Apparatus and methods controlling a process producing segments of product wherein a destabilizing event of a particular type periodically destabilizes the process, resulting in product or process deviation from a target parameter associated with a number of segments of the product, from segment number 1 to segment number n. The method associates, with respective ones of the n units of product, deviation amounts corresponding to historical deviation amounts for the respective so-numbered units of product in past occurrences of the particular type destabilizing event, and applying to selected ones of the n segments of product correction factors derived from respective associated historical deviation amounts for the respective units of product, thereby making pro-active adjustments to respective ones of the n units of product, upon occurrence of the destabilizing event. Preferred methods include applying the correction factors to each of the n units of product. Preferred correction factors are registration factors. In preferred sets of adjustment instructions, at least some of the adjustment instructions include elements derived from vertical analysis and from horizontal analysis, of deviation data. The method is preferably applied to manufacturing processes producing discrete units of absorbent article product for personal care use in absorbing body exudates. The invention contemplates combining and/or modifying up to 10, in some cases up to 20 or more deviation profiles, and thereby obtaining a representative composite correction profile up-date element, before updating the correction profile.

This invention relates to apparatus and methods for automatically monitoring and adjusting manufacturing processes, for example, processes which produce an ongoing stream of outputs such as discrete absorbent articles, for example disposable diapers, effective to absorb body fluids. Such absorbent article products are typically fabricated as a sequence of work pieces being continuously processed on a continuous web and/or continuous processing line of fabrication and assembly machines.
Such absorbent article product generally comprises an absorbent core confined between a moisture impervious baffle of e.g. polyethylene and a moisture pervious body side liner of e.g. non-woven fibrous material. The absorbent articles are typically made by advancing a web of either baffle or body side liner material along a longitudinally extending path, applying the absorbent core to the advancing web, and then applying the second web over the combination of the advancing web and the absorbent core. Other elements such as elastics, leg cuffs, containment flaps, waste bands, and the like are added as desired for the particular product being manufactured, either before, during, or after, applying the second web. Such elements may be oriented longitudinally along the path, or transverse to the path, or may be orientation neutral. As added, such other elements are typically registered on the absorbent article in one or both of the with machine direction and the cross machine direction.
Typical such manufacturing processes are designed to operate at steady state at a pre-determined set of operating conditions. A typical such process has a beginning and an end, and has a start-up period corresponding with the beginning of the operation of the process and a shut-down period corresponding with the end of the operation of the process. The start-up period of the process generally extends from the initiation of the process to the time the process reaches specified steady state conditions. The shut-down period of the operation generally extends from the time the process leaves steady state conditions to the termination of operation of the process.
While the process is operating at steady state conditions, the result desired from the process Is desirably and typically achieved. For example, where the process is designed to produce a certain manufactured good such as disposable diapers, acceptable manufactured goods are normally produced when the process is operating at specified steady state conditions.
As used herein, xe2x80x9csteady statexe2x80x9d conditions represents more than a single specific set of process conditions. Namely, xe2x80x9csteady statexe2x80x9d represents a range of specified process conditions which correspond with a high probability that acceptable goods will be produced, namely that the products produced will correspond with specified product parameters.
Known statistical models and control models for controlling the manufacturing process are based on assumptions that the goods produced during operation of a given such process represent a single homogeneous population of goods. The focus of such statistical models and control models is based on steady state conditions.
However, actual operation of many manufacturing processes, including highly automated processes, typically includes the occurrence of periodic, and in some cases numerous, destabilizing events. A xe2x80x9cdestabilizing eventxe2x80x9d is any event which upsets, interferes with, or otherwise destabilizes the ongoing steady state characteristics of either process parameters or unit-to-unit product parameters. A typical such destabilizing event is one which either causes unacceptable product to be made, or which causes the process controller to recognize and/or report an anomalous process condition, or both.
A typical manufacturing automatic process control system can make adjustments to the process in real time based on horizontal analysis such as averaged data collected from a pre-determined quantity, e.g. a predetermined number of serially-arranged units of work pieces currently being processed. In addition, such typical manufacturing automatic process control system can automatically cull product according to predetermined criteria upon the occurrence of a pre-defined triggering event that e.g. inherently produces at least a minimum quantity of defective product. Thus, depending on the nature and severity of a given destabilizing event, the process controller may respond to the destabilizing event by culling product and/or by making adjustments to one or more process conditions, for example, shutting down the operation, speeding up or slowing down the operation, changing one or more of the other operating parameters, sounding an alarm to alert an operator, or the like.
Upon the occurrence of such destabilizing events, the data representing products fabricated by such manufacturing operation may begin moving away from target conditions whereupon corrective action should be taken in the manufacturing operation; or the data may move outside acceptable specifications whereby the respective units of product should be culled from the product stream. However, such control systems typically collect a number of data points from sequentially arranged units of product in the stream of goods being produced, and compute a data average, before taking corrective action. In the meantime, defective product may be produced, and may subsequently be packaged for shipment.
A variety of possible events in the manufacturing operation can cause the production of absorbent articles which fall outside the specification range. For example, stretchable materials can be stretched less than, or more than, desired. Elements can become misaligned relative to correct registration in the manufacturing operation. Timing between process steps, or speed of advance of an element, can become out-of-tolerance. If such non-catastrophic deviations in process conditions can be detected quickly enough after the deviation from target begins to show up in the product, typically process corrections can be made, and the variances from target conditions can accordingly be reduced, without having to shut down the manufacturing operation and without having to cull, and thereby waste, product.
In some cases, the changes are so severe, or happen so quickly, that process corrections based on such anomalies detected in the product concurrently being produced are insufficient to avoid production of defective product which must be culled.
Further, where the anomalous condition is inherently temporary and short term, by the time automatic corrective action based on currently collected anomalous data, namely horizontal analysis, can be implemented, the temporary time period during which the anomalous behavior occurs may have expired. In such event, the corrective action is applied to non-defective work pieces, risking the possibility of creating defective work pieces that would have, but for the corrective action, been within acceptable specifications.
Exemplary of destabilizing events of interest in the invention are, for example, splices in any of the several materials being fed into the process, web breaks, defective zones in an input material, the start-up period, the shut-down period, unplanned start-up and unplanned shut-down periods, and the like. Typical responses to such more drastic anomalous destabilizing events might be culling product from the manufacturing line, sending one or more corrective control commands to control actuators on the process line, sounding an alarm, slowing down the processing line, shutting down the process line, and the like.
A variety of automatic product inspection systems are available for routine ongoing automatic inspection of product being produced on a manufacturing line and for periodically and automatically taking samples for back-up manual evaluation. Indeed, periodic manual inspection of product samples is still important as a final assurance that quality product is being produced.
Where the process produces product wherein one or more elements is mis-registered on The product, early correction of the defective mis-registration is highly desirable in order to minimize the amount of defective product which is produced. While existing control systems can detect mis-registration, such control systems take action only after collecting enough sample data points from sequentially-arranged units of product to develop a reliable average for the registration data. Moreover, where the mis-registration characteristic represents a rapidly changing parameter such as at start-up, at shut-down, or at a splice, the calculated average is of limited value until the parameter of interest becomes relatively stable. Yet further, known control systems are powerless to predict the degree and direction of mis-registration, or to take any pro-active corrective action with respect to such mis-registration. Rather, such systems rely on first collecting data from the currently and sequentially mis-registered product, and averaging the respective data, by which time the units of product, used to generate the data, may have exited the manufacturing process.
Body fluid absorbing personal care absorbent articles such as are of interest herein for implementation of the invention are typically manufactured at speeds of about 50 to about 1200 articles per minute on a given manufacturing line. Preferred speeds are between about 300 and about 1000 articles or other units of product per minute. Accordingly, it is impossible for an operator to manually inspect each and every article so produced.
A significant problem with known control systems is that they are designed for and focused on making process adjustments based on horizontal analysis, namely calculating a representative parameter based on data collected from a sample of units of product arranged in sequence on the production line, and subsequently generating corrective instructions to the production line machines, based on the calculated representative parameters. Such conventional control systems do not take into account certain predictive characteristics regarding specific product segments, or units of product, which can be gleaned for each unit of product based on its relationship to a destabilizing event.
As a result, while existing statistical control models may be rather efficient at identifying and culling defective product resulting from random or unpredictable anomalous conditions in the process, or resulting from a minor deviation from steady state conditions, when the process experiences a destabilizing event, known statistical control models are unable to anticipate or predict, and correct for, defective product characteristics based on past product behavior corresponding to respective such destabilizing events. By corollary, such control models are unable to take corrective action until off-target product is in fact produced, and recognized as being off target.
Thus, known statistical control models are, for example, unable to adjust registration at start-up based on mis-registration which occurred during a previous start-up.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of pro-actively making process parameter adjustments, such as registration adjustments, upon occurrence of a destabilizing event.
It is another object to make such process adjustments based on historical data collected during one or more previously-occurring such destabilizing events.
