Systems and methods for making a marker. The methods comprise: disposing a resonator with a flat planar cross-sectional profile in a cavity formed in a first substrate partially defining a marker housing; sealing the cavity using a second substrate; placing a first bias element adjacent to the second substrate so that the resonator will be biased by the first bias element when the marker is in use to oscillate at a frequency of a received transmit burst; and using a physical structure in the cavity or a magnetic field passing through the cavity to reduce frictional forces between the resonator and at least the second substrate.

A typical Electronic Article Surveillance ("EAS") system in a retail setting may comprise a monitoring system and at least one security tag or marker attached to an article to be protected from unauthorized removal. The monitoring system establishes a surveillance zone in which the presence of security tags and/or markers can be detected. The surveillance zone is usually established at an access point for the controlled area (e.g., adjacent to a retail store entrance and/or exit). If an article enters the surveillance zone with an active security tag and/or marker, then an alarm may be triggered to indicate possible unauthorized removal thereof from the controlled area. In contrast, if an article is authorized for removal from the controlled area, then the security tag and/or marker thereof can be deactivated and/or detached therefrom. Consequently, the article can be carried through the surveillance zone without being detected by the monitoring system and/or without triggering the alarm.
The security tag or marker generally consists of a housing. The housing is made of a low cost plastic material, such as polystyrene. The housing is typically manufactured with a drawn cavity in the form of a rectangle. A bias magnet is disposed within the housing adjacent to one or more magnetoelastic resonator. The bias magnet is made of a semi-hard magnetic material. The resonator(s) is(are) made of a soft magnetic material in the form of an elongate thin ribbon produced by rapid quenching. During operation, the security tag or marker produces a resonant signal with a particular amplitude that is detectable by the monitoring system. Notably, markers with a single resonator have about 65% of the amplitude of markers with two resonators. As such, single resonator markers have reduced system performance as compared to dual resonator markers.
Common Acousto-Magnetic ("AM") EAS markers are designed to provide maximum output signal in the smallest package possible in order to allow the markers to be placed on a wide range of products and hard goods. A key design element of these markers is the incorporation of a transverse curl to the resonator component(s) of the marker. This curl results in increased stiffness of the resonator which enhances the resonator's ability to overcome magnetic clamping and frictional damping due to the reduction in surface area contact between the resonator and the cavity surface.
However, certain product categories (including small, narrow items such as lipsticks and other cosmetics) are not easily tagged due to the narrow and/or curved nature of the packaging. Therefore, it is highly desirable to reduce the width of the AM EAS marker to something significantly smaller than the current, nominal width of 10.5 mm of most AM EAS marker (e.g., 5-7 mm) in order to expand the range of products capable of being tagged with the AM EA marker.
Attempts to create such a narrow label have been hindered by the difficulty in developing a resonator of the required dimensions with a transverse curl. Attempts to use a traditionally annealed, flat, resonator ribbon experience excessive clamping leading to reduced amplitude making the tag more difficult to detect, or requiring additional resonator components making the AM EAS markers more expensive.


Radiation-emitting semiconductor diodes in the form of a laser diode or an LED form important components in information processing systems. There is a particular demand for diodes emitting in the visible range of the spectrum and having a high permissible operating temperature. A radiation-emitting diode including a semiconductor body with a semiconductor substrate on which a lower cladding layer, an active layer, and an upper cladding layer are present, the active layer and the two cladding layers each including different semiconductor materials which form a mixed crystal, partly fulfill the above requirements. According to the invention, such a diode is characterized in that the mixed crystal of the active layer is more strongly ordered than that of the two cladding layers. This makes the difference in bandgap between these layers greater than in the known diode. The diode thus has a comparatively high T.sub.o value and accordingly a high maximum operation temperature. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a diode. In this method, a difference in the degree of ordering between the active layer and the cladding layers is achieved through a change in the growing temperature or in the ratio of the quantities of the offered elements during providing of the semiconductor layers. Thus diodes--for example in the InGaP/InAlGaP material system-with the required characteristics are obtained.

The invention relates to a radiation-emitting semiconductor diode comprising a semiconductor body with a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type on which are at least present in that order a lower cladding layer of the first conductivity type, an active layer, and an upper cladding layer of a second conductivity type, the active layer and at least one of the cladding layers, to be called first cladding layer hereinafter, comprising mutually differing semiconductor materials which each comprise a mixed crystal of at least two binary compounds with two sub-lattices, atoms of different elements being present side by side on at least one of the sub-lattices, which is to be called first sub-lattice hereinafter. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a radiation-emitting semiconductor diode, whereby are provided on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type in that order at least a lower cladding layer of the first conductivity type, an active layer, and an upper cladding layer of a second conductivity type, mutually differing semiconductor materials being chosen for the active layer and for at least one of the cladding layers, which is to be called first cladding layer hereinafter, each of the said semiconductor materials comprising a mixed crystal of at least two binary compounds and having two sub-lattices, atoms of different elements being provided on at least one sub-lattice, which is to be called first sub-lattice hereinafter.
Such radiation-emitting diodes, especially when the wavelength of the emission lies in the visible range of the spectrum, are suitable radiation sources--provided they are constructed as lasers --for inter alia information processing systems such as laser printers with which information is written, optical disc systems such as Compact Disc (Video) (CD(V)) players or bar code readers, by which information is read, and Digital Optical Recording (DOR) systems, by which information is written and read. Numerous applications are also possible in opto-electronic systems for LED versions of such diodes.
Such a radiation-emitting diode and such a method of manufacturing same are known from the article "AlGaInP Double Heterostructure Visible-Light Laser Diodes with a GaInP Active Layer Grown by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy" by K. Kobayashi et al., published in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. QE-23, No. 6, June 1987, p. 704. This article describes a radiation-emitting semiconductor diode comprising an active layer situated on a substrate of n-type GaAs between two cladding layers. The active layer and the first cladding layer, both cladding layers in this case, comprise mutually differing semiconductor materials, in this case InGaP and InAlGaP, respectively, which each comprise a mixed crystal of at least two binary compounds, in this case exactly two for the active layer and three for the first cladding layer, namely InP, AlP, and GaP, and having the sub-lattices, i.e. two f.c.c. lattices, in which the atoms forming the binary compounds are present, here In, Al, and Ga atoms on the one hand and P atoms on the other hand, while atoms of different elements, in this case In and Ga atoms for the active layer and In, Al, and Ga atoms for the first cladding layer, are present side by side on at least one of the sub-lattices, in this case the sub-lattice on which In, Al and Ga atoms are present. In the radiation-emitting diode, which is constructed as a laser here, there is a strip-shaped region which acts as a resonance cavity and inside which electromagnetic radiation can be generated by the pn-junction present in the active InGaP layer when current is passing in the forward bias direction. The known diode lasers are manufactured at a growing temperature of 700.degree. C. or lower and comprise a gallium arsenide buffer layer. The emission wavelength of the diode constructed as a laser in this case is approximately 670 nm (i.e. the wavelength in photoluminescence is approximately 660 nm, which corresponds to a bandgap of approximately 1,88 eV; it will be recognized that in this specification the European notation for a decimal point, namely a comma, is used).
A disadvantage of the known semiconductor diode laser is that its maximum operating temperature is comparatively low. This depends inter alia on the temperature dependence of the starting current. The starting current (I) is related to the temperature (T) in the following way: I/I.sub.o =exp((T+.DELTA.T)/T.sub.o), where I.sub.o is the starting current at 0.degree. C., T the temperature of the heatsink, .DELTA.T the temperature rise in the active region, and T.sub.o the so-called characteristic temperature. This is typically 75 up to a maximum 90 K for the known diode laser in the temperature range from 30.degree. to 60.degree. C., whereas, for example, the T.sub.o value may be as much as 150 K for a GaAs/AlGaAs laser, which implies a much smaller increase in the starting current with rising temperature. The value of T.sub.o is directly related to optical and electrical losses inside the laser resonance cavity and may be increased in that the difference in bandgap between the active layer and one or both cladding layers is increased. This may be achieved, for example, by increasing the aluminum content of the cladding layers, but this is less effective because of the indirect nature of these layers, and it is more difficult then to dope the cladding layers, especially the p-type cladding layer, sufficiently strongly.

Radiation-emitting semiconductor device having emission in the visible range and a high maximum operating temperature


A tire pressure management system includes a control valve assembly. The control valve assembly directs pressurized air from a first fluid conduit when in a first position and provides fluid communication between a source of pressurized air and the first fluid conduit when in a second position. A deflate member is in fluid communication with the control valve assembly or the first fluid conduit. The deflate member includes an orifice having a constant cross-sectional area which is sized to maintain a predetermined pressure in a fluid control circuit.

