To prevent a top panel of a crown of a collapsible hat from being crushed and creased, first portions of a frame member extending along a periphery of a brim of the hat are folded to overlap an exterior side of the top panel, and second portions of the frame member are folded to overlap an interior side of the top panel. The frame portions maintain a neat appearance for the top panel even after the hat has been repeatedly collapsed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to collapsible hats and to a method of collapsing the hat without crushing a top panel of a crown of the hat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collapsible hats are readily foldable to a relatively small, compact size rendering the folded hat easy to store in one""s pocket or purse and simple to transport from place to place. Such collapsible hats are often provided with wide brims and are especially useful as informal headwear such as sunhats, rainhats and sports hats. U.S. Pat. Nos. 480,041; 2,149,468; 2,495,041; 2,686,917; 4,096,590; 4,682,373; and 4,999,851 are exemplificative of such collapsible hats and methods of folding them.
Such collapsible hats are often provided with a metal wire or hoop in the outer periphery of the hat brim to impart a shape to the hat when worn. To collapse the hat, this hoop is twisted in a direction which folds and crushes a top panel of a crown of the hat. Repeated crushing of the top crown panel imparts a rumpled, worn look to the crown and detracts from the overall appearance of the hat when worn. The hoop does not serve to restore the crown to its original, unrumpled shape. Despite the informal nature of such hats, many wearers will not choose to wear hats having wrinkled and creased areas.
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a collapsible hat which is substantially unwrinkled and uncreased when worn.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel hat which is conveniently foldable to a compact size and volume for easy transport and storage.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel hat which is easily unfoldable to a head-covering, use condition.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel method of collapsing and folding the hat without crushing a top panel of a crown of the hat.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a hat which is durable in construction, easy to maintain, and long-lived in use, without sacrificing a pleasing appearance for the hat.
In keeping with these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of this invention resides, briefly stated, in a collapsible hat and in a method of collapsing and folding the hat between a collapsed, compact storage condition and a head-covering, use condition. The hat comprises a flexible brim having a generally annular shape in the use condition and having a compartment extending along an outer periphery of the brim, and a crown including a top panel having an exterior side and an interior side, and a collapsible, generally annular crown panel extending between the top panel and the brim. A frame member is received in the compartment, and has a predetermined, generally annular shape in the use condition in which the frame member shapes the brim. The frame member has first frame portions opposite each other, and second frame portions opposite each other and angularly spaced away from the first frame portions.
In accordance with one feature of this invention, the first frame portions are foldable to overlap the exterior side of the top panel in the collapsed condition, and the second frame portions are foldable to overlap the interior side of the top panel in the collapsed condition. Both the first and second frame portions protect the top panel from being folded and crushed in the collapsed condition, thereby enabling the top panel to maintain an uncreased, unwrinkled and unrumpled appearance when the hat is worn.
In a preferred embodiment, the brim and the crown are constituted of a fabric material, such as cloth, and the frame member is constituted of a resilient material, such as metal. The top panel has a generally circular shape and is stitched along a generally circular first seam to an upper region of the crown panel. The brim is stitched along a generally circular, second seam to a lower region of the crown panel.
Another advantageous feature resides in providing a binding strip stitched along the outer periphery of the brim. The strip bounds the compartment with the brim. The frame member is received within the compartment with clearance. Thus, it is the predetermined shape of the frame member that dictates the shape of the brim. The frame member can also be encased in a soft, flexible, cylindrical foam sleeve which fills out the compartment and provides a cushioned peripheral compartment.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Collapsible hat and method of collapsing the hat


A system and method for establishing secured communications pathways across an open unsecured network, without compromising the security of any parties to the communication, involves establishing secured gateways or firewalls between the Internet and any party which desires protection by 1.) using a smart card to distribute shared secret keys between a computer which serves as the above-mentioned firewall and a client node on the Internet; 2.) using the shared private keys to establish mutual authentication between the gateway and the smartcard; 3.) generating a session or temporary secret key for use in further communications between the gateway and the client node once communications have been established; and 4.) encrypting further communications using the session key.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for establishing secured communications pathways over an unsecured open network.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention involves the use of "smartcard" technology to facilitate the sending of authenticatable documents over the Internet. It may be used with the systems and methods described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/285,134, filed Aug. 3, 1994, and Ser. No. 08/416,045, filed Apr. 4, 1995. The first of the two copending applications describes the use of smartcard technology to digitally sign information for electronic authentication, while the second of the two applications describes the use of smartcard technology to facilitate electronic payments and protect account information transmitted over the Internet in connection with the payments. The present application involves the same smartcard technology described in the first two copending applications, but provides for mutual authentication of the parties to the communication upon the initial establishment of a communications channel, and the generation of a session key in order to secure the channel.
The Internet currently connects millions of users worldwide, and each individual user may possess one or more computers of any type, with access to the system occurring through what is referred to as a "client node." When a sensitive file is transmitted over an unsecured network such as the Internet, not only must the sender ensure that the file cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties, but the recipient is often faced with the challenge of verifying that a received document has not been tampered with, and that the purported sender is the actual originator of the document.
Current digital signature generating and file encryption methods, including DES and private/public key cryptosystems, provide adequate protection if both parties have the capability of generating the necessary keys. However, since the protection provided by a key is generally a function of the relative computing power between the key generator and those attempting to defeat the key, and since key generation technology often cannot be exported, key generation is best left to agencies known as "key servers," having the capability both of generating and protecting the keys thus generated.
A weakness of any system which relies on key servers lies in the initial establishment of communications between the parties to the communication and the key server. The same problems noted above, involving authentication of the parties to a communication, are also present in communications between the respective parties to a communication and the agency which provides encryption services to those parties, even though the key server might possess its own secured network. Also, once the parties to the communication are authenticated, there remains the problem of key distribution. Distribution of keys over the public network is obviously the most convenient method of key distribution, but such electronic transfer is generally less secure than distribution of keys by means other than electronic transfer or by means of a completely secured network line. The present invention seeks to address the problems of authentication and key distribution by providing; the gateway or firewall including a gateway processor with the client communicates directly during a session to develop a common session key without the need for key exchange over the network gateway or firewall between the key server and the Internet.
While the present invention is particularly well suited to the establishment of secured communications channels over the Internet itself, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the principles of the invention are generally applicable to any communications carried out over an unsecured network, in which a firewall needs to be established between at least one of the parties to the communication and the unsecured network. The invention can in general be used to protect any private network for which an Internet node is desired without compromising the privacy of the network, including government and commercial networks.
The present invention is thus designed to enable parties on a secured network to communicate via the Internet or the public network by establishing safe passage between the secured network and the party on the public network, while maintaining an otherwise impenetrable "firewall" between the public network and the secured network.