It is still another object to make such adjustments specific to individual units of the product, e.g. individual work pieces, based on the amount of mis-registration recorded for the individual units of product in respective previously-occurring such destabilizing events.
It is a further object to issue corrective adjustment commands before any defective product is produced.
Still another object is to collect data, and generate a deviation profile for one or more parameters representative of the effect of a respective destabilizing event.
Yet another object is to modify the deviation profile and to thereby create a correction profile element from the deviation profile, for the given type of destabilizing event.
A still further object is to invert the deviation profile, and to modify the inverted deviation profile in developing the correction profile element, and accordingly a new correction profile.
A further object is to apply the correction profile to a subsequent occurrence of the type destabilizing event for which the data was collected and averaged.
A further object is, while applying the correction profile, sensing and recording new registration deviation data resulting from application of the correction profile.
Other objects are achieved in, after recording the new registration deviation profile, inverting the new deviation profile to thereby develop a new correction profile element, and applying the new correction profile element to the existing correction profile, thus to create a new, next generation correction profile which takes into account the deviations used in developing the correction profile element.
Yet other objects are obtained by, upon occurrence of such pre-defined destabilizing event, applying the then current correction profile, and sensing and recording a corresponding registration deviation profile pertaining to the respective current destabilizing event; and periodically incorporating adjustments into the correction profile based on the registration deviations recorded from previous such destabilizing events.
This invention contemplates a method of controlling a process producing segments of product and wherein a destabilizing event of a particular type periodically destabilizes the process, resulting in a deviation from a target parameter in a number of segments of the product, from segment number 1 to segment number n. The method comprises upon occurrence of the particular type of destabilizing event, associating with respective ones of the n segments of product, deviation amounts corresponding to historical deviation amounts for the respective so-numbered units of product in past occurrences of the particular type of destabilizing event; and applying to selected ones of the n units of product, correction factors derived from respective associated historical deviation amounts for the respective nth units of product, thereby making pro-active adjustments to respective ones of the n units of product, upon occurrence of the destabilizing event.
Preferred methods include applying the correction factors to each of the n units of product.
In exemplary embodiments, the method includes applying the correction factors as registration factors, to either or both of with machine direction registration and cross machine direction registration.
In preferred embodiments, the method includes, using a computing controller, computing correction factors for selected units, optionally uniformly spaced units, or each unit, using historical operating data from at least two previous occurrences of the destabilizing event and respectively developing a correction profile using the combination of the correction factors, for use upon occurrence of a future destabilizing event.
The method preferably includes computing separate and distinct correction factors for selected units, optionally uniformly spaced units, or each unit, to which such registration correction factor is to be applied, including deriving such correction factor from the same numbered nth unit in the previous destabilizing event or events, whereby each such correction factor is based on data derived from the respective nth unit of product past the destabilizing event, in such previous destabilizing event or events.
Preferably, the method is applied to a manufacturing process producing discrete units of absorbent article product for personal care use in absorbing body exudates.
Preferred embodiments of the invention include collecting deviation information from ones of the respective n units of product during subsequent occurrences of the destabilizing event and, based on the deviation information so collected, periodically making adjustments to the correction profile and applying the adjusted correction profile to ones of the respective n units of product at future occurrences of the destabilizing event.
In some embodiments, the method includes collecting and recording registration data for respective ones of the subsequent n units of product, and thereby obtaining fresh registration deviation data on multiple units of product, up to n units, for the destabilizing event, thus obtaining samples for up to n units of product, for respective ones of the n units of product, using the computing controller, automatically in real time computing a representative registration deviation based on the sample obtained for the respective nth unit of product, and thereby obtaining a registration deviation profile representative of the respective units of product associated with the respective destabilizing event, combining and/or modifying up to 10, in some cases up to 20 or more, of the deviation profiles, and thereby obtaining a representative composite correction profile up-date element for such type destabilizing event, upon obtaining the correction profile up-date element, adding the so-obtained correction profile up-date element to the registration correction profile, thus to obtain an up-dated registration correction profile, and applying the up-dated registration correction profile to a subsequent occurrence of the respective type destabilizing event, preferably including beginning to add the so-obtained correction profile up-date element to the correction profile no later than the n+20th unit, more preferably no more than the n+10th unit, of the last destabilizing event from which the correction profile element data was derived.
In other embodiments, the method includes collecting and recording registration data for respective ones of the subsequent n units of product, and thereby obtaining fresh registration deviation data on multiple units of product, up to n units, for the destabilizing event, thus obtaining samples for up to n units of product, for respective ones of the n units of product, using the computing controller automatically in real time computing a representative registration deviation based on the sample obtained for the respective nth unit of product, and thereby obtaining a registration deviation profile representative of the respective units of product associated with the respective destabilizing event, combining and/or modifying the deviation profile, and thereby obtaining a representative correction profile up-date element for such type destabilizing event, upon obtaining the correction profile update element, beginning to add the so-obtained correction profile up-date element to the registration correction profile, no later than the 2 nth unit of the last destabilizing event from which the correction profile element data was derived, thus to obtain an up-dated registration correction profile, and applying the up-dated registration correction profile to a subsequent occurrence of the respective type destabilizing event.
In a second family of embodiments, the invention contemplates a method of controlling a process producing discrete units of absorbent article product for personal care use and wherein a destabilizing event of a particular type periodically destabilizes the process, resulting in a deviation from a target parameter in a number of units of the product, from unit number 1 to unit number n. The method comprises operating the process, including continuing to operate the process upon occurrence of such type destabilizing events, x times, x being greater than 1, and upon occurrence of such destabilizing events, collecting and recording product data for respective ones of the subsequent n units of product, and thereby obtaining product deviation information on multiple units of product, up to n units of product, for each of the x such destabilizing events, thus obtaining up to x samples for each of the n units of product; for respective ones of the n units of product, computing a representative product deviation based on the samples obtained for the respective nth unit of product, from the x such destabilizing events, and thereby obtaining a product deviation profile representative of the product deviations of the respective units of product from a target parameter, and obtained from the x destabilizing events; modifying the deviation profile, and thereby obtaining a product correction profile element for such type destabilizing event, the correction profile including a correction for each of the n units of product for which a product deviation indication was obtained; adding the so-obtained product correction profile to any pre-existing product correction profile used in collecting the sample, thus to obtain an up-dated product correction profile; and applying the up-dated product correction profile to a subsequent occurrence of the respective type destabilizing event.
In preferred embodiments, the method includes, while applying the up-dated product correction profile to a subsequent such destabilizing event, collecting product deviation data for up to respective n units of product, and using the so-collected deviation data to further up-date the product correction profile, for example by computing of the product deviations by averaging the deviations recorded for the respective nth units of product or work pieces.
The method may include collecting product deviation information from ones of the respective n units of product during subsequent occurrences of the destabilizing event, and periodically making adjustments to the product correction profile based on the product deviation information so collected.
Yet another family of embodiments comprehends a method of controlling a process producing product in discrete product segments. The method comprises operating the process, including continuing to operate the process upon occurrence of a destabilizing event, and collecting and recording process performance data for respective ones of the subsequent n units of product, and thereby obtaining process performance deviation information on multiple units of product, up to n units of product, for such destabilizing event, thus obtaining samples of the performance data for up to the n units of product; for respective ones of the n units of product, computing a representative performance deviation based on the sample obtained for the respective unit of product, and thereby obtaining a process performance deviation profile representative of the respective units of product; modifying the deviation profile, and thereby obtaining a process performance correction profile element for the destabilizing event, including correction for each of the n units of product for which a process performance deviation indication was obtained; incorporating the so-obtained performance correction profile element into any pre-existing correction profile used in collecting the samples, thus to obtain an up-dated performance correction profile; and applying the up-dated performance correction profile to a subsequent occurrence of respective type destabilizing event.
In preferred embodiments, the method includes applying the performance correction profile to each of the n units of product.
The invention yet further comprehends apparatus for controlling a process producing segments of product and wherein a destabilizing event of a particular type periodically destabilizes the process, resulting in a deviation from a target parameter in a number of segments of the product, from segment number 1 to segment number n. The apparatus comprises a manufacturing line comprising a plurality of machines manufacturing the product; a computing controller effective, upon occurrence of the particular type of destabilizing event, to associate with respective ones of the n segments of product, deviation amounts corresponding to historical deviation amounts for the respective so-numbered units of product in past occurrences of the particular type of destabilizing event, and to apply to respective nth ones of the n units of product, correction factors derived from respective associated historical deviation amounts for the respective nth units of product; one or more detection devices detecting one or more parameters with respect to the process or product being produced by the process; and one or more actuation devices effecting adjustments to the machines in response to the correction factors developed from deviation amounts detected in one or more previous destabilizing events, thereby to make pro-active adjustments to respective ones of the n units of product, upon occurrence of the destabilizing event.

