficiency of the cycling lock hopper is relatively low, approximately 30%. The capital costs and operating costs of cycling lock hoppers are also high due to the high pressure tanks, valves, and gas compressors required in the cycling lock hopper process. Additionally, due to the complexity of the process and the frequency of equipment replacement required, the availability of the cycling lock hopper is also limited. Availability refers to the amount of time the equipment is on-line making product as well as to the performance of the equipment.
In order to simplify the process and increase the mechanical efficiency of dry coal gasification, the use of dry coal extrusion pumps has steadily become more common in dry coal gasification. Some of the problems associated with currently available dry coal extrusion pumps are internal shear failure zones and flow stagnation problems. The presence of failure zones can lead to a decreased mechanical efficiency in the pump. Some proposed solutions to internal shear failure zones and flow stagnation problems are to increase the pump flow rate and to use a linear or axial flow field geometry, rather than a cylindrical solids flow field geometry. While these solutions may increase the mechanical efficiency of the dry coal extrusion pump, other problems still persist.


A multi-layered photovoltaic element obtained by stacking at least three cells for photovoltaic generation. A second cell formed adjacent to a light incident-side cell and adapted to receive light which has passed through the light incident-side cell includes an i-type semiconductor layer having a band gap falling within a range of 1.45 eV to 1.60 eV. The i-type semiconductor layer consists essentially of a silicon-germanium-containing amorphous material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photovoltaic element such as a solar cell suitable as a power source for various electronic equipment or power supply plant and, more particularly, to a multi-layered photovoltaic element having a specific feature in its layer structure.
2. Related Background Art
Solar cells for converting sunlight into electric energy have received widespread use as a low-power source of, e.g., electronic calculators and wristwatches. Solar cells have received a great deal of attention as a practical future technique for generating power instead of so-called fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Solar cells utilize the photovoltaic effect of a p-n junction in a semiconductor. A semiconductor such as silicon absorbs sunlight to generate photocarriers, i.e. electrons and holes. The photocarriers drift under the influence of an internal electric field at the p-n junction, and then are extracted as electric energy.
One conventional method of forming such a solar cell uses a monocrystalline semiconductor process. More specifically, a monocrystalline silicon ingot whose valence band is controlled to exhibit p or n type behavior, is formed by a crystal growth method such as a CZ method. This monocrystalline silicon ingot is sliced to obtain silicon wafers each having a thickness of about 30 .mu.m. A layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the wafer is formed in the wafer by an appropriate means such as diffusion of a dopant impurity, thereby forming a p-n junction.
Monocrystalline silicon is used in state-of-the-art solar cells from the viewpoints of reliability and conversion efficiency. However, since a monocrystalline semiconductor process is used to manufacture the solar cell, cost is high.
Since a monocrystalline silicon solar cell has a disadvantage in that monocrystalline silicon is an indirect band gap semiconductor, its light-absorbing coefficient is small. In addition, since a monocrystalline solar cell absorbs incident sunlight, it must have a thickness of at least 50 .mu.m. Since the band gap of the monocrystalline silicon is about 1.1 eV, which is lower than a potential of 1.5 V required as the electromotive force of the solar cell, long wavelength components of the sunlight cannot be effectively utilized.
A monocrystalline silicon wafer having a large area cannot be prepared because the silicon is crystalline. When a high power output is to be obtained, a plurality of unit elements must be connected in series or parallel with each other by means of a wiring operation. When a solar cell is used outdoors, an expensive installation must be provided to protect it from mechanical damage caused by various weather conditions. Cost performance with respect to the unit power generation amount is poorer than with conventional power generation methods.
Various studies have been made on such important technical problems as high cost and large cell size. Studies on low-cost materials and materials having a high conversion efficiency have also been made.
Examples of solar cell materials are tetrahedrally bonded non-monocrystalline silicon (e.g., amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon germanium, and amorphous silicon carbide), Group II-VI compound semiconductors (e.g., CdS), and Group III-V compound semiconductors (e.g., GaAs and GaAlAs). With all of them, a thin film solar cell using a non-monocrystalline semiconductor as a photovoltaic generating layer can have a larger area and a smaller thickness than that of a monocrystalline solar cell and can be deposited on an arbitrary substrate material. Therefore, the thin film solar cell is most promising.
Solar cells using the above non-monocrystalline semiconductors still have room for improvements of the photoelectric conversion efficiency and reliability as a power generating element.
A method for improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency of a solar cell using a non-monocrystalline semiconductor is to increase the sensitivity to light having a long wavelength by decreasing the band gap. That is, since amorphous silicon has a band gap of about 1.7 eV, light having a wavelength of about 700 nm or greater cannot be absorbed, and light cannot be effectively utilized. Studies on the use of a material sensitive to long-wavelength light and having a small band gap have been made. An example of such a material is amorphous silicon germanium, whose band gap can be easily changed from 1.3 eV to 1.7 eV by changing the ratio of a silicon source gas to a germanium source gas during film formation.
Use of a so-called tandem cell, i.e., a plurality of stacked solar cells each having a unit element structure, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,498, is another method of improving conversion efficiency of a solar cell. A p-n junction crystalline semiconductor is used in the tandem cell. The sunlight spectrum is efficiently absorbed by photovoltaic elements having different band gaps, thereby increasing Voc and hence improving the power generation efficiency.
In the tandem cell, elements having different band gaps are stacked on each other to efficiently absorb components of the sunlight spectrum, thereby improving the conversion efficiency. The band gap of the so-called top cell located on the incident side of the multi-layered element is larger than that of the so-called bottom cell located below the top cell. A three-layered tandem cell (to be referred to as a triple cell hereinafter) having a middle cell sandwiched between the top and bottom cells has also been considered.
As a general combination of materials suitably and efficiently absorbing sunlight in the tandem cell, and particularly in the two-layered tandem cell, the top cell consists of amorphous silicon, and the bottom cell consists of amorphous silicon germanium. In a triple cell, the top and middle cells consist of amorphous silicon, and the bottom cell consists of amorphous silicon germanium.
In order to increase the sensitivity range of the triple cell, use of a material such as amorphous silicon carbide, which does not absorb long-wavelength light because of its band gap of 1.9 eV, is taken into consideration. A material having a large band gap is used as the top cell on the light incident side to absorb light components having relatively short wavelengths of the sunlight spectrum. A material having a smaller band gap is used as a middle cell, and a material having the smallest band gap is used as a bottom cell, thereby efficiently absorbing sunlight.
Conventional multi-layered photovoltaic elements described above are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,328 (Hamakawa), 4,377,723 (Dalal), 4,816,082 (Guha et al.), 4,379,943 (Yang et al.), 4,342,044 (Ovshinsky et al.), 4,485,389 (Ovshinsky et al.), and 4,272,641 (Hanak).
Another problem of solar cells using an amorphous semiconductor is degradation of conversion efficiency upon light radiation. The film quality of amorphous silicon and amorphous silicon alloys is degraded upon light radiation, and mobility of the carriers is impaired, which is well known as the Staebler.cndot.Wronski effect. This phenomenon is unique to an amorphous semiconductor, and is not found in crystalline systems. When a solar cell is used as a power source, reliability is degraded, which may prevent practical applications of solar cells. Extensive studies have been made to reduce optical degradation of amorphous semiconductors. More specifically, prevention of optical degradation by improving film quality has been studied.
In the solar cell having the amorphous semiconductor layer described above, although studies for clarifying the mechanism of the optical degradation and prevention of the optical degradation continue, this problem has not been completely solved. Higher reliability is required in amorphous silicon solar cells.