Application level security system and method


Methods of making bainitic steels may involve austenitizing a quantity of steel by exposing the quantity of steel to a first temperature. A composition of the quantity of steel may be configured to impede formation of non-bainite ferrite, pearlite, and Widmanstätten ferrite. The quantity of steel may be heat-treated to form bainite by exposing the quantity of steel to a second, lower temperature. The second, lower temperature may be stabilized by exposing the quantity of steel to the second, lower temperature in the presence of a thermal ballast.

Bainite has been a known phase of steel since at least 1930. However, the formation of bainite frequently involved the undesirable precipitation of carbides and the formation of brittle cementite. Recently, however, some techniques for suppressing the formation of such undesirable carbides have been developed. For example, Behzad Avishan et al., Retained Austenite Thermal Stability in a Nanostructured Bainitic Steel, 81 Materials Characterization 105 (2013) describes a bainitic steel composition including 0.91% by weight carbon, 1.58% by weight silicon, 1.98% by weight manganese, 0.06% by weight nickel, 0.25% by weight molybdenum, 1.12% by weight chromium, 1.37% by weight cobalt, and 0.53% by weight aluminum, with the balance being iron. After austenitizing, the samples are transferred to a salt bath for heat treatment. The samples are then quenched in water, resulting in the described bainitic steel.

Methods of making bainitic steel materials


A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99, characterized by its upright and mounded growth habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; and bright red-colored semi-double flowers.

Pelargoniumxc3x97hortorum cultivar xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargoniumxc3x97hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99.
The new Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new vigorous Zonal Geranium cultivars that flower uniformly and have attractive flower and foliage colors.
The new Geranium originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventor in 1998 of a proprietary Pelargoniumxc3x97hortorum selection identified as code number 5628-10, not patented. The cultivar xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from this self-pollination in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken at Arroyo Grande, Calif., since June, 2000 has shown that the unique features of this new Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Baldesreimxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Geranium cultivar:
1. Upright and mounded growth habit.
2. Freely basal branching habit.
3. Dark green-colored leaves.
4. Bright red-colored semi-double flowers.
Plants of the new Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selection in flower size and leaf coloration.
The new Geranium can be compared to the cultivar, xe2x80x98Americana Dark Redxe2x80x99, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,307. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Americana Dark Redxe2x80x99 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Geranium were taller but not as broad as plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Americana Dark Redxe2x80x99.
2. Leaves of plants of the new Geranium did not have distinct zonation patterns whereas leaves of plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Americana Dark Redxe2x80x99 had distinct zonation patterns.
3. Flower color of plants of the new Geranium was slightly more orange than flower color of plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Americana Dark Redxe2x80x99.

Ball FloraPlant, a division of Ball Horticultural Co.


An optical device includes a clad composed of a material having a first refractive index, a core which is embedded in the clad, composed of a material having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, and tapers toward the end-point thereof, and a light-transmitting layer which is composed of a material different from the material having the second refractive index and cuts across an optical path at the end-point thereof.

An optical waveguide which tapers toward the end thereof is widely known. Such an optical waveguide is widely used when producing near-field light. Utilization of such near-field light is sought after at the time of writing magnetic information. When a recording layer is heated by near-field light, the coercivity of the recording layer decreases. By writing magnetic information into the recording layer with the coercivity thus decreased, it is possible to increase resistance to magnetization within the recording layer against so-called heat fluctuations.