Proactive control of a process after the beginning of a destabilizing event


An Internet Protocol-capable call center system has a managing computer connected to a plurality of PCs at agent stations on a local area network. The managing computer is adapted to receive and route Internet Protocol Network Telephony calls to the agent stations according to predetermined routing rules. A statistics server (stat-server) in the call center provides status of call center objects, among multiple status possibilities, to requesting applications in the processes of routing calls. Requesting applications, in addition to requests for object states, provide priority indications of object states desired. The stat-server provides the highest priority state to a requesting application. In the absence of a priority indication the stat-server provides status of objects according to a default indication.

The present invention in its several aspects presented herein is in the area of telephone communication in the broadest sense; that is, including all multimedia communication aspects of intelligent networks, call-center technology including computer-telephony integration (CTI), and Internet protocol telephony networks and related technology.
Telephone is one of the most widely used communication equipments in the world. At first, it was merely a convenient tool to allow people to communicate while they are physically separated. Recently, many companies use telephones to market products and services, provide technical supports to consumer products, allow customers to access their own financial data, etc. Thus, telephone is becoming a major business and marketing tool.
In order to more effectively use telephone for business and marketing purposes, call centers have been developed. In a call center, a large number of agents handle telephone communication with customers. The matching of calls between customers and agents is typically performed by software. A simple example is used here to describe a few of the many advantages of using call centers. When a call is made to a call center, the telephone number of the calling line is typically made available to the call center by a telephone carrier. Based on this telephone number, the software in the call center can access a database server to obtain information about the customer who has been assigned that phone number. The software can now route the call to an agent who can best handle the call based on predefined criteria (e.g., language skill, knowledge of products the customer bought, etc.). The software immediately transfers relevant information to a computer screen used by the agent. Thus, the agent can gain valuable information about the customer prior to receiving the call. As a result, the agent can more effectively handle the telephone transaction.
It can be seen from the above example that the enabling technology requires a combination of telephone switching and computer information processing technologies. The term commonly used for this combined technology is computer-telephony-integration (CTI).
In recent years, advances in computer technology and telephony equipment and infrastructure as well has provided many opportunities for improving telephone service. Similarly, development of the information and data network known as the Internet together with advances in computer hardware and software has led to a new multi-media telephone system known in the art as Internet protocol network telephony (IPNT). Examples of hardware and software used to implement IPNT can be found in the book entitled xe2x80x9cInternet Phone Connectionsxe2x80x9d by Cheryl Kirk, 1st edition published by Mcgraw-Hill on Jan. 15, 1997. Details describing IPNT are known in the art and therefor will not be disclosed in detail in this specification. In IPNT as well as in the older intelligent and CTI-enhanced telephony systems, both privately and publicly switched, it is desirable to handle more calls faster and to provide improved service in every way, including such improvements as video calls and conferencing.
In various embodiments and aspects of the present invention described in enabling detail below, new and enhanced apparatus and methods are provided for improving telephony systems and service.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in an Internet Protocol-capable call center system wherein status of call center objects are monitored and statistics are utilized between multiple software applications in managing call center activity, a method for reporting status of objects is provided, comprising steps of (a) requesting an active state, among multiple possible simultaneous active states, of a call center object by a requesting application; (b) providing a status priority indication by the requesting application; and (c) providing an indication of the active state of the call center object by the reporting application according to the status priority provided by the requesting application. In some embodiments the status indication takes the form of a status priority table with all defined states listed in one of ascending or descending order by priority.
Reporting procedure can take several forms. Requesting applications may, for example, indicate a one-time response is needed or that continuing status updates are needed. Also, the requesting application may report more than one status priority to the reporting application at different times, and the reporting application provides status when requested according to the latest reported status priority by the requesting application. Also, different requesting applications provide unique priority indications, and may change their priority indications at different times. In the absence of a priority indication the reporting application may follow a default priority indications.
In another aspect of the invention an Internet Protocol-capable call center is provided, comprising a managing computer adapted to receive Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) calls and to distribute the calls to PCs at agent stations connected on a local area network (LAN); a statistics server (stat-server) on the LAN adapted to report current state, among multiple possible states, of call center objects; and one or more requesting applications communicating on the LAN with the stat-server. In this embodiment a requesting application provides a state priority indication to the stat-server and requests a state for an object, and the stat-server in response provides a state for the object according to the priority indication. Two requesting applications may provide unique state priority indications, and as a result are returned different states for the same entity. Also requesting applications may provide different state priority indications at different times, and the stat-server responds to requests according to the latest state priority indication. In the absence of a current status priority indication, the stat-server stores a default state priority indication for each requesting application, and, in the absence of a current state priority indication responds to requests according to the priority indication.
In prior art systems, only one status may be returned for a requesting application, and, as a result, management of a call center is severely limited. In systems of the present invention, the requesting application can indicate the state desired for a request, and management is thus enhanced.

Method and apparatus for determining and using multiple object states in an intelligent internet protocol telephony network

Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc.


An anti-theft lock system for a motor vehicle includes a motor vehicle support surface, a component to be protected from theft and an electromagnetic locking feature securing the component to the motor vehicle support surface. An anti-theft mirror and a method of preventing theft of a frangible component from a motor vehicle are also disclosed.

Vehicle parts theft is an increasing problem in many countries including particularly those where stolen vehicle part black markets exist. It is said that vehicle thieves can make two to four times a vehicle's worth by selling its individual parts. Victims of vehicle parts theft must deal with the annoyance and expense of having the vehicle repaired as well as the psychological burden of a theft.
This document relates to a new and improved anti-theft lock system particularly adapted for protecting frangible motor vehicle components from theft. Many of such components are otherwise easily stolen.