The invention relates to a tire pressure management system. More particularly, the invention relates to a tire pressure management system and a method of decreasing tire pressure.
Certain types of vehicles such as, for example, commercial vehicles require that the tire pressure of their wheel assemblies be periodically adjusted for optimal performance. Tire pressure management systems such as, for example, central tire inflation systems can be utilized to manually and/or automatically adjust the tire pressure of one or more wheel assemblies. Typically, in order to determine when an adjustment is necessary and to avoid over inflation or under inflation, the tire pressure is measured. If, after measuring the tire pressure, it is determined that the tire pressure of a particular tire needs to be decreased, then the tire pressure management system enables the tire pressure decrease.
Current tire pressure management systems capable of decreasing tire pressure are expensive to manufacture and complex. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method which is less expensive and less complex than those known and that can decrease the tire pressure within a desired amount of time.

Tire pressure management system and method of decreasing tire pressure


A container-processing machine includes a rotor with processing positions formed thereon, a transfer station, and a static lifting element used by all the processing positions. Each processing position has a processing head and a container carrier. The lifting element is a static lifting element that is used by all of the processing positions. When the processing position is at the transfer station, the lifting element causes relative motion between a container carrier and a processing head of the processing position. This causes the processing position to transition between receiving and discharge states.

Known container-processing machines include rotary machines having a large number of processing positions on a rotor. Each such processing position has, among other things, a processing head and a container carrier.
Such container-processing machines include first and second transfer stations. At the first transfer station, containers to be processed are transferred one at a time from an external transporter to a processing position. At the second transfer station, processed containers are removed from the processing positions.
In many cases, both of these operations involve a vertical relative movement between the processing head and the container carrier of the relevant processing position. This movement causes a transition between a transferring state and a processing state.
In the transferring state, the container carrier is lowered so that it is further from the processing head. In the processing state, the container carrier moves closer to the processing head. This seals the container on the container carrier against the processing head and permits a probe-like section of the processing head to extend into the container interior. An example of such a probe-like section is a filling tube having probe-like element for determining a filling level. Another example is a tube for introducing a cleaning or disinfecting medium into the container.
Known container-processing machines provide each processing position with its own dedicated lifting element. This lifting element lifts the container carrier. A typical lifting element includes a positioning drive, such as a lifting cylinder or a linear drive. This makes it possible to rapidly raise or lower container carriers using a lifting element with a compact design that also avoids complex lifting or control cams and wear-prone cam rollers.

Container processing machine and method for operating a container processing machine


A thin film capacitor includes an under electrode, a plurality of dielectric body layers and a plurality of internal electrode layers that are alternately laminated on the under electrode, the internal electrode layers respectively including protrusion parts that each protrude from the dielectric body layers viewed in the lamination direction, and connection electrodes to which at least a portion of each of the protrusion parts contacts. Assuming that protrusion amounts of the protrusion parts of the internal electrode layers that are connected to the same connection electrode are regarded as L, a protrusion amount Ln of a protrusion part of nth (n≧2) internal electrode layer from the under electrode side is smaller than another protrusion amount Ln-1 of another protrusion part of (n−1)th internal electrode layer.

Like a thin film capacitor described, for example, in patent related document 1, dielectric body layers and internal electrode layers are alternately laminated and form a multilayer body constituting multiple layers, and configuration where a portion of this multilayer body is exposed and is connected to a terminal electrode is known.


By configuring low-pass filters each with a resistor and a capacitor, noise is removed. Based on a reference value of DC voltage that appears at output terminals of a battery pack circuit, a lowering portion of capacitance that arises in the respective capacitors is estimated in advance, and a compensation value is included in the resistance value of the respective resistors such that the cutoff frequencies of the low-pass filters are within an intended range. Even when a high voltage is handled, the variance in cutoff frequencies can be prevented from arising and the noise in an unnecessary frequency domain can be adequately reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter circuit that is usable in an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle, as a power source that is usable for driving the vehicle, a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is used, for example. Furthermore, because the voltage is low with only a single battery, a battery pack circuit that is configured with a number of battery cells, for example, of eight or more being connected in series is used.
When such a battery pack circuit is employed, whether each of the battery cells is operating properly along with operations such as charging and discharging has to be monitored at all times. In general, the voltage between the terminals of each battery cell is measured, and by the measured voltage, the state of each battery cell is comprehended.
The actual voltage of each battery cell, however, is affected by complex fluctuations in current along with the charging and discharging, the intrusion of noise from outside, and others. That is, when measuring the DC voltage of each battery cell is attempted, there is a possibility of the occurrence of a serious measurement error, by the influence of noise of AC or high frequencies.
Consequently, in a battery-voltage measurement circuit disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-282158, an RC filter unit is connected between each output terminal of a battery pack circuit and an input terminal of a voltage measurement circuit, for example. That is, the voltage is measured after removing the noise components of AC and high-frequencies by using a low-pass filter configured with a resistor (R) and a capacitor (C).
In the RC filter unit in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-282158, however, because a capacitor is connected between the terminals of each of the battery cells, there is a possibility of not being able to remove the noise adequately. That is, the capability of removing the noise that arises between the terminal of each battery cell and the ground is low.
For example, when a capacitor of a filter is connected between the terminal of each battery cell and the ground, the capability of removing noise can be improved. In that case, however, the voltage applied between the terminals of the capacitor becomes high, and thus it is necessary to increase the withstand voltage of each capacitor. In this case, it is further conceivable that, due to a DC bias voltage of the capacitor, the capability of the filter may be deteriorated and an adverse effect may appear in the measurement of voltage.
For example, it is conceivable to employ, as a component of the filter, a ceramic capacitor that is relatively small, high in withstand voltage, and inexpensive. The ceramic capacitor, however, has a tendency of the capacitance to fluctuate depending on the applied DC bias voltage. When the capacitance fluctuates, the cutoff frequency of the filter is varied, and thereby the noise in low frequencies may not be removed adequately. Furthermore, when the cutoff frequency of the filter is conversely too low, the effect of the filter appears in also fast fluctuations in voltage of the battery cell itself other than the noise, and thus it is conceivable that the capability of monitoring the voltage may be deteriorated and that the capacitor may increase in size more than necessary.


A first embodiment of the present invention relates to systems and methods for determining a priority for a set of alert triggers and performing additional processing based on the determined priority. In some embodiments, additional processing may include generating and sending of alert messages. In other embodiments, additional processing may further include determining that the generating and sending of alert messages are to be delayed until a later time. In yet other embodiments, additional processing may include determining that no alert message is to be generated and sent. A second embodiment of the present invention relates to systems and methods for dynamically selecting a delivery channel and generating an alert message for the selected delivery channel. In some embodiments, the alert message may be formatted based on the selected delivery channel. According to one embodiment, the alert message may be generated based on a compact protocol format. When the alert message is received by a mobile device, the mobile device may use the alert message to generate a second alert message.

There are many occasions where a user may want to be notified when his or her credit card is being used. For example, a user may want to receive an alert message regarding a recent transaction conducted out of the country, at an automated teller machine (ATM), or where the transaction exceeds a certain amount. When a transaction meets one of these criteria or alert triggers, the user may wish to have the resulting alert message sent to his or her mobile phone or email account.
In some situations, a user may want to receive an alert message differently based on the alert message's relative importance. For example, a user may make a minor gasoline purchase for $20. Because the purchase may be relatively unimportant, the user may wish to receive an alert message via email at the end of the day. The same user may also make a large electronics purchase for $1,000. Because the purchase may be relatively important, the user may want to receive a telephone call immediately following the purchase.
It would be desirable to improve upon existing alert messaging systems to make the delivery of alert messages more efficient and to optimize the use of system components in an alert messaging system.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A spinal implant for treating lumbar spinal stenosis or as an adjunct to spinal fusion. The implant includes a body portion having an interior cavity. A plurality of locking wings are adapted and configured to move between a stowed position retracted within the interior cavity of the body portion and a deployed position extended from the interior cavity of the body portion. In the deployed position, the wings fix the implant in a selected interspinous space. A cable and wheel arrangement moves the plurality of locking wings from the stowed position to the deployed position and a ratchet/pawl assembly prevents backward movement of the wings.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is directed to spinal implants, and more particularly, to an interspinous implant with deployable wings for treating lumbar spinal stenosis, methods for the percutaneous implantation of the interspinous implant, and techniques for determining an appropriate size of the interspinous implant.
2. Description of Related Art
The spine consists of a column of twenty-four vertebrae that extend from the skull to the hips. Discs of soft tissue are disposed between adjacent vertebrae. The vertebrae provide support for the head and body, while the discs act as cushions. In addition, the spine encloses and protects the spinal cord, which is surrounded by a bony channel called the spinal canal. There is normally a space between the spinal cord and the borders of the spinal canal so that the spinal cord and the nerves associated therewith are not pinched.
Over time, the ligaments and bone that surround the spinal canal can thicken and harden, resulting in a narrowing of the spinal canal and compression of the spinal cord. This condition is called spinal stenosis, which results in pain and numbness in the back and legs, weakness and/or a loss of balance. These symptoms often increase after walking or standing for a period of time.
There are number of non-surgical treatments of stenosis. These include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling and pain, and corticosteroid injections to reduce swelling and treat acute pain. While some patients may experience relief from symptoms of spinal stenosis with such treatments, many do not, and thus turn to surgical treatment. The most common surgical procedure for treating spinal stenosis is decompressive laminectomy, which involves removal of parts of the vertebrae. The goal of the procedure is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord and nerves by increasing the area of the spinal canal.
Interspinous process decompression (IPD) is a less invasive surgical procedure for treating spinal stenosis. With IPD surgery, there is no removal of bone or soft tissue. Instead, an implant or spacer device is positioned behind the spinal cord between the spinous process that protrudes from the vertebrae in the lower back. A well-known implant used for performing IPD surgery is the X-STOP® device, which was first introduced by St. Francis Medical Technologies, Inc. of Alameda Calif. However, implantation of the X-STOP® device still requires an incision to access the spinal column to deploy the X-STOP® device.
It would be advantageous to provide an implant for performing IPD procedures that could be percutanously inserted into the interspinous space and effectively treat lumbar spinal stenosis.