Optical output device, magnetic storage medium drive unit, and head slider


A large capacity reinforced swimming pool for use in an above-the-ground environment includes a flexible plastic liner for containing water. The liner includes a continuous sidewall and a bottom wall bonded to the sidewall by a joining seam. The continuous sidewall is formed from a partial outer layer and a partial inner layer. An inflatable top ring is mounted to the top of the sidewall for supporting the liner in an upright position. A continuous reinforcing layer is bonded to the continuous sidewall with a first plurality of continuous reinforcing seals for reinforcing the sidewall. A second plurality of continuous reinforcing seals located at an interface between the partial outer layer and the partial inner layer of the sidewall functions to reinforce the sidewall. Each of the first and second plurality of continuous reinforcing seals includes at least two seals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to above-the-ground swimming pools. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for a large capacity reinforced swimming pool for use above-the-ground which includes a continuous reinforcing layer bonded to a sidewall with a first plurality of reinforcing seals and a second plurality of reinforcing seals for reinforcing the sidewall against failing due to excessive water pressure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is directed to methods and apparatus for above-the-ground, large capacity swimming pools formed from flexible polymeric sheeting such as polyvinylchloride and typically used in the out-of-doors.
The science of dielectrically or Radio Frequency (RF) sealing polymeric or polyvinylchloride (PVC) materials of the prior art is well known in the plastics industry. The use of PVC sheeting for both in-the-ground and above-the-ground pool liners has become more popular in recent years. The initial applications of these pool liners originated with the PVC sheeting being used as pond and ditch liners. However, the uses of PVC sheeting has been expanded. As the strength of above-the-ground pool liners improved (including those supported by a skeletonal metal or plastic framework and those that were unsupported), the greater the depth of water the prior art pool liners could support. As a consequence, the resulting stress and strain on the above-the-ground prior art pool liners increased as the depth of water in the pool increased. Is it understood that if the stress and strain from the pressure created by the water in the pool exceeds a certain threshold, the seams (typically known as xe2x80x9cjoint seamsxe2x80x9d) that seal the liner sections together will leak or burst. This leakage in prior art pools typically occurred in the vertical sidewall of the liner especially when the static pressure of the water was augmented by the dynamic pressure created by people moving about in the pool.
In the prior art, a method used to counter or offset the harmful effects of the excessive water pressure on the sidewall of the pool was to increase the wall thickness and thus the strength of the liner. This prior art solution applied to any polymeric or plastic material. Thus, if the pool liner was a single sheet, i.e., single-ply, of polyvinylchloride (PVC), then the PVC sheet could be calendered thicker (where calendering is the manufacturing process of producing flexible PVC sheeting). In the limit, the point of diminishing returns was reached wherein calendering a thicker or heavier PVC liner sheet was no longer cost effective.
Another common technique employed in the prior art for producing stronger polymeric or plastic wall sheets involved bonding materials together in a lamination. This type of prior art lamination method is similar to lamination methods used in producing plywood sheets for the home construction industry.
In the plywood lamination method, two or more layers of thin wood were bonded together in a lamination resulting in plywood strengths far exceeding the sum total of the strengths of the individual layers. In the case of PVC laminations, it has been common practice in the prior art to sandwich a layer of synthetic fiber typically referred to as xe2x80x9cscrimxe2x80x9d between two PVC layers. An example of such a synthetic fiber sandwich known in the prior art includes a layer of polyester placed between two layers of PVC sheeting. The sandwich was then bonded together thermally and/or with an adhesive solution. Various lamination wall thicknesses with varying strengths could be achieved by varying the thicknesses of the PVC sheets and/or by varying the per square inch thread count of the scrim.
In the prior art, if (a) the single-ply PVC liner sheet is calendered thicker, or (b) the thickness of the PVC lamination is increased, unnecessarily high costs of materials are experienced if the increased thickness is applied to the entire sidewall. The strength required in the pool liner to offset the stress and strain of the water pressure is only required in the lower portion of the pool liner where the water pressure is the greatest. Consequently, if the increased thickness of materials is applied to the entire pool sidewall, the pool liner could be constructed to have a higher level of strength in the upper portion thereof then is necessary. This design of prior art pool liners can result in excessively high cost.
References describing flexible swimming pools of the prior art refer to single flexible plastic sheet components as being xe2x80x9cunitedxe2x80x9d. In the prior art, xe2x80x9cunitedxe2x80x9d components or sections enable the flexible pool apparatus to be assembled. The xe2x80x9cunitedxe2x80x9d portions are typically known in the prior art as a xe2x80x9cjoining seamxe2x80x9d. These xe2x80x9cjoining seamsxe2x80x9d are typically formed on relatively low power machines for this purpose (for example, ten kilowatt peak load having low pressure in pounds per square inch (psi) applied to PVC sheeting). Consequently, lower bonding heat is generated and less pressure is applied to the PVC sheeting materials so that all of the air gaps between the PVC sheet materials are not eliminated. The end result of this process produces a low power bond suitable for joining seams in products comprised of flexible PVC sheeting which do not require high strength seams or joints. Joining seams are low strength conventional seams known in the art and serve to join two or more plastic PVC pieces together. The bonding can be accomplished by the use of thermal, radio frequency (dielectric), ultrasonic and adhesive methods. In the thermal method, heat is employed to join (i.e., melt) the PVC sheeting components together. In the radio frequency or dielectric method, friction in the form of kinetic energy is generated within the PVC sheet materials that creates the bond. In the ultrasonic method, sound waves also create kinetic energy that enable the molecules of the two PVC sheets to marry together. Finally, use of adhesives serve to mechanically bond the two PVC sheets together.
Certain prior art patent references will be mentioned including U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,872 to Hasselquist, U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,673 to Hasselquist, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,961,061 to McCulloch. None of these patent references are directed to a large capacity swimming pool capable of containing a high volume of water. U.S. Pat. No. 2,529,872 to Hasselquist entitled Collapsible Container is prior art which specifically refers to portable wading pools, portable baths, wash tubs, and stock watering tanks. The single seals disclosed in Hasselquist ""872 are conventional xe2x80x9cjoining seamsxe2x80x9d located at separate locations. Seam 22 functions as a single conventional joining seam to connect the sidewall to the bottom piece. Seam 23 serves as a single conventional joining seam that forms the closure of an air chamber. Seams 15, 28 and 38 are also single conventional seams (in different embodiments) to serve to close an air chamber 16, 26 or 41. Each of these single conventional seams are located in different locations and assist in the assembly of the collapsible container. They do not serve a reinforcing function. The air chamber 16, 26 or 41 includes a vent 27 for trapping, not injecting, air therein. The drawing Figs. accompanying the ""872 patent specification illustrate two small children standing in a small child""s wading pool that has been filled by using a garden hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,673 to Hasselquist entitled Collapsible Container is prior art which also specifically refers to portable wading pools, portable storage tanks, baths, wash tubs, and stock watering tanks and containers. The ""673 patent specifically refers to providing improvements in the Hasselquist ""872 patent and thus discloses only single conventional joining seams for enabling the assembly of the wading pool. The joining seams are separated and are not used in any reinforcing capacity, for example, bottom circumferential seam 11. An annular sidewall 12 exhibits a double-walled construction and thus any reinforcing is provided by multiple full layers of material and not a reinforcing layer in combination with a plurality of reinforcing seals. The drawings accompanying the Hasselquist ""673 patent also illustrate a small child""s wading pool.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,961,061 to McCulloch entitled Collapsible Bathing Pool is prior art which specifically recites containers for water of a collapsible and portable nature. The different sections of water holding material are described as being xe2x80x9csuitable unitedxe2x80x9d which clearly indicates that the pool is assembled with single conventional xe2x80x9cjoining seamsxe2x80x9d. A plurality of reinforcing seals is not disclosed. A reinforcement of the sidewall is disclosed as being integral with one or more thicknesses of material from which the sidewalls are made. The reinforcement essentially is a separate sidewall layer, not a continuous reinforcing layer or strip including a plurality of reinforcing seals.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a large capacity reinforced swimming pool which exhibits a lamination-to-lamination bond about the horizontal perimeter of the pool which includes a continuous reinforcing layer and a first and second plurality of reinforcing seals which significantly improves the strength of the sidewall of the swimming pool against failure or bursting, while simultaneously providing a thin-walled, lightweight, robust, durable, flexible construction suitable for above-the-ground large capacity swimming pools containing a high volume of water.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved large capacity reinforced swimming pool for use in the above-the-ground environment which includes a continuous reinforcing layer in combination with a first plurality of continuous reinforcing seals and additionally a second plurality of continuous reinforcing seals, each for reinforcing a continuous sidewall and for preventing the failure thereof due to excessive water pressure in a lower half of the large capacity reinforced swimming pool.
In a preferred embodiment, the large capacity reinforced swimming pool includes a flexible liner typically comprised of a suitable plastic such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) sheeting for containing a fluid such as water. The plastic liner is typically circular in shape but can also exhibit other shapes including a rectangular shape. The plastic liner includes a continuous sidewall and a single-ply bottom wall fused to the sidewall with a joining seam. In the preferred embodiment, the continuous sidewall is formed from a partial outer layer and a partial inner layer. Mounted on top of the flexible liner via a joining seam is an inflatable top ring that when charged with air causes the plastic liner to be supported in an upright position when the pool is filled with water.
In the present invention, the continuous sidewall is reinforced to counter the pressure applied to the sidewall of the plastic liner by the static and dynamic pressure of the water in the large capacity reinforced swimming pool. In order to accomplish this goal, the sidewall includes a separate continuous reinforcing layer bonded to the continuous sidewall via a first plurality of continuous reinforcing seals. To further increase the reinforcement, the continuous sidewall also includes a second plurality of continuous reinforcing seals which are located between the partial outer layer and the partial inner layer of the sidewall. The bottom wall is separately attached to the continuous sidewall at an interface between the partial inner layer of the continuous sidewall and the bottom wall by a joining seam.
The present invention is generally directed to an above-the-ground, large capacity reinforced swimming pool for use in the out-of-doors. The inventive large capacity reinforced swimming pool provides an attractive and economical solution to an otherwise persistent problem. The reinforcing components need only be applied to a lower half of the swimming pool where the pressure applied to the sidewall from the water is the greatest. Further, the reinforcing scheme utilized, i.e., the width of the continuous reinforcing seals, can be varied depending upon the size and water volume capacity of the pool. In its most fundamental embodiment, the large capacity reinforced swimming pool includes a flexible plastic liner for containing water. The liner includes a continuous sidewall and a bottom wall bonded to the sidewall by a joining seam. The continuous sidewall is formed from a partial outer layer and a partial inner layer. An inflatable top ring is mounted to the top of the sidewall for supporting the liner in an upright position. A continuous reinforcing layer is bonded to the continuous sidewall with a first plurality of continuous reinforcing seals for reinforcing the sidewall. A second plurality of continuous reinforcing seals located at an interface between the partial outer layer and the partial inner layer of the sidewall function to reinforce the sidewall. Each of the first and second plurality of reinforcing seals comprise at least two seals.