Magnetic anti-theft lock system and method


A microporous membrane modified by coating or grafting thereon a polyionene material. The thus-modified microporous membrane is useful for separating microorganism-originated contaminants from biological liquids.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to microporous membrane modified by or having bonded thereto ionene polymer and the use of the polyionene-transformed microporous membrane for the separation of contaminants of microorganism origin from biological liquids.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
Removal of microorganism-originated contaminants from biological liquids has long been a recalcitrant problem. Examination of bacterial cell wall surface properties has demonstrated that both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria are negatively charged, mainly due to an excess of carboxyl and phosphate groups in the cell walls thereof. Gram-positive bacteria contain both teichoic and teichuronic acids in their cell walls, whereas gram-negative organisms have phospholipids and the negatively lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharides as components of their outer cell membranes. In aqueous environments, the cell membrane exists as a continuum of lipid and protein organized as a molecular double layer, with the hydrophobic portions of the lipid molecules being opposed and the hydrophilic group projecting outwardly into the aqueous phase. Phosphoglycerides account for about half the lipid with polar groups, such as glycerol, serine, and carboxyl, providing the hydrophilic components. While various protein forms are imbedded in the lipid, the major determinants of charge are surface polysaccharides covalently linked to the membrane protein and lipids.
The effectiveness of bacteria removal through charge interaction has been previously demonstrated, for example, by Ostreicher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,782. Capture of bacteria, endotoxins, and viruses by charge modified filters are described in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 40: 892-896 (1980). Positively charged ion exchange resins have been utilized for bacteria adsorption (Daniels, S. L., Development and Industrial Microbiology, 13: 211-253 (1972)).
Olson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,795 describes a variety of polymers attached to substrates including nylon and recognized that the combined effect of hydrophilic and ionic binding enhances adsorption of lipin-containing cells.
Zvaginstev, D. G. et al., Mikrobiologiya 40: 123-126 (1971), concluded that adsorption of bacterial cells by ion exchange resins was attributable to electrostatic attraction between quaternary ammonium groups on the resin surface and carboxyl groups on the bacteria cell surface. Hogg, in his Ph.D. thesis for the University of Salford, England (1976), demonstrated the interaction of bacteria with cellulose-based DEAE. The adsorption of several gram-negative organisms was shown, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The major forces impacting on bacterial adhesion to solid surfaces have been summarized by Rutter, P. R. in "The Physical Chemistry of the Adhesion of Bacteria and Other Cells," Microbial Adhesion to Surfaces, Editors Berkley et al., Ellis Howard Ltd. Publishers, West Sussex, England (1980). According to Rutter, the Van der Walls force and charge interaction may be considered as long range forces. Where the distance between bacteria and solid surfaces are short, other interactions must be taken into account, for example, ion-dipole, dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding, etc. The short range effects are particularly important in aqueous systems. When the bacteria particles approach the microscopic solid surface, the local ordered water structure near the surface must be broken down. This leads to a short range repulsion force, which may be sufficient to prevent the bacteria from coming closer to the solid surface. On the other hand, when both the surfaces involved are hydrophobic, the short range interaction is a net attraction. This energy favorable process, called "hydrophobic interaction," is the basis for the well-known high performance liquid chromatography applied in protein separations. As is known, a hydrocarbon chain of optimum length, when attached covalently to a solid matrix, may adsorb one protein in preference to another due to the difference in hydrophobicity between proteins.
However, an overly strong hydrophobic solid surface may uncoil the protein structure leading to the exposure of hydrophobic regions and increase tendency for hydrophobic interaction. If the uncoiling is too extensive, denaturation of the protein may result.
In most of the practical applications for bacteria and endotoxin inactivation and removal from biological and pharmaceutical products, protein contamination by bacteria is the most prevalent problem. One must be able to inactivate and remove the microorganism-originated contaminants from protein specifically without causing loss or denaturation of the final products. Accordingly, an optimal solid matrix should exhibit a hydrophobic force which just matches the surface hydrophobicity of proteins and maximally exploits these selected differences.
Thus, a need has continued to exist for a solid matrix for removal of microorganism-originated contaminants from biological and pharmaceutical products which will effectively eliminate the contaminants without denaturing the final product.
Microporous membranes and their use for sterile filtration are well-known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,738 to Marinaccio et al. describes a process for preparing a microporous membrane. U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,479 to Pall describes a similar process. Additional processes for producing microporous membranes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,668 to Bailey et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,847 to Grandine, II; U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,848 to Grandine, II; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,498 to Castro.
Commercially available microporous membranes, for example, made of nylon, are available from Pall Corporation, Glen Cove, N.Y., under the trademark ULTIPORE N.sub.66.sup.R. Another commercially significant membrane made of polyvinylidene fluoride is available from Millipore Corp., Bedford, Mass., under the trademark DURAPORE.RTM.. Each of the above membranes is advertised as useful for filtration of pharmaceuticals for removal of microorganisms and the like.
Efforts to improve the bacterial retention of various microporous membranes has resulted in charge modification of various microporous membranes. Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,474 to Ostreicher et al. describes a particularly preferred charge-modified microporous membrane wherein the membrane, preferably nylon, comprises a multiplicity of cationic charge sites on the internal pore surfaces. The charge sites are provided by a cationic charge-modifying resin, in particular a polyamido-polyamine epichlorohydrin resin, bonded to the membrane structure. The membrane may be further provided with a cross-linking agent for the charge modifying resin which is effective in retaining the resin on the membrane. This membrane is sold under the trademark ZETAPOR.RTM. by AMF Cuno, Meriden, Conn. A substantial advantage to the charge-modified microporous membranes known to the prior art resides in the action of exclusion of particulate on the basis of charge as well as size. Thus, for example, viruses may be removed from fluid without having to go to an ultrafiltration membrane with its associated high pressures. One problem encountered by such prior art membranes, specifically the aforementioned ZETAPOR.RTM. cationically modified nylon membrane is the extremely slow flush out characteristic which prevents the use of such charoe-modified media for certain applications.
As an improvement upon the ZETAPOR.RTM. membrane described above, assignee obtained U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,475 to Barnes, Jr. et al., a patent disclosing a cationic charge-modified microporous membrane. The membrane comprises a hydrophilic organic polymeric microporous membrane having bonded thereto, through a cross-linking agent, a charge modifying amount of a cationic charge-modifying agent. The charge-modifying agent is an aliphatic amine or polyamine; the cross-linking agent is an aliphatic polyepoxide; the preferred microporous membrane is nylon.
Hou et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,486, discloses a bactericidal filtration media which comprises an amount of metal peroxide immobilized in a substantially inert porous matrix.
However, in spite of continued efforts to improve the separation characteristics of such microporous membranes for the removal of microorganism-originated contaminants from biological liquids, "bacterial breakthrough" remains an enduring problem. One explanation for this phenomenon resides in the fact that bacteria, although retained on the separation membrane, continue to grow and multiply thereon. Subsequently, when the bacterial population becomes of sufficient size, bacterial contamination of the biological liquids flowing therethrough results. Thus, a need has continued to exist for microporous membrane having the capability of high efficiency separation of microorganism-originated contaminants from biological liquids.
Additionally, ion rejecting membranes are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,462 to Latty describes a coated membrane having a layer or coating of a cationic polyelectrolyte, preferably poly(vinylimidazoline) in the bisulfate form. Other types of charge-modified membranes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,992 to Massucco; U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,305 to Shorr; U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,305 to Gregor; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,029 to Kisset et al.
Poly-quaternary ammonium polymeric polyelectrolytes are known to the prior art; these polymeric compositions are produced by the polymerization of a dihalide and a ditertiary amine. These polymers are characterized by high charge density and have found substantial utility as flocculants in the clarification of residential and industrial water supplies, as catalysts in pigment retention additives, and as geling agents. These polyelectrolyte materials are also known to be useful in the rheological modification of fluids such as friction reducers, as dispersants for clay and sludge in both aqueous and oil-based systems, as anti-static agents, and as additives to cosmetics, textile finishes and lubricating oils. The materials are known to exhibit germicidal action or effective bactericidal and fungicidal agents. See Rembaum et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,188.
Buckman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,649, discloses "high molecular weight" ionene polymeric compositions for utility, among others, as broad spectrum microbicides for efficient control of bacteria including sulphate reducers, fungi, algae, and yeast. The Buckman et al. polyionenes are suggested as additives to paper making systems, the polyionenes increasing production per unit of equipment, improving formation and strength properties of paper and paper board, and alleviating water pollution problems.
Rembaum, U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,750, discloses ionene modified beads for use in binding small and large anionic compounds. The bead substrates are formed by the aqueous copolymerization of a substituted acrylic monomer and a cross-linking agent. The formed polymeric beads are reacted with a mixture of a ditertiary amine and a dihalide or with a dimethylaminoalkyl halide to attach ionene segments to the halo or tertiary amine centers on the beads. The thus-formed polyionene-modified beads find use in affinity or pellicular chromatography for removal of heparin from its mixture with polycations or neutral substances such as proteins or serums. Further disclosed utilities include use of the modified beads in the separation of cholesterol precursors such as bile acid from bile micellar suspensions, for binding RNA or DNA irreversibly, and a variety of other utilities which depend upon the binding characteristics of the polycationic nature of the polyionene.
Rembaum, U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,507, discloses ionene polymers which bind negatively charged mammalian cells such as malignant cells for selectively inhibiting the growth in vitro thereof. Conversely, U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,819 to Rembaum et al. discloses the use of polyionene-coated containers for increasing the rate of cell growth.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,242 to Rembaum et al. discloses the use of polyionenes as coatings for paper substrates. Further disclosed are substrates coated with the polyelectrolyte to maximize the bactericidal activity of the polyionene. Suggested utilities include the impregnation of gauze material to form an antiseptic coagulant, germicidal dressing material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,075,136 to Schaper discloses a class of ionene polymers which contain certain functional groups such as nitriles, acrylates, vinyl acetates, ketones, acrolein, acrylamides, methosulfates, sulfonic acids, pyridines, and pyrrolidones. A host of utilities are disclosed, including the use of the functional ionene polymers as biocides and as functional coatings on paper, for example, electroconductive, adhesive and photosensitive coatings.
However, prior to the present invention, the use of polyionenes to transform and improve the capture and inactivation of contaminants of microorganism origin has not been appreciated.


A resonant type high frequency power supply device provided with a power semiconductor element that performs a switching operation at a high frequency exceeding 2 MHz, the resonant type high frequency power supply device including a variable inductor that makes an adjustment to the amplitude of a device output voltage.

A conventional resonant type high frequency power supply device shown in FIG. 8 is configured in such a way as to make an adjustment to the amplitude of an output voltage Vout by making an adjustment to the capacitance of a variable capacitor C2 (for example, refer to nonpatent reference 1).