Interspinous implants and methods for implanting same


A spray head which is characterized by a tubular body with an axial bore divided into axially spaced sections of different diameter with the forward section, which is at the discharge end of the head, being of the largest diameter and constituting a chamber in which a spherical spray tip holder is mounted so as to be rotatably seated on the mating inner face of a removably mounted end cap, which holder has a radial socket aligned with a cross bore in the body for receiving a turning member enabling rotation of the tip holder between an operative position for direction of spray material through a discharge aperture in the end cap and a cleaning position for reverse flow of material through the spray tip and a bearing and sealing assembly engaging the tip holder surface opposite its engagement with the end cap which assembly is arranged to minimize the pressure exerted on the tip holder by the spray material and possibly leakage of the product into the tip holder chambers, the latter being provided with a relief opening in the event there is a sealing failure.

This invention relates to spray heads or nozzle assemblies for airless spray guns, or the like, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in spray tip mountings which facilitate cleaning and replacement of the spray tip and associated elements and which minimize the risk of possible damage to the tip mounting as a result of operation under pressure.
Spray heads have heretofore been employed in which a tip member for controlling the spray pattern is mounted in a holder which is in turn rotatably mounted in a chamber at the discharge end of the bore in a barrel-like nozzle body, or housing, with associated means for manually turning the tip holder to a position to reverse the direction of the flow of the product or other fluid through the spray tip for cleaning or for clearing a jammed passageway in the spray tip. In some previous designs provision has been made for turning the tip holder to a predetermined position which will permit removal and replacement of the tip through an auxiliary opening in the chamber wall. In previously developed arrangements it has been found that excessive pressure can and does occur, particularly when pluggage of the tip occurs or the holder is moved to a position which blocks the flow of the product, with the results that damage often occurs to the holder and/or associated parts such as the sealing elements.


A sheet jogging device includes a compact housing having an inclined front face, and a rack resiliently mounted to said housing along said front face. Within the housing a drive spring is fixed at one end to the housing and connected at an opposite end to the rack. An electromagnet is mounted beneath the drive spring to exert an oscillating magnetic force on the drive spring to flex the drive spring about its base to reciprocate the rack along the inclined face of the housing.

The present invention relates to vibratory sheet joggers which are used to orderly align sheets, such as paper, in a stack.
Paper joggers are known for aligning paper and card stock in a vertical or horizontal stack. A number of vibrating paper jogger models are manufactured by FMC Corporation, Material Handling Equipment, of Homer City, Pa. For example, the Syntron(copyright) model J-1 Single Bin Vibrating Paper Jogger includes a single bin which is tipped rearwardly and which is configured to align paper sheets and other paper grades in a vertical stack. The single bin is mounted on a base component which contains a vibratory device. The vibratory device includes an electromagnet mounted to the base component and an armature mounted to the bin. A rheostat controls the amplitude of vibration of the bin for the grade and size of stock to be handled. The vibration direction is oriented vertically with a magnetic gap being vertically disposed. The bin and armature connected thereto can be mounted on leaf springs with respect to the base component.
Syntron(copyright) J-50 Paper Jogger includes a multiple pocket tilted rack mounted above a base component. The base component includes a base plate which mounts an electromagnet and a plurality of rubber mounts. The rubber mounts extend from the base plate and support a cover component. The cover component has an armature attached thereto which is vibrated by magnetic force from the electromagnet. The cover vibrates via the rubber mounts with respect to the base plate. The rack is mounted directly to the cover component. This device utilizes a vertical line of vibratory force with a vertical adjustable air gap.
Syntron(copyright) Jogger model TJ-2 includes a multiple pocket, tilt rack mounted on a base component. The base component includes a slightly tilted, substantially horizontally arranged line of vibratory force having a slightly tilted, substantially horizontal air gap. The rack is mounted to the base component via rubber mounts. The vibrational amplitude can be adjusted by turning a rheostat knob on the front of the base component.
Although these models produce effective paper and sheet jogging results, the present inventors have recognized the desirability of providing a sheet or paper jogging device that has a small overall size, that is easily and quickly operated, that is aesthetically pleasing in overall appearance, and that comprises a simple, low cost design.
The present invention provides an improved jogging device for aligning sheets, such as sheets of paper or envelopes, that is particularly suited for smaller stacks of sheets, than the prior known jogging devices. The jogging device of the present invention provides a layout that accommodates a compact housing. The jogging device requires a reduced desk or table space for operation. The vibrational driver of the jogging device of the invention can be fashioned to have low power consumption and low noise production. The arrangement of the jogging device requires no amplitude adjustment, is self cleaning, and has low maintenance requirements. The jogging device can be economically produced at a low cost.
The exemplary embodiment of a jogging device according to the invention includes a housing having a base plate providing a support surface for electronic components, and a frame mounted to the base plate and having appurtenances or plates for mounting components. A rack for holding a stack of sheets is mounted to the frame via shear spring members. The frame includes a front face tilted rearwardly in an upward direction from the base plate wherein the rack is mounted over the front face and assumes a similar tilting angle.
A drive spring comprises an elongated spring plate of a material, such as steel, that is movable by a magnet, fixed at a base end to an appurtenance adjacent a rear of the housing. The spring plate extends obliquely upwardly from the base end toward the rack, the spring plate being approximately perpendicular to the inclination of the rack. An electromagnet is positioned below the spring plate and has a magnetic direction approximately perpendicular to the spring plate, with a pole of the electromagnet positioned close to the spring plate.
A plate-like manual activation lever extends forwardly of the base plate, beneath the rack for easy, mistake free activation and de-activation of the jogging device. When device electronics are activated by the manual activation lever, the electromagnet is driven in oscillating fashion, i.e., on-off fashion repeatedly with a pulsating direct current. The drive spring is oscillated by magnetic force in cantilever bending fashion about its base end to reciprocate the rack along a direction which follows the inclination of the front face of the frame. Sheets of paper, envelopes, or other materials which are placed vertically in the rack at the rearward tilting angle, are vibrated to be aligned along bottom and rear edges thereof, within the rack.
A cover is closely fitted around the frame, down to the base plate, and provides an aesthetically pleasing overall appearance to the jogging device. Because of the angular arrangement of the electromagnet and the drive spring the rear face of the frame and cover can be angled downwardly in a rearward direction, providing an aesthetically pleasing wedge-shaped appearance and achieving an overall compact design, requiring a reduced desk or table space.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.


A flange for connecting a vibration damper tube to a module tube of a vibration damper may include one or more fluid ducts, by which the module tube is fluidically coupled to the vibration damper tube. The flange may further include a plastic body in which the fluid duct for the fluidic coupling is formed and wherein connection elements are provided that extend between the vibration damper tube and the module tube. The connection elements may form a retaining connection between the vibration damper tube and the module tube. The plastic body may comprise two opposite side walls, and the connection elements may be formed by metal plates arranged on the side walls. The plastic body may also comprise retaining means for the retaining of the plates.