Multi-layered photovoltaic element having at least three unit cells


A thermochromic laminate member capable of reversible change from a metallic luster color to a colorless state, comprises a first layer for regulating the wavelength of reflected light, composed of a metal luster pigment, which consists of natural mica surfacially covered with titanium oxide and has a grain size of 5 to 100 .mu.m, and a film forming material; and. a second layer composed of a thermochromic material, which consists of an electron donating compound, an electron accepting compound, and an organic medium enabling a reversible color-forming reaction between said compounds and has a luminocity value of 6 or lower in the colored state and a luminocity value of 8 or higher in the colorless state, and a film forming material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metallically lustrous thermochromic laminate member of various metallic colors such as gold or silver, and a coating composition and a sheet adapted to be used in the preparation of said laminate member.
2. Related Background Art
Thermochromic materials showing reversible color change between a colored state and a colorless state or between a first colored state and a second colored state are already disclosed, for example, in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,028,118, 4,720,301 and 4,732,810, and thermochromic members employing such materials have been commercialized in the fields of temperature-indicators, toys, articles for magic etc.
However, there have not been known thermochromic materials that show, by a temperature change, a reversible color change between a metallic luster color such as gold or silver and a colorless state or another colored state, nor thermochromic members that clearly exhibit such color change.
An attempt to diversify the color change is disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-14400. The thermochromic member disclosed therein is formed by covering thermosensitive liquid crystal with a pearl luster layer, thereby realizing a color change with pearl luster.
However, since liquid crystal is basically colorless and only reflects a certain wavelength by selective scattering of the visible light, it requires a dark opaque layer in the back and therefore shows color changes of black-red-yellow-green-blue-purple-black. Consequently clear color changes cannot be realized when a pearl luster layer is provided thereon. For example, if a pearl luster gold-color pigment is employed, the colors appear in the order of gold, gold-toned red, gold-toned yellow, gold-toned green, gold-toned blue, gold-toned purple and gold, and there cannot be obtained a clear change to a color without gold tone. Also in case a pearl luster silver-color pigment is employed, the color changes in the order of silver, silvery red, silvery yellow, silvery blue, silvery purple and silver, without clear change to a color free from metallic luster. Also with other metallic luster pigments, the behavior is similar and there cannot be obtained clear change from a metallic luster color to a color without such metallic luster. It is furthermore not possible to achieve a change from the pearl luster color to a colorless state, nor to conceal or display the background color.
Since gold, silver and other metallic luster colors appear gorgeous, a color change from such metallic luster color to another color is most impressive to the spectators and has therefore been longed for in the thermochromic material.

Thermochromic laminate member, and composition and sheet for producing the same


A process for efficiently removing carbon dioxide from a hydrocarbon containing feed stream utilizing a membrane separation unit in conjunction with a heat exchanger and a carbon dioxide separation unit wherein the streams obtained in the carbon dioxide separation unit are utilized to provide the cooling effect in the heat exchanger.

Membranes have been used to remove carbon dioxide and other acid/polar gases from natural gas. Membrane processes have been used to serve as a bulk cut separation of carbon dioxide. In such processes the carbon dioxide permeates through the membrane thereby giving rise to a carbon dioxide enriched permeate gas which is vented at low pressure and a hydrocarbon (HC) enriched product gas at high pressure. In addition, there are a variety of carbon dioxide removal processes utilizing two membranes stages. U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,403 provides a method for removing hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide from a natural gas by using acid-gas selective membranes. This two-stage process is taught for reducing HC losses. The rich carbon dioxide stream produced may be used in flooding processes for enhanced oil recovery. This staged permeate process is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Additional patents have disclosed the cryo-separation of carbon dioxide from hydrocarbons. In these cases, the membrane is used to increase the efficiency of the main cryogenic separation process. For this processing, all the feed gas has to be cooled to the cryo temperature. Two examples of these schemes are provided in French Patent Application 2917982 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,887. French Patent Application 2917982 provides for pretreating natural gas (I) having hydrocarbon, hydrogen sulfide and water that comprises (a) cooling (I) and introducing the cooled natural gas to a separation device (B1) to separate a liquid aqueous phase from (I); (b) contacting (I) with a liquid (11) rich in hydrogen sulfide to obtain a gas (6) that is free of water and an effluent liquid (4); (c) separating the gas, obtained in step (b), to obtain a permeate (8) rich in hydrogen sulfide and a retentate (7) free of hydrogen sulfide; and (d) partially condensing the permeate by cooling to obtain a liquid (10) rich in hydrogen sulfide, and a gas (12) that is free of hydrogen sulfide. Pretreating natural gas (I) having hydrocarbon, hydrogen sulfide and water, comprises (a) cooling (I) and introducing the cooled natural gas to a separation device (B1) to separate a liquid aqueous phase from (I); (b) contacting (I) with a liquid (11) rich in hydrogen sulfide, obtained in step (d), to obtain a gas (6) that is free of water and an effluent liquid (4) rich in water and hydrogen sulfide; (c) separating the gas, obtained in step (b), through a membrane (M) to obtain a permeate (8) rich in hydrogen sulfide and a retentate (7) free of hydrogen sulfide; and (d) partially condensing the permeate by cooling to obtain a liquid (10) rich in hydrogen sulfide, which is recycled to step (b), and a gas (12) that is free of hydrogen sulfide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,887 provides a membrane separation incorporated into a distillation cycle for efficient recovery of carbon dioxide from a stream containing natural gas along with carbon dioxide. Methane and carbon dioxide are separated from a feed stream in a first distillation to produce a process stream containing essentially methane and carbon dioxide and which is substantially free to ethane and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons. The process stream consisting essentially of methane and carbon dioxide is subjected to further distillation to produce a carbon dioxide-rich product stream and a process stream enriched in methane. The methane-enriched process stream is then passed to a membrane separation unit for separating methane and carbon dioxide and for producing a high purity methane product stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,227 teaches a membrane separation process combined with a cryogenic separation process for treating a gas stream containing methane, nitrogen and at least one other component. The membrane separation process works by preferentially permeating methane and the other component and rejecting nitrogen. The process is particularly useful in removing components such as water, carbon dioxide or C3+ hydrocarbons that might otherwise freeze and plug the cryogenic equipment. In this scheme, the residue stream from the membrane is sent on to the cryogenic separator.
When the carbon dioxide permeate from the first membrane stage contains high hydrocarbon concentrations, these losses can be reduced by re-pressurizing the carbon dioxide permeate and feeding this repressurized carbon dioxide permeate to a second membrane stage. The carbon dioxide permeate from the second membrane stage is vented while the recovered hydrocarbon residue stream is often recycled to be added back to the original hydrocarbon feed methane containing feed gas. These two membrane stage processes have become increasingly important with regarding to the increasing value of the hydrocarbons. However, while the hydrocarbon losses are decreased by using such processes, there is an increase in the separation process costs. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide that is vented in such processes is typically obtained at low pressures so that additional high costs are incurred when the desire is to sequester the carbon dioxide or use it in enhanced oil recovery applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,257 discloses recovery of carbon dioxide from a gas mixture using a combination of membrane separation and distillation. The process teaches two embodiments. With regard to the preferred embodiment, the membrane separation preferably employs at least two stages with intermediate recompression. The final CO2 concentrated permeate is subjected to distillation to produce liquid CO2 with the required cooling provided by a separate vapor compression refrigeration unit. The process scheme is not integrated in terms of energy requirements making this uneconomical. In the second embodiment, membrane separation is only utilized on the overhead stream from the distillation column.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a process which not only minimizes the loss of hydrocarbons but also allows for the efficient recovery of the carbon dioxide at high pressure.