Resonant type high frequency power supply device

Mitsubishi Electric Engineering Company, Limited


A feedback control for a turbo decoder controls the feedback between component decoders by modifying updated a priori probabilities calculated by one component decoder and used as inputs to another component decoder during the decoding process, resulting in a significant performance advantage. A feedback control switch selects either previously estimated a posteriori probabilities, modifications of these values, or neutral values as a priori probabilities utilized by the next component decoder.

The present invention relates generally to error-correction coding and, more particularly, to parallel concatenated convolutional coding, i.e., turbo coding.
A new class of forward error control codes, referred to as turbo codes, offers significant coding gain for power limited communication channels. Turbo codes are generated by using two recursive systematic encoders operating on different orderings of the same information bits. A subset of the code bits of each encoder is transmitted to maintain bandwidth efficiency. Turbo decoding involves an iterative algorithm in which probability estimates of the information bits that are derived for one of the codes are fed back to a probability estimator for the other code. Each iteration of processing generally increases the reliability of the probability estimates. This process continues, alternately decoding the two code words until the probability estimates can be used to make reliable decisions.
The maximum a posteriori (MAP) type algorithm introduced by Bahl, Cocke, Jelinek, and Raviv in "Optimal Decoding of Linear Codes for Minimizing Symbol Error Rate", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, March 1974, pp. 284-287, is particularly useful as a component decoder in decoding parallel concatenated convolutional codes, i.e., turbo codes. The MAP algorithm is used in the turbo decoder to generate a posteriori probability estimates of the systematic bits in the code word. These probability estimates are used as a priori symbol probabilities for the second MAP decoder. Three fundamental terms in the MAP algorithm are: forward and backward state probability functions (the alpha and beta functions, respectively) and the a posteriori transition probabilities (the sigma function).
Various probability estimates comprise inputs at several points in a MAP decoding algorithm. It is desirable to modify or restrict these probability inputs in a MAP decoding algorithm in order to improve decoding performance, such as, for example, decrease the probability of error in the decoded bits.

Turbo code decoder with controlled probability estimate feedback


An electrochemical process for the production of sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide by the electrolysis of an aqueous solution of sodium sulphate in which the concentration of the aqueous sodium sulphate solution which is electrolysed is greater than that of a saturated solution of sodium sulphate under neutral conditions and at the temperature employed.. The process may be effected in a two-compartment electrolytic cell comprising an anode compartment and a cathode compartment separated by a cation-exchange membrane.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrochemical process and more particularly to an electrochemical process for the production of sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide from an aqueous solution of sodium sulphate. In a further aspect the invention relates to an electrochemical cell in which to operate the process of the invention.
2. Description of Related Art
Many industrial processes involve the neutralisation of either sulphuric acid or sodium hydroxide. These processes generally produce as a by-product sodium sulphate which is of little commercial value. An example of this type of process is the production of reconstituted cellulose where for every tonne of cellulose film or fibre produced, slightly more than one tonne of waste sodium sulphate is discarded. Many other processes involve the production of sodium sulphate as a by-product.
Electrochemical processes are known for the splitting of sodium sulphate into its component acid and base, sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide.
Known electrochemical processes for the production of sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide from aqueous sodium sulphate solutions are of two types, so-called "electrodialysis" and electrolysis. In the electrolysis type process, the electrode reactions: EQU Cathode: 2H.sub.2 O+2e.sup.- .fwdarw.H.sub.2 +2OH.sup.- and EQU Anode: 2H.sub.2 O.fwdarw.4H.sup.+ +O.sub.2 +4e.sup.-
are used to split water, and ion-selective membranes are used to keep the ions apart. The process may be carried out in a two compartment cell, a three compartment cell or a cell having more than three compartments.
In the two compartment cell, an anion selective or cation selective membrane may be used to separate the anode compartment of the cell from the cathode compartment of the cell. Where a cation selective membrane is employed, an aqueous sodium sulphate stream is fed into the anode compartment of the cell where it is converted to sulphuric acid and oxygen and sodium ions migrate across the membrane to the cathode compartment where sodium hydroxide and hydrogen are produced. Where an anion selective membrane is employed, the aqueous sodium sulphate solution is fed to the cathode compartment of the cell and the sulphate ions migrate across the membrane to the anode compartment where sulphuric acid and oxygen are produced, a sodium hydroxide solution and hydrogen being produced in the cathode compartment.
In a three compartment cell which has a central compartment, an anode compartment and a cathode compartment, the aqueous sodium sulphate solution is fed into the central compartment. The central compartment is separated from the anode by an anion selective membrane and from the cathode by a cation selective membrane. When current is passed through the cell, sulphuric acid is produced in the anode compartment and sodium hydroxide in the cathode compartment, the sodium sulphate in the central compartment being depleted by an equivalent amount.
In the so-called electrodialysis process the cell comprises a series of alternating bipolar membranes and ion exchange membranes between a terminal anode and a terminal cathode. The bipolar membranes are used to split water into H.sup.+ and OH.sup.-, which are separated to opposing sides of the bipolar membranes under the influence of the electric field. In an electrodialysis process employing, for example, a cation-exchange membrane, aqueous sodium sulphate is charged to the anolyte side of the bipolar membranes and the sodium ions migrate through the cation selective membrane to the catholyte side of an adjacent bipolar membrane where sodium hydroxide is produced, sulphuric acid being produced at the anolyte side of the bipolar membranes.
However these known processes do suffer from disadvantages. Thus the current efficiency of the process, measured in terms of the ratio of Na.sup.+ ions to the total Na.sup.+ ions and H.sup.+ ions transferred across the cation selective membrane, may be disadvantageously small and the concentration of sulphuric acid produced by the process may not be sufficiently great as to make the product commercially acceptable, due to the transference of H.sup.+ across the membrane.
The aforementioned known processes are operated at temperatures up to 60.degree. C. using as anolyte, aqueous sodium sulphate solutions having concentrations of up to 30 wt % sodium sulphate. A 30 wt % sodium sulphate solution is a saturated sodium sulphate solution under neutral conditions at the temperatures employed in the known processes.

Electrochemical production of sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid from acidified sodium sulfate solutions


A drive element for rail-guided load carriers of an overhead conveyor system in which the driver, which is mounted on the drive element via a hole, has a horizontal groove which extends outward from the hole. Too high a horizontal force acting on the driver causes the drive to be pulled off of the pin. Thus, the drive element which is continuously driven via a drive chain can travel past a conveyor carriage which is blocked in the direction of conveyance without the drive element or the conveyor carriage being destroyed. In order to prevent a driver that has been pulled off of the pin from doing any damage, it is secured via a wire bow which is inserted into a continuous hole provided on the driver. If the overhead conveyor system is developed with branches and a pusher is arranged on the conveyor chain behind each conveyor carriage for pushing the conveyor carriage onto a branch, the pusher claw can be developed in the same way as the driver.

The present invention relates to a drive element for a load carrier of an overhead conveyor system, and more particularly to a drive element for driving rail-guided load carriers of an overhead conveyor system which travel on rollers, particularly for driving a single-track conveyor carriage provided with articles of clothing hanging on hangers.
In a conventional overhead conveyor system, a drive element is fastened to a conveyor means (a drive chain) extending above a runway rail and parallel thereto. The conveyor means has a driver which, in its active position, acts during the transport for the transmission of force to the load carriers and is pivoted to the drive element by means of a horizontal pin in a hole provided the drive element. The driver is swingable out of its active position in the direction of transport (T) and is substantially rigid in the direction opposite the direction of transport (T).
In particular in the clothing industry, the articles of clothing suspended from clothes hangers are hung, for purposes of filling orders or removal, on the carrier rod of the single-track conveyor carriages, so-called trolleys, of an overhead conveyor system. Each of the trolleys, which travel on rails, is pushed by a driver which acts on the front track roller. The driver is developed on a drive element which, in its turn, is fastened on the drive chain which is arranged above the runway rail.
In order for a trolley to be properly transported, the driver must be rigid in the direction of transport. However, in order to be able also to pass by the trolley, the driver is swingable in the direction of transport and can thus be moved over the rollers of the trolley when a trolley is not being transported.
In this connection, it is known to fasten the driver, which is formed of plastic, to the drive element by means of a pin which is passed horizontally and eccentrically through one end of the driver. By this asymmetrically arranged axis of swing of driver, the swingability permissible in only one direction is obtained.
If a trolley in the conveyor line is unintentionally prevented from traveling further by coming against an obstacle, for instance, or by the rear track roller by error leaving the track at a switch while the front track roller continues to remain in the conveyor line, then either the drive element, the driver, or even the entire conveyor system will be inescapably damaged since the drive chain rotates continuously.