From DE 11 2007 002 377 T5 there is known a vibration damper with a vibration damper tube and there is provided an external module tube in which an additional valve arrangement is received. The module tube extends perpendicular to the vibration damper tube, and the flange for connecting the module tube to the vibration damper tube is formed by the module tube itself.
From DE 11 2008 001 980 T5 there is known a vibration damper with a vibration damper tube and with an external module tube in which a valve body arrangement is received. Between the vibration damper tube and the module tube are situated transfer rings, which form a flange between the two tubes, said flange being retained by the module tube on the vibration damper tube. Through the transfer rings there are formed fluid ducts in order to connect the valve body arrangement in the external module tube to the vibration damper tube. The maximum possible spacing between the module tube and the vibration damper tube here is structurally limited by the design of the transfer rings.
The connection between the module tube and the vibration damper tube must play a mechanical retaining role, besides the fluidic connection role. Because of the heavy dynamic loading of a vibration damper tube, great mechanical strength of the module tube on the vibration damper tube is required, and if the spacing between the module tube and the vibration damper tube needs to be increased, for example, for design reasons, then the flange connection between the module tube and the vibration damper tube can no longer be formed only by transfer rings, since these are not sufficiently mechanically loadable.
Although a flange can be made from a metallic material affording a good strength between the module tube and the vibration damper tube, especially when the tubes are welded to the flange, a flange made from a solid metallic material for example can quickly have a large weight. Especially when vibration damper tubes are used as unsprung masses on a vehicle it is important to accomplish a low weight of the vibration damper. A flange made from a plastic material would be lighter, but it would not achieve the required strength, and the module tube would not be mounted with adequate mechanical strength on the vibration damper tube.
For example, if a flange is made of a solid metallic material, the further problem arises of the sealing of the fluid ducts to the tube bodies. The fluid ducts must pass through the flange and be brought into connection with openings which are made in the vibration damper tube and in the module tube. If the connection between the flange and the tubes is formed by a welded connection, the difficulty arises of the seal between the fluid ducts in the flange and the outside of the tubes.
By a combination of a plastic body, in which at least one fluid duct is formed, and by additional connection elements the weight of a flange can be reduced, although the design and especially the mounting of the flange can be made more difficult, even with higher. For example, DE 103 55 151 A1 shows a flange for connecting a vibration damper tube to a module tube, wherein a plastic body is clamped between the two tubes, and then two side connection elements of a metal material must be welded onto the outside of the tubes. This requires a costly welding device.
DE 10 2004 034 725 A1 shows another variant of a flange with a connection piece and with a carrier, wherein the carrier forms a connection element of H shape. To produce the H-shaped connection element, several stamping and bending operations and further welding processes are needed, so that the flange formed in this way has a costly fabrication.
Finally, DE 195 27 849 C1 shows a flange for connecting a vibration damper tube to an external module tube of a vibration damper, wherein a sleeve-like transition body with a respective funnel-shaped opening to the module tube and vibration damper tube is provided. The transition body has to be made in a costly manner by a forming process and the contact surfaces of the transition body must be adapted to the envelope surfaces of the tubes. While this produces a connection element which can be welded onto the tubes, the plastic element to be used in the transition body, known as a support body, is designed as an individual part and it must be installed in the transition body after the latter has already been welded onto the module tube, for example. Consequently, the welding processes have to be interrupted by the inserting of the plastic body, making the mounting of the flange more difficult.

Flange for connecting a vibration damper tube to a module tube of a vibration damper


A presentation document specifying a graphical layout of a user interface is received. A processor extracts a first user interface graphical feature from the presentation document. The extracted first user interface graphical feature is matched to one or more first candidate user interface graphical features to determine a first selected candidate user interface graphical feature. A user interface code representation of the user interface is synthesized based upon the first selected candidate user interface graphical feature.

User interface (UI) design is the design of user interfaces for software applications for computers, mobile devices, and other electronic devices. User interface design focuses on maximizing usability and the user experience for a user interacting with the electronic device. A graphical user interface (GUI) is a form of user interface that allows user to interact with an electronic device through graphical icons and other visual indicators instead of text-based user interfaces. The actions in a GUI are typically performed through direct manipulation of graphical elements. Typically, users interact with information by manipulating visual widgets. A widget is an element of interaction of a GUI, such as a button or a scroll bar, that a user manipulates to perform an action associated with a software application. Software developers often use an integrated development environment (IDE) to code UIs for applications. An IDE is a software application that provides facilities to software developers for software development such as a source code editor, build automation tools, a debugger, and various tools to simplify the construction of a GUI.

User interface synthesis based upon extracted presentation document graphical features

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A device (1) to drive at least an output shaft (3) of a rail vehicle with a drive engine (4). The at least one output shaft (3) can be brought into an operational connection with a wheel (2), and a transmission assembly (6) is positioned on the drive side of the at least one output shaft (3). At least two gear ratios can be presented in the area of the transmission assembly (6). In addition, a method is described for operating such a device (1).

To drive rail vehicles which have been designed in low-floor construction, several concepts are known in the practice, whereby one distinguishes between designs where a drive engine is assigned to each wheel, and in designs where several wheels are driven by a drive engine. The latter designs include cross coupled as well as longitudinally coupled systems, whereby in cross coupled systems two wheels are each assigned to an axle, and in longitudinally coupled systems, two wheels are assigned to one side of the rail vehicle, and adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are driven by a drive engine. The drive engines work hereby each through a transmission assembly with an output shaft. Such a design is shown for a single wheel drive in DE 47 49 73 A.
However, disadvantageously, drive engines of these designs can only be operated with a lower efficiency, since the drive engines are not operated in the main operating ranges of rail vehicles and in their efficiency optimum ranges.

Device for driving at least one output shaft of a rail vehicle and method for operating such a device


A vascular compression apparatus and method for applying pressure onto an area of a patient generally including a blood vessel and a wound site, such as a blood vessel puncture after a cannulated procedure, for the purpose of controlling bleeding and achieving hemostasis.