L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


An air-conditioning system and method of climate control for a fuel cell vehicle are provided herein. The system and method include a vacuum enclosure having an adsorber and an evaporator/condenser assembly. A conduit and valve system operates the air-conditioning system in two modes of operation to provide uninterrupted cooling to a passenger cabin, among other things. In one mode of operation, the adsorber is regenerated using waste heat from a fuel cell stack.

In current electric vehicles, the air-conditioning system relies entirely on the onboard vehicle battery pack. For example, a fuel cell vehicle typically utilizes an electric compressor driven AC system. As a consequence, unwanted battery drain is experienced while the air-conditioning system is active, thereby limiting the driving range of the fuel cell vehicle. Accordingly, there is a need for an air-conditioning system that promotes better fuel economy when used. The present disclosure is intended to satisfy this need.

Air-conditioning system and climate control method for a fuel cell vehicle


For stabilizing a vehicle, a steering angle of at least one steered front axle and/or additional axle is changed by automatic forced steering Additional drive stabilization is achievable by initiating an adjustment of a changed steering angle of the steered front axle and/or additional axle in response to a tilting tendency of the vehicle recognized via a tilt-stability control device as above a tilt limit, in addition to initiating a vehicle delay for reducing this tilting tendency. This counteracts an understeering or oversteering influence of the vehicle delay Additionally or alternatively, additional drive stabilization is achievable by determining the direction of movement in the wheel contact point of an additional axle wheel on the steered additional axle relative to the vehicle's longitudinal axis and adjusting the steering angle of the steered additional axle based thereon to reduce the drift angle of the additional axle wheel relative to its direction of movement.

Vehicles can comprise electronically steered axles, wherein either a steering angle is fully electronically adjusted or a steering angle adjusted by a driver by means of a steering wheel is superimposed with an additional steering angle. It is known to change a steering angle of the steered axle by electronic steering of the axle in order to thereby stabilize the vehicle.
A method for adjusting a steering angle of an electronically steered axle of a commercial vehicle is described in Applicant's DE 10 2007 038 575 A1, wherein the steering angle of the electronically steered axle is changed on detecting an unstable drive state. In particular, the electronically steered axle is a trailing axle, whose steering angle is increased in the case of a tendency to understeer and is reduced in the case of a tendency to oversteer. In addition, braking interventions can be provided.
A method and a device for regulating the drive dynamics of a vehicle are described in WO 2005/047086 A1, wherein steering interventions are carried out on the front axle and/or on the rear axle of the vehicle that counteract understeer or oversteer. The steering interventions can be combined with conventional braking and engine interventions of an ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system.


A box-like base assembly for holding vertical support posts in an upright position. The base assembly includes an outer base box and a center base member that fits within the outer base box, the center base member having inwardly collapsed sections for holding the vertical support posts in an upright position.

This patent relates to a post-in post product packaging and display system. More particularly, this patent relates to a base for a post-in-post packaging and display system that replaces a standard pallet.
Retailers such as mass merchandisers often display their products on the same pallets the products were shipped on from the vendors. The product containers sometimes are located on vertically spaced trays mounted over the pallet.
Sonoco Development, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, has developed a proprietary post-in-post system for the packaging, shipping and displaying of palletized products in a mass merchandising or general retail environment. The system, described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/605,814, comprises a plurality of vertically spaced corrugated trays for holding the products, tubular outer support posts that support the trays and space them apart, and inner guide posts that key inside the support posts (thus "post-in-post") to lock the system together and provide axial compression strength. The entire assembly may be carried on a standard pallet and wrapped in an outer wrap to protect the products from dust and damage during shipment.
Each corrugated tray has die-cut openings large enough to accommodate the inner guide posts but smaller than the outer support posts. The outer support posts may be pre-attached to the trays over each opening. The outer support posts evenly space apart the trays and provide a platform for the tray above. The outer support posts also help hold and position the inner guide posts while the system is being assembled and during use.
The wood pallets commonly used to support the post-in-post system can be costly. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a base for a post-in-post packaging and display system that replaces conventional wood pallets.
Another object of the invention is to raise the products farther off the floor than a conventional wood pallet for better access by the shopper.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a base that offers more surface area for point-of-purchase advertising or other graphics.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a base that makes assembly of a post-in-post packaging and display system easier by providing a means for holding the starter outer guide posts in place during assembly.
Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

Base for post in post product packaging and display system


A read channel (18) having a waveform sampler (58) is provided for use in a disk drive mass storage system (30). The disk drive mass storage system (30) includes a disk/head assembly (12), a preamplifier (14), and a control circuitry (11). The read channel (18) is coupled to the control circuitry (11) through a data/parameter path (13). The read channel (18) includes a plurality of circuit modules for processing a waveform data signal received from the preamplifier (14) and to generate a digital data signal in response. The read channel provides the digital data signal to the control circuitry (11) through the data/parameter path (13). The read channel (18) also includes the waveform sampler (58) for receiving and sampling a processed waveform signal from one of the plurality of circuit modules and for generating a digital waveform sampler signal in response. The read channel can provide either the digital data signal or the digital waveform sampling signal as an output onto the data/parameter path (13).