Drive element for the load carrier of an overhead conveyor system


A materials handling vehicle is provided comprising a pair of forks to be inserted in a longitudinal direction of the forks into a pallet having one or more stringers. A pallet clamp device is provided including first and second operating devices, one mounted in each fork for actuating respective punch members into engagement with an adjacent surface on the pallet. Each operating device comprises a module located within a cavity in one of the forks, the module including an actuator, one of the respective punch members, and a linkage structure connecting the actuator and the respective punch member.

A variety of pallet clamps and other pallet locking devices for securing a pallet on the forks of a materials handling truck are known in the prior art, such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,544,037, 7,448,842, and JP10291790.
It is noted that conventional pallet clamps may not always completely fulfill the industry standards requirements for retaining pallets in position on forks for materials handling vehicles. Such industry standards may relate to, for example, requirements for securing different kinds of pallets or other structure against lateral and tilting movement, for example when a worker steps on the pallet/structure. For instance, while existing pallet clamps may meet the requirement of securing a pallet against one direction of lateral and tilting movement, such pallet clamps may not sufficiently restrict movement in one or more other directions.


In a remote data acquisition system a control unit transmits a radio signal simultaneously to a plurality of remote units. Each remote unit receives the radio signal at different times dependent on various system delay factors. A compensating delay is added in each remote unit in order to trigger each remote unit for data acquisition at the same time.

This invention relates to triggering of events simultaneously in a plurality of remote units, preferably by means of a radio signal sent from a control unit. The invention is particularly suitable for use in remote data acquisition systems, such as seismic data acquisition systems.
A seismic data acquisition system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,744. Individual seismic source units of a surface array activated simultaneously for cumulative reinforcement may initiate seismic waves at slightly different times despite efforts at synchronisation. These variations are measured and used to compute an inverse operator which is applied to the summed uncorrected seismic recording so as to undo the distortion they produce.
A radio-link system for seismic exploration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,315. The system comprises an array of geophones which transmit recordings of a seismic event using the same carrier frequency.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of triggering events simultaneously in a plurality of remote units, the method comprising:
transmitting a radio signal from a control unit simultaneous to a plurality of remote units; detecting reception of the radio signal at each remote unit; determining for each remote unit a compensating delay period dependent on a system delay of the radio signal; triggering an event in each remote unit upon expiry of the compensation delay period following detecting reception of the radio signal.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising: a plurality of remote units; a control unit for transmitting a radio signal to the plurality of remote units for triggering events simultaneously in the remote units; wherein each remote unit comprises detecting means for detecting reception of a radio signal sent by the control unit, means for determining a compensating delay period dependent on a system delay of the radio signal, and means for triggering an event in the remote unit upon expiry of a determined compensation delay period following detecting reception of the radio signal.
A method and system in accordance with the invention has an advantage that by including a compensating delay period the remote units are able to trigger at the same time with a greater degree of accuracy. Therefore, relative timing discrepancies that occur between the remote units are compensated for.
Preferably, the control unit transmit radio signals by means of a base station, and the remote unit receives radio signals by means of a receiver.
Preferably, the remote units are data acquisition devices, each powered by an independent power supply, such as a battery unit.
The remote units may be spatially separated from one another, and may provide an array of sensors for a telemetry system. The sensors may be suitable for seismic data acquisition, and each remote unit may include a radio transmitter for transmitting the acquired data to a receiver in the control unit.
The event triggered in a remote unit may relate to a data acquisition process, comprising a single data acquisition, or possibly a series of data acquisitions.
Suitably, the radio signal transmitted by the control unit is sent in a digital data packet comprising a predetermined labelled data sequence preceding a data field. Detection in the remote unit may then involve correlating the received labelled data sequence with an equivalent sequence stored in the remote unit.
In a seismic telemetry system, the control unit may also initiate a seismic event such as a controlled explosion, preferably via a separate radio signal, or via a control line.
The system delay, may result from one of a number of delay factors or more commonly a combination of delay factors in the system. One such delay factor may result from the radio signal being transmitted to the remote unit via a repeater. Another delay factor may occur as a result of computational delays when detecting reception of the radio signal in the remote unit. A further delay factor may result from a sample timing error in the remote unit when detecting reception of the radio signal sent as a digital data packet. In this case, data detection may occur late, resulting in a delay of up to half the sample period, or may occur early, resulting in a negative delay, that is, anticipation of the data packet by up to half the sample period.
Preferably, the sum of the compensation delay period and the propagation delay is equal to a fixed value for all the remote units. Ideally, this fixed value is equal to or greater than the maximum possible system delay relevant to that particular system.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.


Header information capture section extracts information such as the numbers of dots in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, of the picture, a frame rate and so on from a sequence header included in an MPEG video stream. Total processing amount estimation/reproduction scheme determination section receives a channel priority determined for each display mode and an output of header information capture section to estimate a total processing amount and determine a reproduction scheme for each channel. MPEG decoder receives code inputs of channels 1 to 4 in a time-dividing manner through header information capture section to perform decoding of picture codes of each channel according to a determination signal outputted from total processing amount estimation/reproduction scheme determination section. With such a configuration, there is provided an moving picture decoding apparatus capable of performing high quality picture display in plural channels while suppressing increase in circuit scale of a decoder and in use amount of a memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for decoding a moving picture, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for decoding a moving picture decoding a video stream signal compression-encoded in a digital signal, as in the MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group) method or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Digital broadcasting has been introduced as substitution for the traditional analog broadcasting for the purpose of realization of high picture quality, multichannel display and high functionality, and improvement on other characteristics. In the digital broad casting, the MPEG2 method has been adopted as a compression encoding method for a digitized moving picture.
FIG. 12 is a representation for describing a configuration of an MPEG2 video stream.
Referring to FIG. 12, a MPEG2 video stream signal is an aggregate of GOPs (Groups of Pictures) and each GOP is an aggregate of pictures.
Included in a GOP are three kinds of pictures: I picture, P picture and B picture. I picture is a picture obtained by coding of information in a frame only, which is generated without application of inter-frame prediction and at least one I picture is contained in a GOP. P picture includes both information on intra-frame coding and forward inter-frame predictive coding which performs prediction based on a previous, reproduced picture. B picture is a picture formed by bidirectional prediction. Decoding of P and B pictures require inter-frame prediction, so a processing amount in a MPEG decoder is large, in turn requiring much of a memory capacity.
A picture is divided into slices, which are units, a slice is an aggregate of some number of macro blocks and according to stipulation in the MPEG2 standards, one slice never includes macro blocks in a second row. That is, in a case where one row in a lateral direction is constituted of 40 macro blocks, the 40 macro blocks in the one row can be divided into any number of slices with one macro block as a unit, but a macro block in a second row has to be included in another separate slice without fail.
While individual macro blocks each have no absolute position information, a slice header SH is inserted at a leading position and includes header information for showing what vertical position on a screen each slice is an aggregate of macro blocks included in. That is, a vertical position of macro blocks following the slice header SH can be known based thereon.
Information called a sequence header is added prior to each GOP. Included in the sequence header is information on a picture, such as the number of pixels in a horizontal direction of the picture, the number of lines in a vertical direction of the picture, a frame rate and so on.
FIGS. 13 to 16 are representations for describing format examples of the MPEG2 standards. For example, ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses) stipulates that in the BS digital broadcasting, programs be prepared using one of formats including 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Accordingly, a moving picture decoding apparatus receiving and reproducing broadcast can desirably reproduce any of the formats. Note that the figures in each of the formats show the number of effective scanning lines and an alphabetical symbol i shows the word of interlace, that is an interlaced scanning, p the word of progressive, that is a progressive scanning.
Referring to FIG. 13, the 1080i format is used for displaying 30 frames per sec in an interlaced scanning on a screen of 1080 dots in height ×1920 dots in width.
Referring to FIG. 14, the 720p format is used for displaying 60 frames per sec in a progressive operation on a screen of 720 dots in height×1280 dots in width.
Referring to FIG. 15, the 480p format is used for displaying 60 frames per sec in a progressive operation on a screen of 480 dots in height×720 dots in width.
Referring to FIG. 16, the 480i format is used for displaying 30 frames per sec in an interlaced scanning on a screen of 480 dots in height×720 dots in width.
A process decoding an MPEG2 video stream signal from a compressed state to an original picture data can be performed on one MPEG decoder LSI, for example.
However, in order to add a further value to a digital TV receiver, a desire arises for a multichannel display mode displaying plural pictures simultaneously.
FIG. 17 is a table for describing an example reproduction mode in a multichannel case.
Referring to FIG. 17, in a case of an HD (High Definition) normal reproduction mode, displayed in channel 1 is a picture of the 1080i format.
In a case of a SD (Standard Definition) four channel multi-reproduction mode, a screen is split into 4 portions and 480i format is displayed on each screen portion.
In a case of normal HD+ daughter screen SD, a picture of the 1080i format as channel 1 and a daughter screen of the 480i format as channel 2 are displayed together on the screen.
In a case of an HD two screen reproduction mode, pictures of the 1080i format are displayed in respective channels 1 and 2.
In a case of a 480p four channel multi-reproduction mode, a screen is split into 4 portions and pictures each of a 480p format in channels 1 to 4 are displayed on respective 4 picture portions.
In a case of an HD reverse reproduction mode, a screen is split into two portions, a picture of the 1080i format is displayed on a first screen, and a picture of 1080i format reproduced in a reverse order is displayed on a second screen.
In a case of an HD double speed reproduction mode, pictures of the 1080i format are displayed at a double speed.
In a case of an HD three channel reproduction mode, a screen is split into 3 portions and pictures each of the 1080i format are displayed on the respective screen portions.
Typical examples of the reproduction modes are described above. In order to display pictures of various kinds of formats on one display screen, a need arises only for providing decoding circuits performing decoding processing on respective pictures, but in the case, a total circuit scale of a moving picture decoding apparatus is large and the apparatus becomes costly to an unreasonable level. Therefore, it is conceived that picture data of plural channels is subjected to time-division decoding in one decoding circuit.
Referring again to FIGS. 13 to 16, a processing amount of each of the formats for decoding is such that if a processing amount of the 480i format is almost 1, a processing amount of the 480p format is almost 2. A processing amount of the 720p format is almost 4 to 5 and a processing amount of the 1080i format is almost 6. A memory capacity required for a decoding process is such that if a memory capacity in a case of the 480i format is almost 1, a memory capacity for a case of the 480p format is almost 1 and a memory capacity for a case of the 1080i format is almost 6.
FIG. 18 is an illustration for describing a time required for decoding in each of reproduction modes.
Referring to FIG. 18, in a case of the HD normal reproduction mode, decoding of picture data to be displayed in one frame period is performed with some margin. An HD mode and an SD mode are included in the contents of an MPEG broadcast stream and the modes vary according to a broadcast time zone; therefore, it is customary that a processing capability of a decoding circuit for decode processing is set to a capacity with which one screen display of the HD normal reproduction mode can be processed with a margin at some level.
In a case where a decoding circuit with such a capacity is mounted on a moving picture decoding apparatus in the SD four channel multiple reproduction mode, a decoding process ends within one frame period even if data of channels 1 to 4 are subjected to time division decoding; therefore, the reproduction can be performed with no problem.
In the cases of reproduction modes such as of the normal HD+ daughter screen SD, the HD two screen reproduction, the 480p four channel multi-reproduction, the HD reverse reproduction, the HD double speed reproduction and the HD three channel reproduction, it takes a processing time longer than one frame period for performing a decoding process on data to be displayed in one frame. Accordingly, a total of processing amounts exceeds a capability of a decoder, thereby disabling inputted picture data in all of channels to be reproduced. Furthermore, in a case of performing parallel processing as well, processing within one frame period is harder to be realized at a low cost with a small bus width and a small memory capacity.