A battery control IC includes a voltage measurement unit that measures, in a normal current mode, a voltage value of each of a plurality of unit battery cells forming a battery pack, and measures, in a short-time large-current mode, a voltage value of a unit battery cell that has exhibited a lowest voltage value in the normal current mode, and a calculation unit that calculates an available power value of the battery pack in the short-time large-current mode based on a voltage value, measured in the short-time large-current mode, of the unit battery cell that has exhibited the lowest voltage value in the normal current mode.

The present invention relates to a battery control IC (Integrated Circuit) and its control method.
Among the CPUs (Central Processing Units) installed in PCs (Personal Computers), there is a type of CPU that has a function of changing its operating frequency (hereinafter called "variable frequency function") in order to keep a balance among the power consumption, the calculation performance, and the reliability (life span). A CPU having the variable frequency function lowers the clock frequency in the normal operation state, and thereby prevents the increase of the power consumption, and/or maintains the CPU at a low temperature and thereby prevents the deterioration in the reliability. On the other hand, when the resource request from the application(s) increases, the CPU having the variable frequency function raises the clock frequency and thereby increases the calculation performance. However, if the clock frequency is kept at a high frequency for a long time, the power consumption and the temperature of the CPU increase and thus the reliability deteriorates. Therefore, the period during which the clock frequency is kept at a high frequency is limited to a short period such as 10 ms.
Note that when a CPU having a variable frequency function is driven by electric power supplied from a battery pack (battery) in which a plurality of secondary battery cells are combined, the clock frequency in the high-speed operation state is determined based on the amount of the available power of that battery pack. (More specifically, how much the clock frequency in the high-speed operation state should be increased from that in the normal operation state is determined based on the amount of the available power.) Note that it has been required that a battery control semiconductor integrated circuit device (hereinafter referred to as "battery control IC") that calculates the available power value of a battery pack should calculate the available power value of the battery pack immediately within the short period in which the high-speed operation is performed.
Incidentally, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-34016 discloses an evaluation apparatus that measures a detection current value of a discharge overcurrent with high accuracy. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-79059 discloses a vehicle-mounted battery pack control apparatus that prevents over-charging/over-discharging and is capable of widening the available capacity range of the battery with a simple configuration and thereby reducing the size and weight of the apparatus. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-51029 discloses a rechargeable battery including an internal circuit, capable of externally outputting the remaining capacity of the battery according to the usage state of the battery and capable of improving the usage efficiency of the rechargeable battery.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Battery control IC and control method therefore


A magnetic recording medium comprise a non-magnetic support and a magnetic layer formed thereon which is made of a composition comprising ferromagnetic particles and a resinous binder. The resinous binder comprises a polyurethane resin containing at least a high molecular polyol (A) and a diisocyanate (B) as its constituents. The high molecular polyol (A) comprises a polyol (a.sub.1) having a glass-transition temperature of 20.degree. C. or more and having a number average molecular weight in the range of 500 to 10,000, and the polyurethane resin has at least one hydroxyl group at its molecular terminals and the urethane bond concentration of the polyurethane resin is in the range of 500 to 1,500 equivalents/10.sup.6 g.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium such as a magnetic tape and a magnetic disk. More particularly, it relates to a magnetic recording medium which uses a polyurethane resin having excellent properties, as a resinous binder used in a magnetic layer formed on a non-magnetic support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, magnetic recording media such as magnetic tapes are produced by applying a magnetic coating composition to a polyethylene terephthalate film. The magnetic coating composition is usually prepared by dispersing needle-like magnetic particles having a long axis with a length of 1 .mu.m or less in a solution of a resinous binder together with appropriate additives such as dispersing agents, lubricating agents, and antistatic agents.
The resinous binders used in the magnetic recording media are required, not only to yield excellent dispersibility, filling efficiency, and orientation of magnetic particles, but also to provide the magnetic layer with excellent durability, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, and adhesion to the non-magnetic support. Thus, the resinous binders play a very important role. Examples of conventional resinous binders which have been hitherto used include vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol copolymers, vinyl chloride/vinylidene chloride copolymers, polyurethane resins, polyester resins, acrylonitrile/butadiene copolymers, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, epoxy resins, and acrylic resins.
In the magnetic recording media, in order to improve the S/N ratio (signal/noise ratio) and realize a high recording density, a high orientation and a smooth surface of the magnetic layer by filling more finely ground magnetic particles in the magnetic layer, or an adoption of magnetic particles which are hardly dispersible such as metal particles and barium ferrite particles have been tried in order to achieve these ends. Because of this, resinous binders which have satisfactory dispersibility are required. Moreover, in order to make the surface of the magnetic layer smooth, satisfactory running durability is required for resinous binders.
In addition, the above-mentioned demand for magnetic recording media is increasing along with the recent improvement of magnetic recording technique. Therefore, in actuality, the conventional polyurethane resin cannot satisfy the demand.

Magnetic recording medium comprising magnetic particles and a specified polyurethane resin


There is provided an ultrasound image picking-up device that can correct a positional shift from a reference image before therapy even with insufficient clarity of an ultrasound image. An image processing system includes a position recognition device 1 for recognizing a position to be recognized of an object; a cross sectional image processor 6 that computes cross sectional image data of the object including position information of the position to be recognized; a probe 2 that transmits and receives ultrasound to the object; a ultrasonic image processor 3 that computes a plurality of ultrasound image data based on the ultrasound received by the probe 2; an image selector 7 that selects ultrasound image data including the area to be recognized from the plurality of ultrasound image data; an image processor 4 that aligns, in the area to be recognized, the cross sectional image data with the ultrasound image data including the area to be recognized; and a display 5 that displays a processing result of the image processor.