As computer hardware and software technology continues to progress, the need for larger and faster mass storage devices for storing computer software and data continues to increase. Electronic databases and computer applications such as multimedia applications require large amounts of disk storage space. An axiom in the computer industry is that there is no such thing as enough memory and disk storage space.
To meet these ever increasing demands, hard disk drives continue to evolve and advance. Some of the early disk drives had a maximum storage capacity of five megabytes and used fourteen inch platters, whereas today's hard disk drives are commonly over one gigabyte and use 3.5 inch platters. Correspondingly, advances in the amount of data stored per unit of area, or areal density, have dramatically accelerated. For example, in the 1980's, areal density increased about thirty percent per year while in the 1990's annual areal density increases have been around sixty percent. The cost per megabyte of a hard disk drive is inversely related to its areal density.
Mass storage device manufacturers strive to produce high speed hard disk drives with large data capacities at lower and lower costs. A high speed hard disk drive is one that can store and retrieve data at a fast rate. One aspect of increasing disk drive speed and capacity is to improve or increase the areal density. Areal density may be increased by improving the method of storing and retrieving data.
In general, mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives, include a magnetic storage media, such as rotating disks or platters, a spindle motor, read/write heads, an actuator, a pre-amplifier, a read channel, a write channel, a servo controller, and control circuitry to control the operation of the hard disk drive and to properly interface the hard disk drive to a host or system bus. The read channel, write channel, servo controller, and memory may all be implemented as one integrated circuit that is referred to as a data channel. The control circuitry often includes a microprocessor for executing control programs or instructions during the operation of the hard disk drive.
A hard disk drive (HDD) performs write and read operations when storing and retrieving data. A typical HDD performs a write operation by transferring data from a host interface to its control circuitry. The control circuitry then stores the data in a local dynamic random access memory (DRAM). A control circuitry processor schedules a series of events to allow the information to be transferred to the disk platters through a write channel. The control circuitry moves the read/write heads to the appropriate track and locates the appropriate sector of the track. Finally, the HDD control circuitry transfers the data from the DRAM to the located sector of the disk platter through the write channel. The write channel may encode the data so that the data can be more reliably retrieved later. A sector generally has a fixed data storage capacity, such as 512 bytes of user data per sector.
In a read operation, the appropriate sector to be read is located and data that has been previously written to the disk is read. The read/write head senses the changes in the magnetic flux of the disk platter and generates a corresponding analog read signal. The read channel receives the analog read signal, conditions the signal, and detects "zeros" and "ones" from the signal. The read channel conditions the signal by amplifying the signal to an appropriate level using automatic gain control (AGC) techniques. The read channel then filters the signal, to eliminate unwanted high frequency noise, equalizes the channel, detects "zeros" and "ones" from the signal, and formats the binary data for the control circuitry. The binary or digital data is then transferred from the read channel to the control circuitry and is stored in the DRAM of the control circuitry. The processor then communicates to the host that data is ready to be transferred. When data is being either read or written in a HDD, data is exchanged between the control circuitry and the read channel. This data exchange occurs over a data path operating at a high speed.
As the disk platters are moving, the read/write heads must align or stay on a particular track. This is accomplished by reading information from the disk called a servo wedge. Generally, each sector has a corresponding servo wedge. The servo wedge indicates the position of the heads. The data channel receives this position information so the servo controller can continue to properly position the heads on the track.
Traditional HDD read channels used a technique known as peak detection for extracting or detecting digital information from the analog information stored on the magnetic media. In this technique, the waveform is level detected and if the waveform level is above a threshold during a sampling window, the data is considered a "one". More recently, advanced techniques utilizing discrete time signal processing (DTSP) to reconstruct the original data written to the disk are being used in read channel electronics to improve areal density. In these techniques, the data is synchronously sampled using a data recovery clock. The sample is then processed through a series of mathematical manipulations using signal processing theory.
There are several types of synchronously sampled data (SSD) channels. Partial response, maximum likelihood (PRML); extended PRML (EPRML); enhanced, extended PRML (EEPRML); fixed delay tree search (FDTS); and decision feedback equalization (DFE) are several examples of different types of SSD channels using DTSP techniques. The maximum likelihood detection performed in several of these systems is usually performed by a Viterbi decoder implementing the Viterbi algorithm, named after Andrew Viterbi who developed it in 1967.
The SSD channel generally requires mixed-mode circuitry for performing a read operation. The circuitry may perform such functions as analog signal amplification, automatic gain control (AGC), continuous time filtering, signal sampling, DTSP manipulation, timing recovery, signal detection, and formatting. The data channel circuitry, including both a read channel and a write channel, may be implemented on a single integrated circuit package that contains various input and output (I/O) pins.
In all of the SSD channels, the major goal during a read operation is to accurately retrieve the data with the lowest bit error rate (BER) in the highest noise environment. The SSD channel which does this best is the optimal channel for use in a system which results in the ability to greatly increase the storage capacity of a mass storage system. Much of the SSD channel performance is dependent upon various physical properties and characteristics of the individual disk storage medium and read/write heads that vary from one system to another. Each disk storage medium and read/write head is unique with individual physical and magnetic characteristics. The various properties and characteristics cannot be sufficiently controlled during manufacture to ensure uniformity. The SSD channel circuitry may also vary from one channel to the other resulting in the introduction of undesirable characteristics into the channel circuitry. Over time, the various physical properties and characteristics of the mass storage system or HDD may change also resulting in decreased performance.
SSD channel performance during read operations may be optimized or enhanced by using various operational parameters in the read channel circuitry to account for the unique physical and magnetic characteristics of each HDD system. The read channel circuitry includes a plurality of circuit modules for processing the waveform data signal. Some of these circuit modules may use operational parameters to enhance or optimize their performance. For example, filter coefficients or operational parameters may be used by the finite impulse response filter (FIR) of the read channel to adapt or equalize the FIR filter to accommodate for the unique properties of a particular HDD system so that the desired channel performance is provided. The operational parameters can be calculated for each system to obtain optimal HDD performance. These calculations may be done at the time of manufacture, during burn-in, and at various times during the life of the HDD as needed to account for the physical and magnetic characteristics that vary over time.
The calculation of these operational parameters involves writing known data to a location on the HDD and analyzing one or more of the read channel waveform signals generated by the various read channel circuit modules in response to reading the waveform data signal generated from the known data. These read channel waveform signals must be accessed and sampled, and then analyzed using processing circuitry. Accessing the needed read channel waveform signals is difficult and cumbersome. Many of the needed read channel waveform signals are internal signals that are not externally accessible from the read channel. Other read channel signals may be accessible through dedicated I/O pins or serial ports having limited bandwidth and requiring added circuitry. If processing circuitry is established within the read channel to process the sampled signals, the size and cost of read channel circuitry is greatly increased.
Even though certain read channel signals may be accessible externally through I/O pins, extensive manpower and sophisticated equipment is necessary to set up the external processing circuitry needed to sample the appropriate read channel signals and to calculate the corresponding operational parameters. Processing circuitry and software routines must be provided to calculate the operational parameters once the proper signals are sampled. The processing circuitry may include a microprocessor for analyzing the sampled waveform signals and calculating the corresponding operational parameters. The problem of sampling and processing the various read channel waveform signals becomes even more burdensome and expensive to solve after manufacture when untrained users are performing the steps and when the various read channel signals may be unaccessible. Additional problems surround the method in which the read channel signals are supplied to the processing circuitry. The data paths provided by the I/O pins are of limited bandwidth and may increase the time needed to calculate the operational parameters. Thus, significant problems exist in accessing read channel signals and providing circuitry to sample and process the signals so that operational parameters may be calculated.