Current estimates put the number of cardiac catheritization procedures and interventions at over three million per year. Historically, such procedures were performed via the femoral artery. Since 1989, however, the number of cardiac procedures performed through the radial artery has increased significantly. The benefit of radial access lies in the potentially lower direct costs, patient preference, lower incidence of vascular complications (and their subsequent costs), as well as earlier ambulation. patients, the radial artery branches off of the brachial artery just below the level of the elbow crease. At this point, it passes on the lateral margin of the forearm until it reaches the level of the wrist. There are a significant number of patients (reported to be up to 12%) that may have an anatomic variant. The most common involves the radial artery originating just superior to the elbow, although in a few patients it may originate much higher in the arm.
In a typical cardiac intervention procedure through the radial artery, a sheath having a haemostatic valve is utilized to access a peripheral artery utilizing the administration of a local anesthetic at the vascular access site. A pre-shaped catheter is then introduced into the patient's vasculature through the sheath. The catheter can then be advanced to the ostium of the relevant coronary artery or to another desired location within the patient. The catheter enables delivery of medical instruments, medicines or fluids such as radiography contrast medium, angioplasty wires, balloons, and stents. During or after completion of the procedure, the sheath and catheter are removed and hemostasis can be achieved by manual compression, suturing the access site, or by utilizing another direct repair procedure.
The relatively superficial position of the distal radial artery enables relatively direct application of compression to the artery to achieve and maintain hemostasis during a procedure. Additionally the radial artery allows quick and direct closure at the catheter access site as soon as the arterial catheter has been removed at the end of the procedure.
As with any arterial puncture, achieving hemostasis during and/or after a procedure can be challenging. Typically the access site, or opening, in the artery is created utilizing a micropuncture apparatus, dilator or can even be formed utilizing a single straight incision to form a slit in the artery. The arterial walls include a layer of smooth muscle cells that expand and contract in conjunction with the rhythm of the heart to complement the pumping of the heart and to facilitate movement of blood throughout the body. The expanding and contracting of the radial artery may present challenges to achieving hemostasis at the access site. As a result of this and other factors, during the course of the procedure, blood may leak through the access site and around the outside diameter of the sheath or catheter. Existing radial artery compression devices are not adapted to provide desired and/or adjustable compression to the radial artery at the vascular access site during the course of a procedure.
When the procedure has been completed, typically the catheter is removed and the practitioner or medical professional will apply pressure at the vascular access site to achieve hemostasis and effectuate closure of the vascular access site. One technique for achieving hemostasis is to apply pressure at, or at a point slightly upstream, of the vascular access site. Typically, continuous pressure is necessary to stop bleeding and achieve hemostasis at the access site. While the applied pressure should remain relatively constant, there are advantages to applying a higher level of compression pressure at the beginning of the compression period and then reducing the level of compression pressure after a determined amount of time has elapsed. By gradually reducing the compression pressurization during the compression period, while continually maintaining at least a threshold level of compression, blood can begin to flow through the artery at a reduced pressure, providing nutrient rich blood to the tissue downstream from the access site. Blood flowing through the artery can then hasten clotting to enable hemostasis without application of ongoing compression. Not only can this provide improved closure, but also can improve the relative comfort of the patient.
Compression is typically applied to an access site by a nurse or other practitioner by manually holding a dressing at the access site. Although employing a practitioner to provide compression permits the gradual reduction of pressurization at the access site, it can also be a costly use of practitioner time. Alternative existing radial artery compression techniques which do not require the ongoing manual application of pressure by the practitioner may employ tape or a compression bandage at the vascular access site. These devices and techniques, while allowing the practitioner to attend to other matters, can render it difficult or impractical to adjust the compression pressure while maintaining continuous pressure. As a result, the tape or compression bandages may end up being positioned around the access site without being loosened or adjusted until they are removed.
Various types of automated manual solutions have been developed to, in part, address these issues. One example of an automated solution is shown by Petersen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,168. Petersen describes a free standing apparatus which may be attached to the bottom frame of a hospital bed. A pressure applying head is mounted on a swing arm attached to the vertical shaft of the base and can be positioned directly above the wound. Pressure is developed by either compressed air or an electric motor. Two pressure shoes can be positioned to provide both vertical and horizontal pressure.
Another automated solution is described by Lee in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,734. Lee discloses a pneumatically operated femoral artery compressor applying calibrated and calibrateable external pressure on the puncture site of the femoral artery with the plunger end of a mounted pressurized assembly.
Breen et. al describes another type of partly automated solution, which also uses pneumatic pressure, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,173. Breen describes a wound closure device that includes an inflatable balloon with an inflation and deflation outlet. The balloon is coupled to patch, having an aperture for receiving the inflation/deflation outlet. The assembly is coupled to the placement patch and is held via a belt strap at either the wound site or on a bleeding vessel.
McNeese et al (US Pub. No. 2009/0281565) describes an even more complicated solution comprising a rotatable knob coupled to a threaded shaft and a pad. The screw can be tightened to provide pressure on the radial artery.
These automated compression devices are far from ideal, however. They tend to be expensive, difficult to maintain in good working order, consume a great deal of space and are difficult to keep sterile.
A number of manual compression devices have been described as well. Roth, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,965, describes a device that is used to apply direct pressure to arterial and venous incisions to promote hemostasis. It consists of a round flat disk with a user manipulable member used for applying downward pressure. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the user manipulable member consists of a peg over which a cylindrical weight is pivotally mounted. A stretchable bandage is used to secure the weight in place.
Another type of manual compression device is described by Toller in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,388. This manual compression aid is comprised of a cylindrically shaped handle above a sterile disposable disk. The disk is placed above the catheter insertion point with the catheter inside the notch of the disk. As the catheter is removed, pressure is applied to the handle to force the disk to compress the artery and thereby control bleeding—ultimately achieving hemostasis. This type of device has a number of disadvantages including: the cost of the apparatus; the difficulty associated in ensuring a minimal level of cleanliness; and the time associated in connecting the disposable disk to the assembly prior to its use on a patient.
Benz et. al describe another form of manual compression device in Pub No. US 2003/0028214. This manual vascular compression device also includes a handle an elongated shaft and a pad or disk. In this device the pad or disk is integral to the assembly and the entire apparatus is disposable. Like the pad of Toiler, the pad is flat and contains a notched or equivalent area for locating the catheter.
These, as well as currently commercially available hemostatic control devices such as the Radistop (RADI, Uppsala, Sweden), and the TR Band (Terumo, Japan) have been moderately effective in helping to achieve hemostasis in radial artery interventions and have established the standard of care at between 2-6 hours post-procedure to achieve hemostasis, as well as having significant potential for re-bleeding. These relatively long latencies in achieving result in increased patient discomfort as well significant healthcare (e.g., nursing and monitoring) resources being devoted to patients. What is therefore needed is a more efficient system for achieving radial artery hemostasis more quickly and efficiently and with a reduced potential for re-bleeding.

Methods and apparatus for a manual radial artery compression device


A manifold and a method of making a manifold for a tube and fin type heat exchanger are disclosed wherein the manifold is a one piece aluminum extrusion. The method includes the steps of extruding the material into a U-shaped channel having a base member and a pair of vertical walls, forming a plurality of fluid conducting passageways in the base member, and rolling the vertical walls toward the longitudinal center of the base member until the free ends of the walls contact the base member to form a pair of hollow longitudinal fluid conduits. The conduit are then crimped at predetermined locations to form fluid baffles and the manifold is then sealed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manifolds for heat exchangers such as condensers, evaporators and oil coolers used in automotive vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a manifold for use in a fin and tube type heat exchanger wherein the manifold is fabricated from an extruded metal member.


A hybrid vehicle driving system includes: a generator; a motor; a case which accommodates the generator and the motor; and a power control unit for controlling the generator and the motor, the generator and the motor being disposed side by side on a same axis within the case. The power control unit is mounted on the case by connecting a unit-side generator connector and a unit-side motor connector which are provided on a bottom surface of the power control unit with a case-side generator connector and a case-side motor connector which are disposed on the case, directly and respectively. The case is fixed to a vehicle framework member via a mount member, and a fixing point where the case and the mount member are fixed together is disposed near the case-side generator connector and the case-side motor connector.

Conventionally, in a hybrid vehicle driving system including an engine, a generator and a motor, there is provided a power control unit (PCU) as a power controlling apparatus for controlling the generator and the electric motor.
The power control unit is made up of a generator inverter which is connected between a battery and the generator to convert an alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage, a motor inverter which is connected between the battery and the motor to convert a direct current voltage into an alternating current voltage or an alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage, and a control unit (ECU) for controlling the generator inverter and the motor inverter.
In the conventional hybrid vehicle driving system, a case where the generator and the motor are accommodated and the power control unit are mounted separately on a vehicle framework member. The power control unit is connected to the generator and the motor by way of a three-phase cable. This not only requires a mounting frame for the power control unit but also causes fears that noise is generated from the three-phase cable.
Then, as described in Patent Literatures 1, 2 it is proposed that the power control unit is mounted directly on the case. According to these hybrid vehicle drive systems, since the mounting frame for the power control unit and the three-phase cable are not required, there is provided such an advantage that not only a vehicle body weight and cost can be reduced but also the generation of noise can be suppressed.


A rocker bogie includes a first base which including a first wheel, a second wheel, and a third wheel each of which is configured to be in contact with a first flat surface, a second base including a fourth wheel which is configured to be in contact with the first flat surface, and a rotary shaft connecting the first base and the second base to each other such that the second base is rotatable with respect to the first base. The rotary shaft is parallel to a first straight line which connects a rotation center of the first wheel and a rotation center of the second wheel to each other and is disposed between a rotation center of the third wheel and the first straight line, and the fourth wheel is disposed at an opposite position to the third wheel across the first straight line.

Surmountability, agility, and stability are required for a moving mechanism such as a robot having wheels. The surmountability of a robot having wheels means the ability of a robot which can move without being overturned or in an inoperable state during moving while maintaining a weight balance of the robot body stable in a state where a wheel is in contact with a road surface having any shape. In addition, the agility in the robot having wheels means ability of the robot which can realize spatial and temporal efficiency and diversification with respect to the operation of the robot such as lightness of a direction changing, a movement or a motion in a state where a posture is maintained. It is desirable to design an optimum structure so as to enable operation with a realistic cost while maintaining balance during these performances.
In a four-wheel structure mechanism 100 of the related art shown in FIG. 16, two driving wheels 101 which are separately driven in the same straight line are disposed on the front side, and caster wheels 102 which can freely rotate in a horizontal surface are disposed behind the two driving wheels 101. In the structure of the related art, at least three wheels among the four wheels can travel on a road surface having various unevenness while being in contact with the road surface, and a certain level of surmountability is realized.

Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute


Various technologies pertaining to automatic relative volatility and relative amplitude detection are described herein. A spectral density of a geospatial temporal dataset is computed, and one or more frequencies of the dataset are identified. A volatility period of interest is calculated based upon the frequencies, and volatility thresholds are computed based upon the volatility period of interest. One or more periods of potential interest are detected in the dataset based upon the geospatial temporal data and the volatility thresholds. An indication of the periods of interest, an occurrence of an event captured in the dataset, or a prediction of an occurrence of an event that is of potential interest to an analyst is output.

Various systems exist to create and store geospatial data. For example, satellites orbiting earth can be equipped with cameras that capture images of the earth. In another example, high-resolution cameras can be coupled to aircraft (drones and/or manned aircraft), and images captured by these high-resolution cameras can be assigned geographic data. Moreover, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technologies can be utilized in connection with generating geospatial data. If a region is monitored over time, geospatial temporal data can be generated. Conventionally, however, there is a lack of suitable technologies for analyzing such data (and similar types of temporal data).
Volatility measures are used in some industries to allow analysts to identify outlier conditions in time-series data. Certain volatility measures have been used to trigger a responsive action (where the action is undertaken when some feature of the time-series data exceeds or falls beneath a threshold). These threshold values can be calculated in part based upon rules of thumb that define values of various volatility measure parameters, such as a period for calculating a moving average of pricing data for the asset and a number of standard deviations away from the moving average the threshold should be. These rules of thumb are generally data-independent, and may place arbitrary constraints on the volatility analysis problem.