An ultrasound diagnosis device as one of image diagnosis devices is easy to handle and can noninvasively observe an arbitrary cross section in real time, and is thus very widely used for diagnosis. Meanwhile, an ultrasound image picked up by the ultrasound diagnosis device is sometimes compared with a cross sectional image (hereinafter referred to as a reference image) picked up by a different image diagnosis device such as an X-ray CT device or an MRI device that more clearly visualizes shape information for comprehensive diagnosis.
Particularly, an MRI image can be picked up by various parameters (T1 enhancement, T2 enhancement, diffusion imaging, or the like), and information that is not included in the ultrasound image can be added. Thus, it is useful to compare a real-time ultrasound image with a previously picked-up reference image.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of correcting a shift in correspondence between a reference image and an ultrasound image. It is proposed that the disclosed correcting method is performed to correct the shift while it is small even if the shift occurs during image pickup, and thus the reference image and the ultrasound image are used in an easily linked state.
Patent Document 1: JP Patent Application Publication No. 2005-506006


A process for the continuous production of an aqueous, alkaline suspension of x-ray amorphous sodium aluminosilicate having a small particle size of at least 99% by volume of a particle size of less than 50.mu., suitable for conversion into zeolite sodium aluminosilicate of the smallest particle sizes, by mixing an aqueous sodium aluminate solution with an aqueous sodium silicate solution in the presence of excess sodium hydroxide solution at a temperature in the range of from 20.degree. to 103.degree. C., where the solutions being mixed have a mathematical total molar ratio of:. 1.5 to 9 Na.sub.2 O : 1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 : 1 to 7 SiO.sub.2 : 40 to 400 H.sub.2 O. consisting essentially of the steps of continuously passing one of said two aqueous solutions into the entrance of an elongated substantially circular cross-sectional reaction zone having a ratio of length to diameter of more than 500, continuously splitting the other aqueous solution into at least three partial streams, continuously passing the first of said partial streams into said entrance, continuously passing the mixed contents through said elongated reaction zone divided into a first zone where the mean holding time is from 5 to 60 seconds into a second zone of said elongated reaction zone, continuously passing the remainder of said partial streams separately into downstream zones of said elongated reaction zone, where said mean holding time of the reaction mixture in each of said separate zones of said elongated reaction zone is at least 5 seconds and sufficient to effect substantial mixing of said contents, the mean holding time in the entirety of said elongated substantially circular cross-section reaction zone being at least 3 minutes.

The subject of the invention is a process for the continuous preparation of x-ray amorphous sodium aluminosilicates of small particle size, capable of conversion into zeolitic sodium aluminosilicates of smallest particle size, by mixing an aqueous sodium aluminate solution with an aqueous sodium silicate solution in the presence of excess sodium hydroxide solution above room temperature.
On mixing sodium aluminate solutions with sodium silicate solutions under the mentioned conditions, particularly at temperatures above 60.degree. C., a precipitate of x-ray amorphous sodium aluminosilicate is formed instantaneously at all starting and concentration levels of the reaction partners commonly used in the technology. Of technological significance is especially the mixing solutions which give the following molar ratios of the reaction partners:
1.5 to 9 Na.sub.2 O:1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :1 to 7 SiO.sub.2 :40 to 400 H.sub.2 O. PA1 1 to 5 Na.sub.2 0:1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :1.8 to 4 SiO.sub.2. PA1 0.9 to 1.1 Na.sub.2 O:1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :1.8 to 4 SiO.sub.2 PA1 1.5 to 9 Na.sub.2 O:1 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :1 to 7 SiO.sub.2 :40 to 400 H.sub.2 O
An alkalinity exceeding this, a higher silicate content or a greater dilution of the precipitation batch are not technologically meaningful. A water content of the batch lower than that given above results in especially pronounced formation of lumps in the precipitate as well as nonhomogeneous products.
Within the mentioned batch ratios, an amorphous sodium aluminosilicate precipitates always primarily from a large excess of sodium hydroxide solution, which precipitate has a chemical composition corresponding to the molar ratios of:
After rinsing out the excess alkali, x-ray amorphous products are obtained with a chemical composition corresponding to the molar ratios of:
with a moisture content depending on the degree of drying. The silicate content of the precipitate depends largely on the molar ratio of SiO.sub.2 :Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 in the precipitation batch.
The instantaneously forming precipitates of amorphous sodium aluminosilicate upon mixing of aluminate solutions with silicate solutions above room temperature lead to the formation of a gel-like reaction mixture that has no fluidity at first. This, in the one hand, makes a thorough and complete mixing of the two reaction components and thus also the obtaining of a homogeneous reaction product difficult and, on the other hand, delays also a subsequent crystallization of the amorphous product, if this is desired. Beyond this, the effect causes the formation of a relatively coarse-grained product containing large proportions with a particle diameter exceeding 50.mu.. With a batch precipitation of sodium aluminosilicate, the no longer fluid reaction mixture usually can be liquefied again by a sufficiently long application of strong shear forces. Until now, however, a continuous precipitation of amorphous sodium aluminosilicate was made impossible by the brief available time, due to the continuous process at technologically significant rates, which was inadequate to break up or crush the nonfluid reaction mixture sufficiently to reliquefy it.

Continuous process for the production of amorphous sodium aluminosilicate in an elongated reaction zone

Deutsche Gold- und Silber-Scheideanstalt Vonmals Roessler


Containers having a container carrying body (30) and a removable lid (29) portion, both formed of thin light weight sheet material, and including a combined latching (13) and handle (9) system carried by the container carrying body (30). The handles (9) and locking tabs (13) are integrally attached to the carrying body (30). The lid (29) includes an opening through which the handle (9) can pass, and slots which can be engaged by the locking tabs (13) to secure the lid (29) to the container body (30). The tabs (13) are placed into locking position when the handles (9) are lifted into the carrying position through the lid (29). The handles (9), locking tabs (13), and container body (30) may be stamped from a single piece of thin light weight sheet material, thereby simplifying its construction and adding to the economy of the container. In one modification, the configuration of the carrying handles (9) allows a slotted liner ( 27) to be slipped over the handles (9), before the lid (29) is attached. Where the liner (27) is waterproof this renders the interior of the carrying body (30), and thus the container, waterproof, from the inside and so suitable as a cooler or for carrying liquids. As a substitute to a liner (27), coatings or films may be applied to the inside or outside surfaces of the container body (30) to make the container waterproof, increase its durability, enhance its thermal insulation qualities, or to provide other needed characteristics.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in containers formed of thin light weight sheet material, and is comprised of a container carrying body and a lid portion, wherein an improved latching and handle system carried by the container carrying body fastens a removable lid into place on the container carrying body when the handles are placed in the carrying position through an opening in the lid.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Many forms of lightweight cartons and containers exist which utilize handles and a variety of latching mechanisms. Most forms of such containers are intended for a single use, so that they are often destroyed while gaining access the contents of the container. Whether the container is destroyed or not, the latches are normally intended for limited use, are deformed or torn during the opening process, and so are not designed for reuse. Further, most lightweight cartons are formed from cardboard or corrugated paper, and are not designed to receive and secure leak proof linings which would allow the container to be usable as an ice containing cooler for wrapped food or cans, or to carry fluids, or for other specialized functions.
Consideration in the past has been given to providing handles and various forms of latches to a cardboard container, though there are disadvantages to the present designs. A cardboard container with a paperboard top and handle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,319 to Barrash (1980). The handle is integral with the paperboard top which is adhered to the cardboard bottom. The disadvantage of this design is that the lid is not removable and replaceable. Furthermore, the load from the container is transferred through adhesives to the handle. Failure of the adhesive would cause the container to fail. Integral latching tabs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,158 to Storms, et al. (1992). These tabs, though holding the lid in place under light loads, do not lock. The described container does not have a handle, and is of limited use.