Waveform sampler and method for sampling a signal from a read channel


An automated pick and place apparatus includes a robotic arm having at least three degrees of freedom. An end effector is mounted to the robotic arm and includes a gripping device for gripping a target object. An actuator actuates the gripping device. An object alignment device is mounted to the robotic arm. The object alignment device includes a body having a base and an end face opposite the base. An alignment projection is slidingly received by the body within an opening and extending outwardly beyond the end face. The alignment projection has an extended configuration and a retracted configuration. A sensor detects when the alignment projection is in the retracted configuration and provides a signal to a processor.

A number of automated pick and place apparatuses (industrial robots) are available for picking target objects, for example, from a bin or other location and placing the objects at a different, preselected location. The automated pick and place apparatuses may rely on some form of part identifying technology, such as a camera, to identify the target object to be picked. However, these cameras may provide limited information regarding position and alignment, particularly as the pick and place apparatuses move toward the target object during the picking operation. Misalignment with the target object as the automated pick and place apparatuses engages the target object can result unintended contact with the target object.
Accordingly, a need exists for an automated pick and place apparatus with an object alignment system that can provide the automated pick and place apparatuses more reliable alignment with a target object before the target object is engaged during a picking operation.

Automated pick and place apparatuses with object alignment systems

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A computer program synchronization instruction is employed to synchronize multiple processing devices sharing main storage through a common interface. The processors execute the synchronization instruction in turn, and all except the final processor are forced into a temporary holdoff condition and execute no further computer program instructions. The final processor to execute the synchronization program becomes a master, releasing itself and the "slave" devices simultaneously to resume executing instructions. In order to force contentions between processors, a selected delay may be entered into the instruction stream of at least one of the processing devices. The delay can be incremented each time the synchronization instruction is executed, if desired. The forced contentions permit a testing of various serialization mechanisms designed to resolve contentions.

The present invention relates to data processing networks in which multiple processing devices share an interface to main storage, and more particularly to a process for testing hardware and microcode serialization mechanisms in such networks.
Among the recent trends in data processing are computer architectures which increasingly employ multiple processing devices sharing a common interface to main storage. Multiple processor networks typically employ serializing mechanisms in order to protect shared objects in main storage. In other words, should two or more of the processors simultaneously request access to a shared area of data within main storage, one or more of the serializing mechanisms resolves the conflict and grants access to one of the requesting processors.
While the testing of serialization mechanisms is desirable and necessary to insure their reliability, such testing requires conflicting requests for a main storage shared object to overlap within a single clock cycle, a situation which rarely occurs at random and is difficult to force. There is no observable difference between conflicting processor requests executing in parallel (and being properly serialized by the serializing mechanisms), and the same instructions executing in sequence.
The general idea of forcing a conflict between processors is known. For example, IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Volume 17, No. 6 (November 1974) discloses a process for synchronizing two processing devices, one designated as the local device and the other, the remote device. The local and remote processors execute different instructions, toward putting both of them in a "null" state during the same clock cycle, so that both processing devices begin executing the next instruction simultaneously. If both processors seek the same storage location, a locking mechanism designed to allow access to only one of the processors is tested.
Various means are known for synchronizing processing devices, although not necessarily in connection with testing locks or other serializing mechanisms. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,303 (Barnes et al) discloses a system including an array of processors, memory modules, a network connecting the processors and the memory modules, and a data base memory with a data base memory controller. The system also includes a coordinator for synchronizing the processors when parallel operation of the processors is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,736 (Ziegler et al) discloses a system for governing multiple processors connected in parallel to a plurality of interleaved memory elements, with memory access patterns designed to insure a desired offset of the patterns, to avoid access conflicts. Various master and slave processing devices operate under different codes.
While these means of synchronization and the aforementioned testing approach are each satisfactory under certain circumstances, there has remained a critical need for synchronizing multiple processing devices, and utilizing this synchronization to achieve repeatable conflicts, between and among the processors, for shared objects in main storage.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for placing multiple processors into a hold (non-executing) state, and subsequently to simultaneously release all processors from the hold state or condition.
Another object of the invention is to provide a computer program synchronization instruction executed by multiple processors, each in turn, toward achieving the hold state, that operates identically regardless of the order in which the processors execute the instruction.
A further object is to provide a means for selectively interposing a delay on one or more selected processors, following the synchronization of all processors.
Yet another object is to provide a means for incrementing such delay associated with one or more chosen processors to increase the delay by a selected amount, for example a single clock cycle, each time the synchronization instruction is executed.

Synchronization instruction for multiple processor network


The present invention relates to a rabbit monoclonal antibody that binds to human Id1 protein and/or mouse Id1 protein with high specificity and high affinity. The antibody has a binding constant, measured with respect to human Id1 protein and/or mouse Id1 protein, equal to or greater than 1×108/molar. The antibody has no substantial cross-reactivity with other family Id proteins such as Id2, Id3, or Id4, or other endogenous proteins present in the cells that express Id1 protein. The high specificity and high affinity of the rabbit monoclonal antibodies of the present invention allows sensitive and specific detection and/or quantitation of Id1 protein in biological samples. The antibodies are useful in immunochemical-based assays such as ELISA, western blot, and immunohistochemical staining.