Automatic peak interval, relative volatility, and relative amplitude detection in high-volume temporal data

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC


An image apparatus (10) for providing an estimated final illuminant of a scene (12) and subsequently providing an adjusted image (218) of a scene (12) includes a capturing system (226) and a control system (232). The capturing system (226) captures information for an input image (416) of the scene (12) while at an apparatus setting. The input image (416) is defined by a plurality of input colors. The control system (226) can compare at least one of the input colors to an illuminant database (245) that includes an illuminant gamut of observable colors for a plurality of possible illuminants, and can evaluate the apparatus setting to select one of the possible illuminants to be the estimated final illuminant. Examples of possible apparatus settings include an aperture size and an exposure time. With this design, the present invention is better able to distinguish between some possible outdoor illuminants and some possible indoor illuminants with improved accuracy. Additionally, the control system (226) can evaluate a consistency matching error for the plurality of possible illuminants to determine if the scene (12) has intrinsic color casting.

Cameras are commonly used to capture an image of a scene. Most scenes are not illuminated by a 100% pure white illuminant. For example, sunlight at midday is much closer to white than the late afternoon or morning sunlight which includes more yellow. The color of light reflected from an object will vary according to the color of the illuminant that is illuminating the scene. As a result thereof, for example, if the illuminant produces light that includes a lot of yellow, a white object in the scene will not be captured as a white object with a typical film type camera. This is commonly referred to as illuminant color casting because the illuminant causes the color casting.
Another type of color casting on the scene is caused by the intrinsic colors in the scene. For example, if the scene only contains green grass, the captured image of the scene will show greenish color casting. In another example, if the scene only contains blue sky, the captured image of the scene will show bluish color casting. This is generally referred to as intrinsic color casting.
Recently, some digital cameras include a program that first estimates the color of the illuminant, and subsequently adjusts all of the colors in an input image according to the color of the illuminant. This is commonly referred to as white balance correction. With white balance correction, the digital camera attempts to compensate for variations in the colors in the input image caused by an off-white illuminant, and the actual color of the objects in the scene are more accurately represented in the provided image.
Unfortunately, existing white balance correction programs have not been able to quickly and accurately estimate the correct illuminant in all situations. For example, many programs have difficulty distinguishing between some daylight illuminants and fluorescent illuminants. Moreover, many programs have difficulty accurately estimating the correct illuminant when the scene has intrinsic color casting. As a result thereof, the color correction is not satisfactory in all situations. Further, some white balance correction programs are extremely complex to implement and are computationally expensive.

Automatic illuminant estimation that incorporates apparatus setting and intrinsic color casting information


For producing annular color marks on a spirally shaped catheter guide wire, a guide wire is selectively heated within a tempering range of 200.degree. C. to 360.degree. C. at the points provided for the color marks so that permanent temper colorations of the steel are left at said points. The advantage involved therewith is that color marks may be produced by neither removing nor applying material, and the contour of the guide wire is not changed. Further, no foreign material adhering to the guide wire may get into the body of the patient.

The invention relates to a process for producing color marks on a catheter guide wire of steel, to an apparatus for performing the process, and to a catheter guide wire of steel provided with color marks.
It has been known to use for the introduction of a catheter into a human body a metallic guide wire which imparts rigidity to the catheter and which, upon the introduction of the catheter is removed therefrom. Said leading-in technique is the so-called Seldinger technique, the respective guide wires being called Seldinger guide wires. To ensure that the guide wire is flexible enough to adapt itself to the contours of the blood vessels, it is made of one or more spirally wound leads. The guide wire also may include a core of longitudinally extending leads.
The known guide wires are provided with length marks allowing a determination of the length of the marking wire already introduced into the human body. The length marks are produced by printing, stamping or by laser beams, with the resultant disadvantage that the produced printing marks are prominent, or, in case of the laser beams, recessed. If printing ink is used, it is deposited between the helical turns sticking them together. Moreover, the printing ink may peel off if the guide wire is deformed. If the color marks consist of a pasted embossing sheet, the latter only adheres to the narrow circumferential surface of the spiral wire. Due to the small adhesive face, the embossing sheet may easily peel off. Further, marks are also applied by etching the spiral wire. Yet, in spite of repeated rinsings, residues of the etching agent may be left between the spiral turns or between the turns and the core.


An exposure apparatus having a transparent base member opposed to a photosensitive drum and forming part of a vacuum chamber, an electrode formed in the vacuum chamber for discharging thermoelectrons, a fluorescent member formed on the base member for emitting light when receiving the thermoelectrons, an anode for supplying the fluorescent member with a potential for colliding the thermoelectrons against the fluorescent member, the anode shaping the configuration of light emitted from the fluorescent member, and a microlens formed in the base member in contact with the fluorescent member, for converging onto the photosensitive drum the light emitted from the fluorescent member. When thermoelectrons are discharged from the electrode, the fluorescent member emits light, which has a configuration limited by the anode and is efficiently converged onto the photosensitive drum through the microlens formed in the base member in contact with the fluorescent member, to perform exposure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an exposure apparatus for use in an electrophotography printer, a digital PPC, or a facsimile, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
An exposure apparatus of this type is disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application No. 55-168961.
This apparatus employs an anode substrate which has anodes arranged in a dotted line or dotted lines, and a fluorescent layer formed thereon. Further, there are provided in the apparatus direct heated cathodes above the anode substrate, control electrodes between the cathodes and the anode substrate, and an optical plate having a line or lines of light transmitting fibers buried therein.
In this structure, electrons are discharged from the cathodes onto the fluorescent layer of the anode substrate at the time of exposure, to thereby cause light to be emitted from the fluorescent layer. The emitted light is transmitted through the fibers onto a photosensitive member, forming a latent image thereon.
This exposure apparatus has been used generally in a printer which operates at relatively low speed and has a relatively low resolving power, since it has a structure which is not suitable for increasing its resolving power and brightness.
Specifically, light emitted from the fluorescent member serving as a light emitting element cannot efficiently be utilized in the exposure apparatus, since the light transmitting fibers employed, such as a lens array consisting of light-converging fibers, are separated by some distance from the fluorescent member.
Thus, in order to brighten the light emitting element by use of the lens array, the light emission area of the element must be enlarged. In other words, the resolving power of the printer must be kept low in order to speed up the operation of the same.
On the other hand, in order to enhance the resolving power, the light emission area must be reduced. Reducing the light emission area causes a proportional reduction in the brightness of the same. In order to avoid this, the speed of the operation of the printer must be reduced.


A method, computer program product, and a computing system are provided for de-duplicating remote procedure calls at a client. In an implementation, the method may include generating a plurality of local pending remote procedure calls. The method may also include identifying a set of duplicate remote procedure calls among the plurality of remote procedure calls. The method may also include associating each remote procedure call within the set of duplicate remote procedure calls with one another. The method may also include executing a remote procedure call of the set of duplicate remote procedure calls. The method may further include providing a response for the remote procedure call of the set of duplicate remote procedure calls with the other remote procedure calls of the set of duplicate remote procedure calls.

A remote procedure call (RPC) may generally include an inter-process communication that may allow a computer program to cause procedure to execute on another computer, or to request information from another computer. An RPC may be initiated by a client, and may include a request message being transmitted to a remote server to execute the procedure or to request the needed information. The remote server may transmit a response including the needed information back to the requesting client. Because the RPC is being transmitted to the remote server, executed by the remote server, and a response is being transmitted from the remote server back to the requesting client, each RPC may not only utilize resources of the remote server, but may also place demands on the network bandwidth. In some situations, e.g., as with multi-threaded processes, multiple threads may request the same remote procedure call, e.g., by requesting the same information from the server, etc. As such, the same request to, and response from, the remote server may be transmitted through the network, thereby placing additional demands on the network bandwidth. Similarly, in some situations the remote server may separately process each of the redundant requests, which may place additional demands on the processing capacity of the remote server.

International Business Machines Corporation


A system to route media information content may include a router that analyzes predetermined content of a plurality of data packets of the media information content and prioritizes forwarding the plurality of data packets from the router based on applying at least one rule to the predetermined content.