Container with integral handles and locking tabs


In a facsimile apparatus having a V.17 MODEM, a controller examines a FIF of a received PPR. If all FIF bits are "1", the controller quickly transmits a CTC including transmission speed information by a V.21 MODEM then transmits a long training by a V.17 MODEM, transmission speed of which has been set to that indicated by the transmission speed information, and retransmits the frames required by the PPR at transmission speed of previous transmission of image information to the current retransmission or transmission speed slower than that of previous retransmission to the current retransmission. If there are any "0" bits in the FIF, the apparatus transmits a short training by the V.17 MODEM and retransmits the the frames required by the PPR at the transmission speed of the previous transmission of image information to the current transmission or transmission speed of previous retransmission to the current retransmission.

The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus which comprises a V.17 MODEM (modulator-demodulator) and performs ECM (Error Correction Mode) communication.
A conventional facsimile apparatus performs ECM communication in accordance with a procedure defined by CCITT Recommendation T.30.
A procedure of ECM transmission by a G3 (Group 3 in Classification of facsimile apparatus (Recommendation T.0)) facsimile apparatus having a V.17 MODEM will be described.
First, the G3 facsimile apparatus receives a NSF (Non-Standard Facilities), a CSI (Called Subscriber Identification) and a DIS (Digital Identification Signal) by a V 21 MODEM (300 bps), and transmits a NSS (Non-Standard Set-up), a TSI (Transmitting Subscriber Identification) and a DCS (Digital Command Signal) by the V.21 MODEM. Thereafter, the facsimile transmits a long training/TCF (Training Check) by a V.17 MODEM (14,400/12,000/9,600/7,200 bps).
After the transmission of the TCF, the facsimile apparatus receives a response from the receiving apparatus by the V.21 MODEM.
If the apparatus receives a FTT (Failure to Train) as the response, it slows transmission speed of the V.17 MODEM and repeats the transmission of the NSS, TSI and DCS by the V.21 MODEM and the transmission of the long training/TCF by the V.17 MODEM.
If the apparatus receives a CFR (Confirmation to Receive) as the response, it continuously transmits a short training, a HDLC (High Level Data Link Control) flag sequence `01111110`, a HDLC image signal and three RCP's (Return to Control for Partial Page) by the V.17 MODEM at the current transmission speed, thereafter, transmits a PPS-Q (Partial Page Signal, Q=either of MPS, EOM and EOP explained below) by the V.21 MODEM. It should be noted that the facsimile apparatus transmits as the PPS-Q:
1) a PPS -NULL, PA0 2) if the image signal indicates a complete page, PA0 1) If a PPS-Q has been received, PA0 2) If a CTC has been received,
if the image signal transmitted to the receiving apparatus indicates a partial page.
a) a PPS-MPS (Multi-Page Signal), if the current page is not the last page of the original.
b) a PPS-EOM (End of Message), if the current page is the last page and the current mode is changed.
c) a PPS-EOP (End of Procedure), if the current page is the last page and the current mode is not changed.
Then, the apparatus receives a response from the receiving apparatus by the V.21 MODEM.
If the apparatus receives a PPR (Partial Page Request) as the response, it continuously transmits a short training, HDLC flag sequence, the frames required by a FIF (Facsimile Information Field) in the PPR and a RCP and retransmits the PPS-Q by the V.21 MODEM.
Further, if the apparatus receives a MCF (Message Confirmation) as the response, it performs following procedures corresponding to the PPS-Q:
1) If the PPS-Q is PPS-NULL or PPS-MPS,
it transmits a short training, a HDLC flag sequence, a HDLC image signal of a next partial page or a next page and a RCP by the V.17 MODEM. PA1 it transmits a DCN (Disconnect) by the V.21 MODEM and releases the line to terminate the communication. PA1 it returns to phase B and wait to receive a NSF, a CSI and DIS by the V.21 MODEM PA1 it transmits a PPR requiring retransmission of the error frames to the transmitting apparatus by the V.21 MODEM, and then receives a short training and the error frames from the transmitting apparatus. PA1 it transmits a MCF to the transmitting apparatus by the V.21 MODEM and performs a next procedure in accordance with the received PPS-Q,
2) If the PPS-Q is a PPS-EOP,
3) If the PPS-Q is a PPS-EOM,
If the facsimile apparatus receives a PPR as a response to the PPS-Q four times, it transmits a CTC (Continue to Correct) having transmission speed information and then receives a response from the receiving apparatus by the V.21 MODEM.
If the facsimile apparatus receives a CTR (continue to Retransmit) as the response, it changes the transmission speed of the V.17 MODEM to a value set in the CTC, retransmits the long training, the frames required by the FIF in the PPR and the RCP, and continues to perform the procedure.
If the facsimile apparatus does not receive a CTR as the response, it transmits a DCN by the V.21 MODEM and releases the line to terminate the communication.
Next, a procedure of ECM reception by the G3 facsimile apparatus having the V.17 MODEM will be described below.
When the facsimile apparatus receives a call, it transmits a CED (Called Station Identification), thereafter, transmits a NSF, a CSI and a DIS by a V.21 MODEM. The apparatus receives a NSS, a TSI and a DCS from the transmitting apparatus by the V.21 MODEM and sets transmission speed of the V.17 MODEM in accordance with transmission speed information included in the received DCS to receive a long training/TCF from the transmitting apparatus.
If the facsimile apparatus does not receive the TCF correctly, it transmits a FTT by the V.21 MODEM and rereceives a NSS, a TSI and a DCS. If the facsimile apparatus receives the TCF correctly, it transmits a CFR via the V.21 MODEM and receives such as a short training, a HDLC flag sequence and a HDLC image signal. After the apparatus receives at least one RCP frame, it quits signal reception status by the V.17 MODEM.
Next, the facsimile apparatus receives a PPS-Q or a CTC by the V.21 MODEM. The apparatus performs following procedures in accordance with a received signal.
a) if there are error frames in the received image signal,
b) if there is no error frame in the received image signal,
i) if the PPS-Q is a PPS-NULL or a PPS-MPS, it receives a short training or an image signal indicative of a partial/next page by the V.17 MODEM. PA2 ii) if the PPS-Q is a PPS-EOM, PA2 iii) if the PPS-Q is a PPS-EOP,
it returns to the phase B after T2 (6 sec.) has passed and transmits a NSF, a CSI and a DIS by the V.21 MODEM. PA3 it receives a DCN by the V.21 MODEM and releases the line to terminate the communication.
it transmits a CTR by the V.21 MODEM, sets the transmission speed of the V.17 MODEM in accordance with transmission speed information included in the received CTC and receives a long training, a HDLC image signal and the like.
In the above-described conventional ECM communication protocol, if there is an error in a short training, or if there occur many errors in image signal frames, the transmitting facsimile apparatus repeats transmission of the same block till it receives a fourth PPR. The receiving apparatus receives the same block four times, cannot receive a long training nor correctly demodulate the image signal till it transmits the fourth PPR to the transmitting apparatus.
For this reason, if many errors occur in the conventional ECM communication, the communication time period is prolonged.