The Id proteins are a family of four related proteins implicated in the control of differentiation and cell cycle progression in organisms ranging from flies to man [Ruzinova et al., Trends Cell Biol; 13:410-418, (2003), Hasskarl et al., Cancer Biol Ther; 1:91-6, (2002), Lasorella et al., Oncogene; 20:8326-33 (2001), Sikder et al., Cancer Cell; 3:525-30 (2003), Fong et al., Trends Mol Med; 10: 387-92 (2004) and Zebedee and Hara, Oncogene; 20: 8317-25(2001)]. The four Id proteins, Id1, Id2, Id3 and Id4, affect control by sequestering basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors and forming heterodimers that are unable to bind to DNA [Benezra et al., Cell, 61:49-59 (1990), O'Toole et al., J Biol Chem; 278: 45770-62003 (2003), Lister and Baron, Gene Expr; 7: 25-38 (1998) and Yates et al., Embo J; 18:968-76 (1999)]. In this regard, biochemical and genetic data have established that the target of the Id proteins are the ubiquitously expressed bHLH proteins referred to as E proteins such as E12, E47, E2-2 and HEB as well as certain tissue-restricted HLH proteins such as MyoD, MRFs, etc., that control cell type specific gene expression and the expression of cell cycle regulatory genes [Lassar et al., Curr Opin Cell Biol; 6:788-94 (1994) and Langlands et al., J Biol Chem; 272: 19785-93 (1997)]. The structural mediator of this sequestering process is a highly conserved dimerization motif known as the helix-loop-helix (HLH) domain that is common to all four proteins [Riechmann et al., Nucleic Acids Res; 22:749-55 (1994) and Langlands et al., J Biol Chem; 272: 19785-93 (1997)]. The bHLH proteins contain a cluster of amino acids rich in basic residues adjacent to the HLH dimerization motif which mediates DNA binding of homodimeric or heterodimeric HLH complexes. Since the Id proteins lack a basic DNA binding domain, the heterodimers between Id and bHLH proteins cannot bind DNA. This dominant negative mode of inhibition of DNA binding activity is widely used in the cell and is also employed by members of the leucine zipper and homeodomain protein families [Ron and Habener, Genes Dev; 6: 439-453 (1992)].
Id1 and Id3 are co-expressed temporally and spatially during mouse neurogenesis and in tissues undergoing active morphogenesis [Duncan et al., Dev. Biol; 154:1-10 (1992), Ellmeier, et al., Dev Dyn; 203:163-73 (1995) and Jen, Y., et al., Dev Dyn; 208:92-106 (1997)]. Id1 and Id3 are also important to neovascularization, a process important to the growth, progression and metastasis of tumors [Dhanabal et al., Curr. Med. Chem. Anticancer Agents; 5: 115-30 (2005) and Ferrara et al., Nat Rev Drug Discov; 3: 391-400 (2004)]. The loss of the Id1 and Id3 genes (knockout mouse) results in impaired neovascularization and diminished ability to support tumor growth in animals [Lyden et al., Nature, 401:670-7 (1999) and Lyden et al., Nat Med; 7: 1194-201 (2001)]. Consistent with this observed anti-tumor activity, the regulation of many biochemicals important to angiogenesis like MMP2 and certain integrins are influenced by Id proteins [Lyden et al., Nature, 401:670-7 (1999) and Ruzinova et al., Cancer Cell; 4: 277-89 (2003)].
Breast cancer is one of many pathologies illustrating the important role of Id genes and proteins in promoting cell proliferation and negatively regulating differentiation [de Candia et al., Adv Cancer Res; 92: 81-94 (2004), Coletta et al., J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia; 9: 39-53 (2004), Desprez et al., J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia; 8: 225-39 (2003) and Fong et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA; 100: 13543-8 (2003)]. High levels of Id gene expression have also been observed in tumor cell lines derived from different tissues. In accordance with this, one of the members of this gene family, Id1, has been shown to promote proliferation and inhibit functional differentiation of mouse mammary epithelial cells (SCp2 cells), maintained in cell culture [Desprez et al., Mol Cell Biol, 15:3398-3404 (1995)]. In addition, Id1 deletion totally blocks tumor formation in an animal model of human breast cancer when combined with treatment with an HSP-90 inhibitor [de Candia P et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA; 100: 12337-42 (2003)]. Experiments establishing the role of particular Id proteins in a specific type of cancer are heavily dependent on analysis by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of specific tumor samples. For example, normal mammary gland is composed of several cell types, but it is the luminal epithelial cells, which line the inside of ducts and the lobules, that are primarily targeted for proliferation, differentiation and carcinogenesis. Therefore, to assess the precise significance of any regulatory factor in mammary biology and its significance to carcinogenesis, it is essential to examine its cellular localization in vivo. This is particularly important in the case of ubiquitously expressed proteins, such as Id proteins. In this regard, an examination of the in situ localization of Id1 in normal mammary glands reported that Id1 is not expressed in the luminal epithelial cells.
The work defining the role of Id1 in cancers such as breast cancer is limited by the lack of antibodies with suitable sensitivity and specificity to Id1. Sensitivity is an important characteristic for an antibody to detect and/or quantitate Id1, which is very potent and is present in biologic systems at low concentrations [Langlands et al., J Biol Chem; 272: 19785-19793 (1997)]
Production of monoclonal antibodies to the Id1 is difficult because of the relatively low molecular weight (about 17 kDa) and common structural homology among the Id proteins [Nagata and Todokoro, BioChem Biophys Res Commun; 30: 1355-1362 (1994) and Andres-Barquin et al., Histol Histopathol; 15; 603-618 (2000)]. Commercial rabbit polyclonal anti-mouse/human Id1 antibody (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, Calif.), and commercial mouse monoclonal anti-mouse Id1 antibody (BD PharMingen Corp., San Diego, Calif.) do not have desired binding specificity since it has cross-reactivity with other proteins and does not have high affinity to Id1. The undesired cross-reactivity and low binding affinity make the commercial antibodies unsuitable for use in immunoassays to detect Id1. It is also difficult to prepare polyclonal antibodies specific only to human Id1, with no cross-reactivity to mouse Id1; or specific only to mouse Id1, with no cross-reactivity to human Id1 because of the homology between mouse Id1 and human Id1.
There is a need for antibodies specific for Id1, which do not substantially cross-react with other endogenous proteins or those within the Id family proteins such as Id1, Id2, and Id4. There is also a need for antibodies that have high affinity to Id1 such that they are sensitive to detect or quantitate Id1 in biological samples. There is further a need for antibodies that are specific only to mouse Id1 or specific only to human Id1 with no substantial cross-reactivity between the two species.