Apparatus and method for decoding moving picture capable of performing simple and easy multiwindow display


An arrangement, a computer system, and/or a method for playing a game include a playing area, a first set of scoring structures arranged at a perimeter of the playing area and that are active throughout the game, and a second set of scoring structures arranged at the perimeter of the playing area and that are active only during penalty periods of the game, where each pair of adjacent ones of structures of the first set is separated by one of the structures of the second set.

Ball games have been around for thousands of years. Cuju, the predecessor to modern association football, was played in China over two thousand years ago. Shrovetide Football and Caid (similar to Gaelic football) were played in Europe over five hundred years ago. Over the past few centuries, new games have been developed which model after those earlier games as well as their modern counterparts, often in an attempt to provide games that are more enjoyable and rewarding to both players and spectators alike.
Some of the newer games have been developed to provide simplified rules so that even non-professional players/recreational players can understand and participate in the game. Others have been developed to provide more tactical depth and to require more sophistication so that they are most suited for participation by professional players. Some of these games provide a refined and/or redesigned pitch in order to enhance the unpredictability and excitement of the game, in contrast to the often codified dimensions and shapes of previously used playing fields (See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,482,157, 5,207,433, and 8,435,142; and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0189416 and 2007/0072702). However, each of these newer games lacks certain structural and functional features which may explain why none of these newer games have thus far captured the attention and admiration of large masses of people.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A computer-implemented method of customizing a database application at runtime includes steps of storing a value associated with a new attribute in an attribute table. The attribute table is configured as a logical extension of a base table that is configured to store values associated with a number of base attributes. The definitions of the new attributes may be stored in an attribute metadata table that is adapted to store the definition of each of the new attributes of the attribute table. A base-attribute pair may be stored in a base-attribute mapping table, the base-attribute pair mapping the name of the base table to the name of the attribute table. An extended attribute may also be stored in an extended attribute table, the extended attribute table including a name column configured to store the extended attribute and a value column configured to store an extended attribute value corresponding to the extended attribute. Rows of the extended value table may be mapped to corresponding rows in the base table. A rule may be stored in a rules table, the evaluation of the rule determining whether the extended attribute value in the extended attribute table is valid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for optimizing application entities and customizing database applications at runtime. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for extending schema objects such as tables in a database without modifying the application source code that accesses the tables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Businesses typically must store a great deal of information regarding their operations, their customers and other entities with which they have developed a relationship. Database applications (online, World Wide Web-based and others) have been developed to assist businesses in tracking, organizing and otherwise making effective use of such information. Each business, however, is unique and may require the storage of information specific to their business. Moreover, businesses are dynamic entities, constantly evolving as their products change and the marketplace in which they operate evolve. Thus, database applications must be individually configured to conform to the unique requirements of the business that deploys the application.
To configure such database applications according to a customer""s specifications conventionally requires that additional columns be added to the relevant database tables to store the requested additional or customer-specific information or attributes. FIG. 1 is a conceptual representation of a schema 110 within a database 100. A schema, such as symbolically represented at 110, is a collection of schema objects. Examples of schema objects include tables and the relationships between the tables, views, sequences, synonyms, clusters, database links, snapshots, procedures, functions and packages. Tables store data in rows and columns and may be thought of as a basic unit of storage in a database. A table may be created by defining a table name and a set of columns. Each column may be given a column name, a datatype and a width (which may be predetermined by the datatype) or a width and scale (for columns of the Number type, for example). A row of a table is a collection of column information corresponding to a single record. FIG. 2 shows an example of such a database table. The illustrative table of FIG. 2 includes 6 columns, each defined to hold a value such as user, street address, city, zip, age and social security number (SSN), for example. The customer deploying an application accessing such a table may wish to store additional information, such as the user""s cell phone number, for example. FIG. 3 shows an example of a table in which a column for a new attribute (in this case the user""s cell phone number) has been added. Adding many such additional columns in this manner, however, may create enormous tables that expand horizontally (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3) as additional columns are added to store the additional attributes. In turn, expanding database tables horizontally may cause an inherent column limit to be reached and results in large and sparsely populated tables, as not all attributes that are added are applicable to each row of the table. Such instance specific attributes require a mechanism to be defined to identify the condition or conditions on which the additional attributes are to be enabled. Moreover, adding columns to existing tables to store the desired additional attributes requires that the application source code (which may be written in the JAVA programming language, for example) be modified to access and operate upon the added columns. The modification of the database application may be carried out upon the initial installation and deployment of the application at the business customer site. Alternatively, such application configuration modification may occur periodically, as the business customer""s needs change. Unfortunately, each such application configuration modification may require costly changes to the table structure within the schema and costly changes to the underlying application source code, each of which typically necessitates that the database application be shut down during the update and subsequent recompilation of the database application source code.
Previous efforts at customizing database applications involved the use of a predetermined number of so-called flex (flexible) field columns, as shown at FF1 to FFn in FIG. 4. These pre-installed flex fields are extra columns that are not initially defined when the application is shipped to the customer. These columns may then be configured at the time of installation, to enable the table and the application to address the customer""s specific business needs. However, flex field columns are generally definable only at installation time and not at runtime. Moreover, the number of such pre-created flex fields is necessarily limited. If the scope of the application customization required by the customer causes the number of needed flex fields to exceed the number of available flex fields, extensive and costly modifications may be necessary, as detailed above.
What are needed, therefore, are methods and systems to enable changes to be made to such database applications at runtime, without the need to incur the high costs associated with modifying the database tables and/or the application source code.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide methods and systems for enabling changes to be made to database applications and application entities such as tables at runtime.
In accordance with the above-described objects and those that will be mentioned and will become apparent below, an embodiment of a method of customizing a database application at runtime, the database application being adapted to access a base table configured to store values associated with a first selected number of base attributes, according to the present invention, includes steps of storing a value associated with a new attribute in an attribute table, the attribute table being configured as a logical extension of the base table and being adapted to store values associated with n new attributes, and storing a definition of the new attribute in an attribute metadata table, the attribute metadata table being adapted to store a definition of each of the n new attributes of the attribute table.
According to further embodiments, each row in the base table maps to a corresponding row in the attribute table. The attribute table may be configured to maintain a number of rows that is equal to a number of rows in the base table. The value storing step may store the value in the attribute table as a selected datatype, such as character (char), for example. The method may further include a step of storing a base-attribute pair in a base-attribute mapping table, the base-attribute pair mapping a name of the base table with the name of the attribute table. A step of storing an extended attribute in an extended attribute table may also be carried out, the extended attribute table including a name column configured to store the extended attribute and a value column configured to store an extended attribute value corresponding to the extended attribute. Rows of the extended value table may be mapped to corresponding rows in the base table. One or more rules may be stored in a rules table, an evaluation of the rule(s) determining whether selected extended attribute values in the extended attribute table are valid. The method may also include the step of storing a logical operator, a first operand, a second operand and a selected extended attribute in the rules table. The application of the logical operator to the first and/or second operands may then determine whether the extended attribute value corresponding to the selected extended attribute is valid. The first operand may include a selected base attribute, the second operand may include a selectable base attribute value. The logical operator may be selected from a group including equal to, less than, less than or equal to, greater than and greater than or equal to, for example. Steps of dividing at least one of the base table, the attribute table, the attribute metadata table, the base-attribute mapping table, the extended attribute table and the rules table into respective non-translatable tables and respective translatable tables may also be carried out. The translatable tables may then be translated into one or more selected languages, as and when needed. Information corresponding to a base attribute, a new attribute, an extended attribute and/or metadata for each accessed row in the base table may be pre-fetched and the pre-fetched information may be stored (cached) in a predetermined area of memory (cache memory).
One or more of the following steps may also be carried out: storing an identification of an application that is allowed to access the value associated with the new attribute in the metadata table; storing a description of the new attribute in the metadata table; storing a default value of the new attribute in the metadata table; storing an enabled/disabled status of the new attribute in the metadata table; storing a required/not required status for the new attribute in the metadata table, and/or storing a datatype of the new attribute in the metadata table.
The present invention is also a database schema, comprising a base table, the base table being configured to store base attribute values associated with a first selected number of base attributes; an attribute table, the attribute table being configured as a logical extension of the base table and being adapted to store new attribute values associated with new attributes, and an attribute metadata table, the attribute metadata table being adapted to store a definition of each of the n new attributes of the attribute table.
The present invention may also be viewed as a computer system, comprising at least one processor; at least one data storage device; a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for customizing a database application at runtime, the database application being adapted to access a base table configured to store values associated with a first selected number of base attributes, the processes carrying out the steps of: storing a value associated with a new attribute in an attribute table, the attribute table being configured as a logical extension of the base table and being adapted to store values associated with n new attributes; storing a definition of the new attribute in an attribute metadata table, the attribute metadata table being adapted to store a definition of each of the n new attributes of the attribute table.