A processing apparatus having a function to perform specific processing based on a request from a terminal is provided. The processing apparatus includes a connection portion configured to connect the processing apparatus to the terminal; and a processor configured to control the terminal to display a second screen including a part or a whole of a first screen, the first screen having been displayed in the terminal by another processing apparatus with the function before the processing apparatus connects to the terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus, a display method used in a terminal connected to the processing apparatus, and so on.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses have attained widespread use which have a variety of functions such as copying, scanning, faxing, document managing, and image editing. Such image forming apparatuses are sometimes called "multifunction devices" or "Multi-Functional Peripherals (MFPs)".
Such an image forming apparatus is usually provided with a touch-sensitive panel display. A wide variety of screens is displayed on the touch-sensitive panel display. The screens are used to operate the image forming apparatus. Technologies have been proposed with which such a screen is displayed in a portable terminal, e.g., a tablet computer and a smartphone, and the image forming apparatus performs processing in accordance with remote operation from the portable terminal.
One of the technologies is as follows. Control is made in such a manner that, if a distance between an information processing apparatus (image forming apparatus) and a mobile terminal (terminal) is smaller than a predetermined distance, then the mobile terminal enters into a cooperative panel mode which allows the mobile terminal to display a part which cannot be displayed in a display portion of the information processing apparatus. Further, control is made in such a manner that, if the distance between the information processing apparatus and the mobile terminal is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, then the mobile terminal enters into a remote panel mode which allows the mobile terminal by itself to operate the information processing apparatus (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2013-223137).
Another one of the technologies is as follows. A control device includes: a retrieval request receiving part for receiving a request to retrieve an operation screen that is registered in one of other image forming devices which are connected with an image forming device; a retrieval part for retrieving the operation screen matching with a retrieval condition; a display control part for displaying the retrieved operation screen on a display device provided for the image forming device; a receiving part for receiving an instruction to the one of the other image forming devices from a user via the operation screen of the one of the other image forming devices which is displayed on the display device; and a transmission part for transmitting the instruction, which is received from the user via the operation screen of the one of the other image forming devices, to the one of the other image forming devices (English Abstract of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-203152).
One facility sometimes has a plurality of image forming apparatuses. In recent years, the image forming apparatuses and users thereof have been centrally managed by a server. This enables a user to use an image forming apparatus located close to him/her.
Further, terminals such as tablet computers and smartphones have come into widespread use. A user carries around such a terminal and use the terminal in various places of the facility.

System for displaying screen(s) on a remote terminal while using multiple peripheral devices


A low voltage two wire dimming circuit comprises a voltage compensating circuit for regulating the RMS value of an AC voltage applied to a load and a correcting circuit for eliminating damaging DC current that may flow through the load. The voltage compensating circuit adjusts the firing angle of an electronic switch disposed in the dimming circuit to compensate for fluctuations in the AC supply voltage. The correcting circuit advances or retards the firing angle during selected half cycles to correct for asymmetries in the AC load voltage waveform caused by excessive DC current. According to the invention, there is also provided a two wire low voltage dimming circuit without voltage compensation but having improved dimming ability at low load currents and improved resistance to the flow of damaging DC currents.

The present invention relates generally to a dimmer circuit for controlling the RMS value of an AC voltage applied to a load. In particular, the present invention relates to a two wire dimmer circuit for use with reactive loads where damaging DC load current may be present. The present invention embodies correction means for decreasing damaging DC current flowing through the load and voltage compensating means for regulating the RMS value of the AC voltage applied to the load. A two wire low voltage dimming circuit without voltage compensating means but having improved dimming ability at low load currents is also disclosed.
The present invention has particular application to low voltage dimming systems wherein the load is a low voltage transformer. However, the present invention also has application to other types of loads, such as fluorsecent lighting systems.
Two wire dimming circuits are known. One conventional type of two wire dimming circuit comprises a triac and a double phase shift firing circuit operatively connected to the triac's gate terminal. The double phase shift firing circuit employs a series R-C circuit that is coupled across the triac, and a firing capacitor coupled to the R-C circuit by means of a potentiometer and to the gate terminal of the triac by means of a diac. This circuit corrects for damaging DC currents that are known to flow through reactive loads, such as the primary winding of a low voltage transformer, by adjusting the firing angle of the triac in selected half cycles of the waveform of the AC load voltage in the following manner. The DC component appears across the triac and hence also across what is known as the "leading capacitor". The leading capacitor is the capacitor in the before referenced series R-C circuit. Since the leading capacitor is connected to the firing capacitor through the potentiometer, the DC voltage across the leading capacitor is added to the voltage across the firing capacitor and the firing angle is altered to decrease the DC current.
While the aforementioned two wire dimming circuit is capable of solving the DC current problem that is known to exist in reactive loads, it exhibits poor voltage regulation. That is, it is not capable of maintaining the RMS value of the AC voltage applied to the load substantially constant with fluctuations in the AC supply voltage. It is known to modify such a two wire dimmer so that it exhibits good voltage regulation by replacing the leading capacitor with a diac. The modified circuit, however, cannot correct for the DC current problem once the leading capacitor has been removed.
Three wire dimming circuits are also known. In a three wire dimming circuit, two of the wires are connected directly to the AC supply voltage and the firing angle is determined from the voltage across the AC supply. Thus, the firing angle is not affected by DC currents that may flow through the load. It is known to those skilled in the art to incorporate a voltage regulating diac in the three wire dimmer's firing circuit. Such a three wire dimmer exhibits good voltage regulation and does not exhibit the DC current problem. Three wire dimmers, however, are undesirable because three wires (AC hot, AC neutral and load) must be run to each wall box, thus requiring additional installation cost.
The present invention overcomes the failings of the prior art by incorporating both a voltage regulation circuit and a DC current correction circuit in a two wire dimmer.