Various systems and methods have been developed to provide video on demand (VOD) services to allow users to select and watch information content (e.g., audio, video and audio-video) content over a network. Some VOD systems stream content, which allows viewing while the video is being downloaded. Other types of systems enable content to be downloaded and stored, such that the program is brought in its entirety to a set-top box prior to viewing. In the example of streaming media, the multimedia content can be sent to a user by a variety of content delivery methods, such as unicasting or multicasting. Unicast is the sending of information packets to a single destination. In contrast, multicast relates to the delivery of information to a group of destinations simultaneously. When content is multicast, it is possible that copies of the content can be made such as when links to one or more of the destinations split.
Many existing VOD system architectures are inflexible and, as such, are unable to adapt adequately to the changing business needs of the services provider. Consequently, many system designs require extensive capital expenditures on the infrastructure to accommodate peak service demands. Accordingly, improvements in functionally for these and similar systems are desired.

Content-based routing of information content


An adjustment mechanism is provided for positioning a fence assembly along a guide rail of a bench top woodworking tool. The device includes a body member having a guide way portion which is linearly slidable along the guide rail and lockable at various positions. The barrel's body is provided with an elongated axial bore parallel to the guide rail. An elongated barrel extends through the bore and the body of the barrel is relatively rotatable thereto. An attachment member connects the elongated barrel to the fence assembly so that relative rotation of the elongated barrel and the body member causes the attachment member and fence assembly to move linearly relative to the body. The body member is provided with a locking mechanism so that the body member can be secured to the guide rail at various positions to facilitate precise adjustments of the fence relative to a woodworking tool cutter.

Tablesaws, shapers and router tables are frequently provided with a fence for guiding a workpiece relative to a rotary cutting tool. For example, in a tablesaw, the rotary blade will project upward through a slot in the surface of the table, a rip fence will be oriented parallel to the blade and shiftable toward and away therefrom. The rip fence typically spans between a front and a rear guide rail which runs along the front and rear marginal edges of the table, generally perpendicular to the plane of the saw blade when in the vertical orientation. In order to accurately locate the rip fence relative to the blade, a scale is typically provided on the guide rail and a corresponding pointer is provided on the fence. In order to increase positioning accuracy when moving the fence, the pointer on the fence will often be provided with a cylindrical lens to magnify the scale indicia.
If it is desired to move the fence 1/8 of an inch toward the blade, the fence is unlocked by releasing a fence locking handle. The user will then tap the fence or the fence front block until the scale pointer indicates an 1/8 of an inch movement and the fence is then relocked in place. It is difficult, however, to make accurate adjustments much less than 1/16 of an inch due to the natural limitations of the scale and pointer measurement system and the fact that the fence will sometimes move slightly when the locking handle is secured.
A typical tablesaw employing a conventional fence is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,249. A tablesaw which the preferred embodiment of the present invention was specifically adapted to cooperate with is illustrated in Ryobi Owner's Operating Manual 10" Tablesaw/BT3000, circa 1991, which is incorporated by reference herein. Specifically, on pages 32 and 36 of the Owner's manual, the general construction of a saw table and front and rear rails is shown as well as the construction of a typical rip fence assembly.


The hot repair mix according to the present invention comprises bisphenol as an auxiliary fluidizing agent in an amount of 1 to 20 weight parts and a material to form carbon bond in hot working process in an amount of 5 to 40 weight parts to 100 weight parts of a refractory material. It has satisfactory properties such as spreading property, hardenability, adhesive property, property of the finished portion in hot working process, and this leads to improvement of durability of the baking material. Moreover, there is no change over time such as solidification, sedimentation separation, etc. in summer season, and it can be easily transported and stored. Because of easy handling and good workability of this material, baking operation can be accomplished within short time, and it is very useful as a hot repair mix for repairing various types of refinery furnaces, molten metal containers, etc. in hot working process.

In the past, hot gunning material, hot baking material, etc. have been used as hot repair material for repairing damaged portion of furnace wall, furnace bottom, etc. in various types of refinery furnaces, containers, etc. such as converter, AOD (argon oxygen degassing) furnace, electric furnace, LF ladle, etc. To produce this type of hot baking material, refractory material such as dolomite, magnesia, etc. is kneaded with coal tar binder, and mass of this material having some consistency is supplied and brought into contact with the damaged portion in the furnace through furnace inlet after molten steel has been delivered in case of converter and the baking material is molten, spread and developed by heat inside the furnace and the damaged portion is repaired.
The properties required for this type of baking material are: no change over time, good spreading property in hot working process, good adhesive property, high durability, and short baking and hardening time. The baking material produced by the use of coal tar binder has no problem in such factors as the change over time, spreading property, and durability, while it is disadvantageous in that longer hardening time is required.
In this respect, to overcome the problem of long baking time of the conventional paste type baking material using coal tar binder, a slurry type baking material has been proposed to reduce the baking time. This material has viscous and fluidizing property and uses liquid novolak type phenol resin, and satisfactory effect has been attained (JP-B-5-41594 and JP-B-6-31161). Because solvent is contained in the phenol resin solution, there are less carbon components when it is carbonized. For this reason, it has such problems that it has lower strength when hardened and it is subject to changes over time due to sedimentation and separation of coarse particles during storage because it is a baking material having viscous and fluidizing property.
Also, a powder type baking material has been proposed (JP-A-4-170370) to reduce the baking time and to improve durability. This is produced as follows: A mixed powder type basic refractory material is coated with pitch and/or creosote oil, and to this powder material, aromatic petroleum resin containing heavy oil and C.sub.9 fraction as main components is added as auxiliary combustion agent and wetting agent. By this material, it is possible to reduce the hardening time and it can also provide high strength by carbon bond when it is hardened. However, it has such problems that it is solidified during storage in summer season because of creosote oil or heavy oil, which are added as auxiliary combustion agent and wetting agent.
Further, another type of baking material has been proposed (Japanese Patent Publication No.2555850), which is produced by adding a material to form carbon bond in hot working process and also by adding lactam as auxiliary fluidizing agent. However, it has disadvantages in that lactam has high deliquescence and is changed to polyamide through ring-opening polymerization in the presence of water and alkali metal and it is also solidified during storage in summer season or under high temperature and high humidity conditions.
Still another baking material has been proposed (JP-A-8-169772), which is produced by adding diphenyl or diphenylamine as auxiliary fluidizing agent to a material to form carbon bond in hot working process. However, its adhesive strength is not high enough compared with the conventional products.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hot repair mix, which is suitable for use to carbon bonded brick such as magnesia-carbon brick used in various types of refinery furnaces and which has sufficient adhesive property with base material and durability suitable as repair material. Further, it forms carbon bond in hot working process, shows neither sedimentation separation nor changes over time, has high spreading property in hot working process, is shorter in the baking time after the processing and has high durability.

Hot repair mix comprising bisphenol as a fluidizing agent


Embodiments herein describe an audio system that adjusts based on the location of a person. That is, instead of relying on fixed speakers, the audio system adjusts the direction of audio output for one or more speakers to optimize the performance of the audio system based on the location of a user or based on the number of users. To do so, the audio system may include a camera and a tracking application which identifies the location of a user and/or the number of users in front of the camera. Using this information, the audio system adjusts one or more actuators coupled to a speaker to change the direction of the audio output of the speaker. As the user continues to move or shift, the audio system can continually adjust the speaker to optimize the performance of the system.

The present disclosure is related to steerable speakers, and more specifically, to using facial recognition to adjust a direction of the steerable speakers.
Fixed speakers are commonly used to output audio in a vehicle. For example, motor vehicles such as cars typically have multiple speakers in a fixed arrangement to output audio (e.g., music, book on tape, radio shows, etc) for a driver and passengers in the vehicle. However, fixed speakers cannot adjust in response to the passengers being at different locations in the listening environment. One particular speaker arrangement may be optimal for a passenger with a certain height but not optimal for passengers that are taller or shorter. Furthermore, the direction of the audio output in a fixed speaker arrangement does not change depending on the number of passengers in the vehicle. For example, if the speaker arrangement is designed to provide optimal performance when four passengers are in the vehicle, when less than four passengers are in the vehicle, the performance of the arrangement may be less optimal than other arrangements of the speakers.

Adjusting speakers using facial recognition

HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED


A clamping device is disclosed. The clamping device includes a body having a first end and a second end; a first clamping portion secured to the first end of the body; and a second clamping portion operable to move in a bore of the body relative to the first clamping portion between an open position and a clamped position, the second clamping portion cooperating with the first clamping portion to clamp a cable between the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion.