Methods and systems for runtime optimization and customization of database applications and application entities


Aspects of a method and system for customized full ephemeris compatible with standard AGPS network devices allows a GPS enabled handset to receive real-time full ephemeris from an AGPS server for calculating a position fix. The real-time full ephemeris may be generated at the AGPS server in response to one or more request for real-time full ephemeris from the GPS enabled handset. The AGPS server may be configured to provide fresh full ephemeris generated at smaller intervals such as every 10-15 minutes as approximated real-time full ephemeris. The generated real-time full ephemeris or fresh full ephemeris may be communicated to the GPS enabled handset periodically or aperiodically. Various predicted real-time full ephemeris or predicted fresh full ephemeris compatible with various standards may be generated via Short Term Orbits (STO) technology.

The market for Location-Based Services (LBS) is potentially tremendous. Location-Based Services may comprise services where information about the location of users or assets may be required. One of state-of-the art technology driving the LBS market today is Assisted GPS (AGPS). This technology combines satellite positioning and communication networks such as mobile networks to reach performance levels allowing the wide deployment of Location-Based Services. AGPS uses assistance data provided from an AGPS server via, for example, a mobile telephony network, to speed up the process of acquiring a position fix especially in a weak signal environment. The AGPS server has access to a reference network of GPS receivers that are placed in ideal locations (direct line-of-sight to satellites). The reference network may be used as a source for providing the assistance data. Depending on the AGPS server and GPS receiver capabilities, the assistance data may comprise various elements such as ephemeris data. The ephemeris data may be valid only for the visibility period of each detected satellite, which may be approximately 4 hours assuming that the receiver is static and the satellite is just rising above the horizon.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Method and system for customized full ephemeris compatible with standard AGPS network devices


A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided in which a configuration for utilizing a plurality of carriers is received. In addition, a set of PDCCH candidates on a carrier of the plurality of carriers are determined for obtaining DCI for at least one carrier of the plurality of carriers. The number of PDCCH candidates is a function of a number of carriers of the at least one carrier.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) search space design for Long Term Evolution (LTE) Advanced (LTE-A) multi-carrier operation.
2. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency divisional multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.
These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example of an emerging telecommunication standard is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lower costs, improve services, make use of new spectrum, and better integrate with other open standards using OFDMA on the downlink (DL), SC-FDMA on the uplink (UL), and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.
In LTE-A, each UE may be configured via radio resource control (RRC) signaling to be served by multiple component carriers (CCs). The design of the control for multi-carrier operation is important with respect to overhead, efficiency, reliability, robustness, and complexity.

PDCCH search space design for LTE-A multi-carrier operation


An improved package for a plurality of needled sutures comprising a folded suture retainer wherein a bundle of substantially aligned suture strands are coiled between two folded panels while the needles are retained between two adjacent folded panels. The needles are centered on one panel by an opening communicating with the interior of the package. A removable portion in the outer needle retaining panel provides access to the needles while the bulk of the suture remains coiled within the package.

This invention relates to packages for surgical sutures, and, more particularly, to a multipaneled, folded paper retainer for a plurality of coiled suture having needles attached thereto.
Packages for surgical sutures are constructed according to the nature of the suture and its intended use. In general, the ideal package holds and protects the suture during handling and storage yet allows the suture to be readily removed with a minimum of handling and difficulty.
A popular suture package consists of a folded paper suture retainer contained in a sterile, hermetically sealed envelope. The sterility of the suture and envelope are maintained by a second sealed outerwrap. When the suture is to be used, the outerwrap is opened in the operating room and the sealed envelope deposited in a sterile area. Sterile personnel thereupon tear open the sterile envelope to gain access to the suture.
Suture packages have recently been designed to simplify opening of the sterile envelope and improve accessibility of the suture in order to avoid unnecessary delays during surgical procedures. A major improvement in this regard is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,696 where a portion of the inner suture retainer is secured to the sealed envelope so that the envelope and inner retainer may be opened simultaneously, and the end of the suture exposed for immediate pickup.
Suture packages have also been recently developed to retain a bundle of sutures in a predetermined coiled configuration which permits individual sutures to be withdrawn from the package without entangling the remaining sutures. Such multistrand packages with single strand dispensing are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,089,409 and 4,126,221.
The present invention represents a further improvement in packages of the multistrand type where the needled ends of the suture are automatically presented when the sterile envelope is opened. Packages of the present invention have advantages over prior art multistrand packages, particularly in regard to ease of opening and convenience of needle presentation.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved package for multistrand needled sutures. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved folded paper retainer for multistrand needled surgical sutures which permits single strand dispensing. It is an additional object of this invention to provide a suture package which allows simultaneous opening of the inner suture retainer and outer sealed envelope to provide instant access of the needled ends of the sutures. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and claims.