Rabbit monoclonal antibody against Id1 protein


A method for correcting a high frequency measurement error which can exactly correct the high frequency measurement error even with the use of a standard devices of which characteristic have not been verified by calculating the characteristic impedance of the correction device from the characteristics of an auxiliary measuring device calculated by using a general error correction method, and calculating again the once calculated characteristics of the auxiliary measuring device. The method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of modelling an auxiliary measuring device used for measuring a high frequency charateristics of the device under test by two transmission lines connected in series between two terminals and a parasitic component connected in parallel between a junction of the two transmission lines and a ground; and moving a reference measurement point to the junction of the two transmission lines by using a phase angle of each transmission line and calculating a reference impedance at the terminal of the auxiliary measuring device to which an object to be measured is connected by using the difference of the resultant reflection coefficients of each port.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for correcting a high frequency measurement error in measuring a high frequency characteristic of an object to be measured.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional method of measuring a high frequency characteristic of an object to be measured, several standard devices are measured to calculate the characteristic of the auxiliary measuring device. Then, the effects of the auxiliary measuring device are eliminated from the characteristic of the object measured by using the auxiliary measuring device to calculate the characteristic of only the object to be measured. This method of correcting a high frequency measurement error is generally well known in the art. However, the conventional method has a drawback that only if a standard devices of which characteristic have been verified is used, the characteristic of the auxiliary measuring device can be exactly calculated, and the result that the characteristic of the object to be measured can be exactly calculated. When the characteristic of the auxiliary measuring device is calculated by using the conventional measurement error correction method, a terminal connected to a measurement system is normalized to a reference impedance of the measurement system; however a terminal connected to the object to be measured is normalized to a characteristic impedance of the standard devices used.
Therefore, the conventional method has problems that the characteristic impedance of the standard devices should be the same as the reference impedance of the measurement system to exactly perform a correction or the characteristic of the standard devices must be exactly known to allow for a correction even when the characteristic impedance of the standard devices are different from the reference impedance of the measurement system. In other words, in the conventional high frequency measurement method, it was possible to correct an error only if a verified standard devices are used, and measurement errors should be suffered because the characteristics of standard devices are often expected as they are made as is necessary.

Method for correcting a high frequency measurement error

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method and apparatus are disclosed for distributing content items to a handheld device using a personal computer. A user can browse and select content using a personal computer or other computer that may be more readily available or more convenient to use than the handheld device. The personal computer can communicate with a web server which receives the user's request for content to be distributed to the handheld device. The web server can retrieve configuration information pertaining to the handheld device and communicate with a content server to determine whether the user's request for content distribution is valid based on information identifying the handheld device and at least some of the configuration information pertaining to the handheld device. The content server can transmit the requested content item to the handheld device if the user's request is valid and if the handheld device is able to receive the content item.

Handheld computing devices such as the mobile telephone have proliferated in recent years. These devices can be equipped with processors, memory, and the capability to communicate through local and wide area networks, including the Internet. These devices can be equipped with operating systems which permit the devices to execute a wide range of computer programs, typically called "apps." The user of a handheld device can download computer programs and other content by direct communication with a server through a mobile telephone network or wireless local area network. Alternatively, a user can attempt to download content to a personal computer such as a desktop or a laptop computer. Often, it is more convenient for a user to browse, select and purchase an application through a system such as the personal computer. Once the application is downloaded to the personal computer, it may be further transmitted to the handheld device through a process such as synchronization, which can involve tethering the device to the personal computer.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An information handling system includes a chassis having walls that define an interior cavity within the chassis. A backplane is mounted to a bottom wall of the chassis and a processor is connected to the backplane. A primary storage device is connected to the chassis and is communicatively coupled to the processor. A supplemental storage tray has perimeter plates that define a bay within the supplemental storage tray. The supplemental storage tray is suspended above the processor by at least one wall of the chassis. A supplemental storage device is disposed in the bay and is communicatively coupled to the processor. The supplemental storage device provides additional storage capacity to the information handling system.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to information handling systems and in particular to a supplemental storage tray for increasing the storage capacity within an information handling system.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
An information handling system can be configured in several different configurations. The information handling system can include multiple computers or servers with one or more processors. Each server can be physically mounted in an enclosure. The information handling system can further include storage systems that use storage devices such as hard disk drives. In one configuration, multiple hard disk drives are mounted in the enclosure and are connected to power and data connections in the information handling system. The enclosure can also include cooling devices such as fans that are mounted to cool the components of the server.
In one configuration, a shroud is mounted in the enclosure to direct the flow of cooling air from the cooling devices to the electronic components, such as the processor, memory and various other electronic components, in the server that require cooling. The shroud occupies valuable space within the server chassis and is a non-essential part of the server.

Supplemental storage tray for increasing storage capacity within an information handling system