This invention relates generally to a clamping device, and more particularly to a clamping device for cables and/or electrical conductors.
For purposes of discussion, the invention will be described with reference to a clamping device for electrical conductors used in power transmission services to deliver electricity from a power producing facility to a residential or commercial property; however, it should be appreciated that the clamp may be used with any type of cable and/or conductor where clamping is required.
Overhead power transmission conductors are routinely used throughout the world to transmit electricity from power producing facilities to residential and/or commercial properties. Linemen who work for utility companies regularly perform maintenance on electrical conductors to ensure that the supply of electricity continues to flow with the least amount of interruption possible. Often times, such maintenance requires a lineman to string new electrical conductors, to cut the electrical conductors to allow slack in the conductor to be minimized, or to clamp two electrical conductors together using parallel groove and crimp connectors.
When stringing new conductors, a tail end (extra length of the conductor after termination) is often produced. If left uncontrolled, the tail end can pose a risk to the lineman until the tail end has been shortened and clamped. When making repairs, a lineman may be required to cut out a section of conductor and splice a new section into the conductor; however, such a repair requires the lineman to not only use cutters to cut the conductor but also maintain control of two sections of conductor along with the splice. Such repairs can create numerous risks to the lineman and, in some cases, result in a section of the conductor falling to the ground and/or being uncontrolled.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a clamping device that frees up a lineman's hands and allows the lineman to safely perform maintenance and repairs to conductors.


A "V" rake is provided that comprises:. a first rigid support frame; PA1 a second articulated frame sliding on the first frame, made up of a plurality of mobile arms hinged to each other and to the first frame; PA1 at least one joint to slide the second frame on the first frame for opening and closing of said arms; PA1 a plurality of fingered wheels arranged on the plurality of mobile arms; and PA1 a plurality of bearing wheels for transport of the rake; in which said joint comprises:. support elements for sliding of the second frame on the first frame, constituted of:. anti-friction support plates made of a material with a low friction coefficient; and PA3 bolts and relative spacer sleeves to position and contain the anti-friction support plates on said support elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the agricultural machines known as rakes, and more specifically to "V" rakes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Up to date many types of so-called "V" rakes are known. They are characterised by the fact that they have a frame on which are hinged arms, to which are attached the fingerwheels which have the purpose of raking up the forage.
These arms can thus take on a number of different positions with respect to said frame. In particular, they can be opened to take on the typical "V" shape when working, or they can be closed, that is to say folded together, when manoeuvring and during transport, in order to reduce the working size.
The opening and closing mechanisms on these arms are made up of articulated polygons activated by hydraulic pistons.
The articulations of these polygons are mostly formed by articulated joints capable of allowing rotation, and by slip joints.
These joints, in particular, are commonly made using pieces of square or rectangular cross-section prismatic pipe sliding coaxially along other pipes with a similar cross-section but of a different size.
Normally speaking, these slip joints are reinforced at the points of maximum stress and wear.
The problem resulting from this manufacturing solution is that these slip joints or sleeves, when used in the mechanisms opening and closing the mobile arms of "V" rakes, have a high internal friction level. Because of this internal friction, a high level of force is required to move the slip joints which results in high wear, and there is also the danger of blocking during opening and closing operations if these are carried out while the machine is under stress.
Another problem is that these negative phenomena tend to increase as the machine gets older, until there is a risk of complete blockage of the machine during opening and closing operations, with the consequent risk of breakage of the machine's articulations.


Provided is a module for automatic tool exchange device of novel structure wherein electric signals can be transmitted with high reliability while preventing transmission efficiency from deteriorating between a first coupling member and a second coupling member. An electromagnetic shielding member is arranged on an outer circumference of a core member except for a transmission surface, a gap member having electromagnetic shielding effect lower than that of the electromagnetic shielding member is interposed between the core member and the electromagnetic shielding member, and a first module and a second module are provided, respectively, with coil units equipped with coil heads which are constituted to include a coil member, the core member and the gap member.

Automation in the automotive industry, the aircraft industry and the like is always advancing, and with the robots used for this, through improvements in sensing technology, control technology and the like, it is becoming possible to realize complex work at a higher level. In recent years, for example, spot welding, deburring, chassis lifting and the like in the automotive manufacturing process are almost all done by robots, and the ratio of work performed by robots in manufacturing processes is very high.
However, specially preparing robots equipped with tools such as spot welding guns used for welding, cutting tools used for deburring, manipulators for handling chassis and the like is not desirable from the perspective of the expense for building the production line, factory space efficiency and the like.
In light of this, for example an automatic tool exchange device noted in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 is used. This automatic tool exchange device is typically constituted so that a first coupling member attached to one of either the robot main unit side or the tool side and a second coupling member attached to the other are able to be separated from and coupled to each other. By doing this, tool exchange is possible, and it is possible to handle a plurality of tools with one robot.
Then, depending on the used tools, various modules are provided that, between the first coupling member and the second coupling member, make it possible to transmit electrical signals or power, or make it possible to supply a liquid or gas. These modules are constituted in pairs of a first module attached detachably to the first coupling member, and a second module attached detachably to the second coupling member, and by coupling the first coupling member and the second coupling member, the first module and second module are coupled to each other. Then, in this coupled state, it is possible to transmit electrical signals or power, or to supply liquid or gas between the first module and the second module. Here, the modules that make it possible to transmit electrical signals, as noted in Patent Document 1, almost all have this performed by the pin contact point by having a pin projecting from one of the first and second modules be in contact with a terminal provided on the other.
However, robots used in production factories have the tools moved quickly to reduce takt time, so significant acceleration is applied to the connecting parts of an automatic tool exchange device. In light of this, many automatic tool exchange devices allow a certain amount of play while maintaining the coupled status between the first coupling member and the second coupling member in order to reduce the load when moving with high acceleration. Because of that, when large acceleration is applied to the automatic tool exchange device, by the first module and the second module being separated from each other, there was the risk of a contact failure occurring because of a separation between the pin and the terminal. A contact failure of the pin contact points brings on electrical signal transmission failure, and was a cause of a decrease in processing precision due to not correctly obtaining various types of sensing information by the position sensor attached on the robot, for example, or bringing on emergency stopping of the robot in some cases, reducing production efficiency.
Also, within a production factory, because work machines such as a large number of robots are operating together with work such as welding, painting, cleaning or the like being performed, it is easy for this to become a high temperature, high humidity environment, and for pin contact points, contact failure occurred easily as well in a high temperature, high humidity environment. Furthermore, because there is the risk of contact failure occurring due to dust, slag or the like entering between the pin and the terminal, the occurrence of wear, deformation, a film or the like due to repeated connection, time and effort were required for maintenance such as regular examination or cleaning of pin contact points or the like. In addition, damage occurs easily due to the pins projecting, so both members need to be aligned with good precision so as not to break the pin when coupling the first coupling member and the second coupling member, and the work of exchanging tools required time.
To avoid these problems, for example as noted in Patent Document 3, using data communication technology that is wireless such as a wireless LAN or the like, it is possible to perform sending and receiving of electrical signals on the robot main unit side and the tool side. However, robots used in production factories require high level real time properties to operate quickly according to signals from the position sensor for accurate aligning of tools or the like, for example. Nevertheless, wireless data communication requires a large number of processes for the generation of sending data packets on the sending side and the restoring of data by the receiving side, and there is the risk of losing responsiveness. Also, in an environment in which a large number of robots are operating simultaneously, when attempting to control each robot wirelessly, it is impossible to avoid the problems of interference and noise mixing in, so this was not realistic.

Module for automatic tool exchange device


Optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid can be obtained by treating 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid with an optionally treated microorganism capable of asymmetrically reducing the 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid into (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid or (S)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid to thereby asymmetrically reduce the same into (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid or (s) -2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid.

This invention relates to a process for the production of optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid. More particularly, it relates to a process for the production of optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid which comprises treating 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid with an optionally treated microorganism capable of asymmetrically reducing the 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid into (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid or (S)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid and collecting the (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid or (S)-2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid thus formed.
Optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid is an important intermediate in the production of various drugs, optically active and physiologically active substances and derivatives thereof.
Further, optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyric acid, which is an important intermediate in the production of drugs such as ACE inhibitors, can be readily obtained by bringing optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid into contact with a hydrogenation catalyst such as palladium in a hydrogen atmosphere.
Known methods for the production of optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid include one which comprises treating a racemic mixture of said acid with bornylamine to thereby form diastereomers and then optically resolving the same [cf. Chem. Ber., 89, 671-677 (1956)] and another one comprising optical resolution through liquid chromatography with the use of a packing comprising a carrier containing a metal salt of an optically active amino acid bound thereto (cf. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 87640/1986). However, the former method requires a complicated procedure, which makes it undesirable from the industrial viewpoint. On the other hand, the latter method is disadvantageous from the economic viewpoint. Thus it has been demanded to develop a simple and economical method for producing optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid. In addition, there has been known no process for the production of optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid from 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid by using a microorganism capable of asymmetrically reducing the 2-oxo-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid.

Process for the production of optically active 2-hydroxy-4-phenyl-3-butenoic acid