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that solves a global optimization problem specified by a function ƒ and a set of equality constraints q1(x)=0 (i=1, . . . , r), wherein ƒ is a scalar function of a vector x=(x1, x2, x3, . . . xn). During operation, the system receives a representation of the function ƒ and the set of equality constraints and stores the representation in a memory within a computer system. Next, the system and performs an interval global optimization process to compute guaranteed bounds on a globally minimum value of the function ƒ(x) subject to the set of equality constraints. Performing this interval global optimization process involves, applying term consistency to the set of equality constraints over a subbox X, and excluding portions of the subbox X that violate the set of equality constraints.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to performing arithmetic operations on interval operands within a computer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for using a computer system to solve a global optimization problem including equality constraints with interval arithmetic and term consistency.
2. Related Art
Rapid advances in computing technology make it possible to perform trillions of computational operations each second. This tremendous computational speed makes it practical to perform computationally intensive tasks as diverse as predicting the weather and optimizing the design of an aircraft engine. Such computational tasks are typically performed using machine-representable floating-point numbers to approximate values of real numbers. (For example, see the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 754 for binary floating-point numbers.)
In spite of their limitations, floating-point numbers are generally used to perform most computational tasks.
One limitation is that machine-representable floating-point numbers have a fixed-size word length, which limits their accuracy. Note that a floating-point number is typically encoded using a 32, 64 or 128-bit binary number, which means that there are only 232, 264 or 2128 possible symbols that can be used to specify a floating-point number. Hence, most real number values can only be approximated with a corresponding floating-point number. This creates estimation errors that can be magnified through even a few computations, thereby adversely affecting the accuracy of a computation.
A related limitation is that floating-point numbers contain no information about their accuracy. Most measured data values include some amount of error that arises from the measurement process itself. This error can often be quantified as an accuracy parameter, which can subsequently be used to determine the accuracy of a computation. However, floating-point numbers are not designed to keep track of accuracy information, whether from input data measurement errors or machine rounding errors. Hence, it is not possible to determine the accuracy of a computation by merely examining the floating-point number that results from the computation.
Interval arithmetic has been developed to solve the above-described problems. Interval arithmetic represents numbers as intervals specified by a first (left) endpoint and a second (right) endpoint. For example, the interval [a, b], where a<b, is a closed, bounded subset of the real numbers, R, which includes a and b as well as all real numbers between a and b. Arithmetic operations on interval operands (interval arithmetic) are defined so that interval results always contain the entire set of possible values. The result is a mathematical system for rigorously bounding numerical errors from all sources, including measurement data errors, machine rounding errors and their interactions. (Note that the first endpoint normally contains the "infimum", which is the largest number that is less than or equal to each of a given set of real numbers. Similarly, the second endpoint normally contains the "supremum", which is the smallest number that is greater than or equal to each of the given set of real numbers.)
One commonly performed computational operation is to perform equality constrained global optimization to find a global minimum of a nonlinear objective function subject to nonlinear equality constraints of the form q1(x)=0 (i=1, . . . , r). This can be accomplished by deleting boxes, or parts of boxes that do not satisfy one or more equality constraints, or by unconditionally deleting boxes that cannot contain the global minimum ƒ*.
To delete part or all of a subbox that fails to satisfy one or more equality constraints, term consistency and the interval Newton method can be used in combination.
To unconditionally delete part or all of a box that cannot contain the equality constrained global minimum, the smallest upper bound ƒ_bar so far computed on the global minimum ƒ* can be used.
In the presence of equality constraints, it can be difficult to identify a feasible point x that is guaranteed to satisfy all the given equality constraints. However, it is relatively easy to prove that a box X contains a feasible point. Given such a box, sup(ƒ(X)) provides a value of ƒ_bar. As this process progresses, ƒ_bar is updated using ƒ_bar=min(ƒ_bar, sup(ƒ(X))), given that the box X has been proved to contain a feasible point.
Given an ƒ_bar value, the ƒ_bar criterion is applied as an inequality constraint to delete parts or all of a given subbox.
If ƒ_bar is the smallest upper bound so far computed on ƒ, then any point x for which ƒ(x)>ƒ_bar can be deleted. Similarly, any box X can be deleted if inƒ(ƒ(X))>ƒ_bar.
In addition to solving for boxes with feasible points and the ƒ_bar criterion, the John conditions can be solved to delete parts or all of subboxes and to prove that a given subbox contains a feasible point. (The John conditions are described in "Global Optimization Using Interval Analysis" by Eldon R. Hansen, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1992.)
Solving the John conditions, works best "in the small" when the objective function ƒ is approximately quadratic and satisfied constraints are approximately linear. For large boxes containing multiple stationary points, solving the John conditions will often not succeed in deleting much of a given box. In this case the box is split into two or more sub-boxes that are then processed independently. By this mechanism all the equality constrained global minima of a nonlinear objective function can be found.
One problem is applying this procedure to large n-dimensional interval vectors (or boxes) that contain multiple local minima. In this case, the process of splitting in n-dimensions can lead to exponential growth in the number of boxes to process.
It is well known that this problem (and even the problem of computing "sharp" bounds on the range of a function of n-variables over an n-dimensional box) is an "NP-hard" problem. In general, NP-hard problems require an exponentially increasing amount of work to solve as n, the number of independent variables, increases.
Because NP-hardness is a worst-case property and because many practical engineering and scientific problems have relatively simple structure, one problem is to use this simple structure of real problems to improve the efficiency of interval equality constrained global optimization algorithms.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for using the structure of a nonlinear objective function to improve the efficiency of interval equality constrained global optimization software. To this end, what is needed is a method and apparatus that efficiently deletes "large" boxes or parts of large boxes that using the interval Newton method to solve the John conditions can only split.

Applying term consistency to an equality constrained interval global optimization problem


Example embodiments are directed to an apparatus and method for measuring a pulse width. A side-band signal generator may be configured to receive a given data pattern and output a side-band signal by modulating a pulse width of the received data pattern in a test mode. A phase detector may be configured to receive the side-band signal and a reference clock signal, and output a pulse signal corresponding to a phase difference between the received side-band signal and the reference clock signal. A charge pump may be configured to receive the pulse signal and output an output voltage by increasing or decreasing the output voltage based on the pulse signal. A pulse width measurer may be configured to receive the output voltage of the charge pump and determine whether pulses forming the side-band signal have appropriate widths based on whether the output voltage is included in a desired reference voltage range.

1. Field
Example embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus for testing a signal, for example, a method and apparatus for measuring pulse widths a side-band signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In communication fields, side-band signal or out-of-band signal is widely used since high speed communication is possible as the side-band signals or the out-of-band signals do not use a separate bus, but use a wire or an infrared port.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a side-band signal SBS including a plurality of pulses. Referring to FIG. 1, each pulse of the side-band signal SBS may indicate 0 or 1. However, unlike other conventional data bits, classification into logic high "H" and logic low "L" may be achieved with reference to the length of each pulse width. For example, when the length of a pulse width in one bit period is larger than approximately 50% of a duty cycle, the bit may be recognized as logic "H", and when the length of a pulse width in one bit period is smaller than approximately 50% of a duty cycle, the bit is recognized as logic "L". Thus, a bit value may be determined based on a relative duration of a pulse width in a bit period.

Method and apparatus for measuring pulse widths of a side-band signal


A solution of amphiphilic molecules and water is atomized to form a mist of droplets which are deposited on a substrate surface to completely cover same with a coating of the solution. The amphiphilic molecules in the coating self-assemble on the surface into a continuous thin film that is less than 500 nanometers thick. The water is evaporated from the coating to leave only the film chemically bonded to the surface.

This application relates to the art of ultra-thin films and to procedures for applying same to substrate surfaces. More particularly, the application concerns thin films formed of amphiphilic molecules. The invention is particularly applicable for use with cookware and will be described with specific reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader aspects and can be used in connection with any substrate surface, particularly surfaces of glass, ceramic and porcelain.
Burnt and dried food residues are very difficult to remove from cookware surfaces, and many different types of non-stick coatings have been applied to such surfaces. These coatings tend to be applied subsequent to manufacture of the cookware, rather than as an integral part of the same manufacturing process. The coatings also tend to require pretreatment of the cookware surfaces, such as by etching, grit blasting or application of base coats. Processes for applying the coatings often have high energy requirements, and sometimes use or produce undesirable components that are environmentally unsafe and difficult to work with. The common non-stick coatings are relatively thick, such as on the order of millimeters, and ruin the appearance of cookware surfaces when scratched.
Polymerizable amphiphilic molecules having the intrinsic ability to self-assemble in a thin film are wellknown. By way of example, descriptions of such materials are contained in: J. Colloid Sci., 1, 531-538 (1946), W. C. Bigelow et al.; J. Colloid & Interface Sci., 27, 751-760 (1968), Lieng-Huange Lee; & J. Sagiv, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,061, issued Sep. 3, 1985. The disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Polymerizable amphiphilic molecules of the type described would be ideal for use in providing non-stick coatings on cookware. This is because such molecules form ultra-thin films that are invisible to the naked eye, and do not ruin the appearance of the cookware when scratched. Also, the films have excellent release properties.
However, the use and application of these type of molecules usually requires the use of high amounts of solvents that present environmental concerns and are relatively difficult to work with. The film forming material tends to deteriorate and agglomerate when mixed with water.
It would be desirable to have a procedure for applying thin films of amphiphilic molecules to surfaces in a manner that presents little or no environmental concern and is energy and time efficient.

Solution containing amphiphilic molecules