An umbrella supporting device for detachably supporting an umbrella substantially in an upright position at the center of the handlebar of a bicycle. A supporting post is removably attached substantially in an upright position to the stem of the handlebar of the bicycle. The supporting post is divided into upper and lower post members, the former of which is telescopically received and locked in position in the latter. A clamping mechanism is attached to the upper end of the upper post member so as to detachably clamp the handle of the umbrella. The clamping mechanism has a pair of clamping members, the inner sides of which face each other so as to hold inbetween the umbrella handle. An operating lever or bar is used to bring, when manually operated, one of the clamping members toward the other for the clamping purpose. A bracket is fixed to the lower end of the lower post member and is formed with a lock hole, which is sized and positioned to admit the head lock nut of the bicycle so that the umbrella supporting device as a whole can be locked at the handlebar stem of the bicycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle, and more particularly to an umbrella supporting device for supporting an umbrella in position on a bicycle so as to obviate a danger which might otherwise take place if a person rides a bicycle with the umbrella in his one hand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In case a person rides a bicycle under rainy or hot weather, he has to handle the bicycle with his one hand because he carries an umbrella with his other hand. This one-hand ride will often cause a dangerous fall accident as a result the rider loses balance of his body while he is riding up and down on a hill or in rainy weather.


A low friction syringe comprising, a barrel defining a chamber, a plunger having a distal end received in the barrel chamber, and a plug of elastic material having a body portion secured to the distal end of the plunger. The plug has first and second annular flanges respectively extending forwardly and rearwardly from the body portion. The first and second flanges have an enlarged outer annular lip lightly contacting an inner surface of the barrel, and an annular hinge portion adjacent the body portion to permit flexation of the flanges responsive to differential pressures between a cavity intermediate the flanges and either the chamber or the atmosphere. The flanges also permit free movement of the plug in the chamber under relatively low friction between the plug and the syringe barrel.

The present invention relates to syringes, and more particularly to syringes which are useful for certain medical procedures.
In recent years, gas analysis of arterial blood has become one of the most important laboratory tests in the management of patients with respiratory and metabolic disorders. However, the collection of a satisfactory arterial blood sample from a patient for analysis has posed a number of difficulties. Initially, in some patients it may be somewhat difficult to ascertain whether the collection device has received arterial or venous blood without measuring for the relatively high arterial pressures during collection. Second, the collection device should minimize contact of the blood sample with air since the air may affect the results of gas analysis. It is also desirable that the sample should not be collected in the presence of a vacuum, since it is believed that the vacuum may modify the gas characteristics of the sample. Finally, the device must prevent coagulation of the blood sample, and should be in a suitable form to permit closure of the sample to air and chilling during the period of time between collection and analysis.
In the past, plastic and ground glass syringes with a needle have been commonly used to collect the samples. However, prior syringes with rubber plugs of conventional design have proven deficient for such purposes due to the relatively high resistance between the syringe plunger and barrel. The plunger resistance in conventional plastic syringes prevents movement of the plunger responsive to arterial pressure alone, and requires that the plunger be manually withdrawn, thus creating an undesirable vacuum in the syringe chamber during collection. Further, since the plungers of such plastic syringes are not sufficiently mobile to move under arterial pressure, they do not provide an indication whether arterial or venous blood is being collected. Although the plungers of the ground glass syringes may be used to detect arterial pressure, the ground glass syringes are excessively expensive relative the plastic syringes.
During other medical procedures, such as an epidural anesthesia procedure, it is necessary to position the tip of a needle at a relatively precise position inside the patient's body. During this particular procedure, the needle tip should be located in the potential epidural space where the body pressure during insertion of the needle is normally slightly negative. If the needle tip has been advanced too far into the body, it projects through the dura mater into the subarachnoid space where the body pressure is positive. A ground glass syringe may be utilized in this procedure to determine the location of the needle tip through use of the relative body pressures, but conventional plastic syringes have not been sufficiently responsive to pressures for this purpose. Since syringes are normally considered a disposable item, it is desirable to reduce their cost to the hospital and patient below that of the relatively expensive ground glass syringes.


A system that efficiently captures and utilizes the maximum generation capacity of an alternate energy source is disclosed. A first power converter is provided between the alternate energy source and a load. The first power converter is selected such that the capacity of the power converter is less than the generation capacity of the alternate energy source. A second power converter is selected such that the capacity of the second converter is at least equal to the difference between the capacity of the alternate energy source and the first power converter. A battery is provided to store the additional energy generated by the alternate energy source, and the second power converter is connected between the output of the alternate energy source and the battery. The power output from the first power converter is utilized to control operation of the second power converter.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system for managing power flow between an alternate energy source and a storage device. More specifically, a first power converter is connected between the output of the alternate energy source and a load and a second power converter is connected between the output of the alternate energy source and the storage device, and operation of the power converters is controlled to provide consistent and predictable power to the load.
As is known to those skilled in the art, alternate energy sources often have a variable power generation capacity and generate a voltage having a variable amplitude and/or frequency. For example, a photovoltaic (PV) array generates a DC voltage and current having amplitudes that are a function of the light incident on the PV panel. As the angle of the sun varies in the sky or as clouds pass between the sun and a PV panel, the amount and intensity of light incident on the PV panel changes, thereby varying the energy generated by the PV panel. Similarly, a wind turbine rotates as a function of the wind speed passing over the blades of the wind turbine. The alternator driven by the rotating blades, therefore, generates a voltage having a variable frequency and/or amplitude as a function of the wind speed.
It is desirable to convert the variable voltage generated by the alternate energy sources to a voltage having an amplitude and/or frequency that remains generally constant or within an acceptable range of variation in order to provide the voltage to a load or back to the utility power grid. Historically, it has been known to provide a first power converter between the output of the alternate energy source and the load or the utility grid in order to convert the variable power generated by the alternate energy source to a constant power that may be provided to a load or to the utility power grid.
Due to the variable nature of energy generation, there may be periods of time when the alternate energy source generates more energy than required by loads connected to the system. It is desirable to provide energy storage to capture the energy generated during these periods. The energy stored during periods of excess generating capacity may subsequently be provided to the loads during periods in which the generating capacity is less than the energy required by the loads. Historically, a second power converter has been provided to regulate energy transfer to and from the energy storage device. During periods of excess energy generation when power is being transferred to the energy storage device, the energy storage device and power converter operate as a load to the alternate energy source. Similar to other loads, it is desirable to connect the power converter to an energy source delivering a constant voltage. The second power converter is, therefore, typically connected at the output of the first power converter.
As is understood in the art, the first power converter, may utilize a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) routine to control the power transfer from the alternate energy source to the load. The MPPT routine controls the rate at which energy is transferred from the alternate energy source to the load, and, as the name implies, keeps the first power converter operating at a point where the first power converter transfers power at a maximum efficiency as a function of the amount of power being generated.
Operation of the first power converter under a MPPT routine, however, does not necessarily result in the maximum power available being transferred from the alternate energy source. Because the size and cost of power conversion devices increases as the power ratings of the devices increase and because an alternate energy generating source may not regularly generate at its peak capacity, it may not be cost effective to provide a power converter capable of transferring all of the energy generated when the alternate energy source is operating at its peak generation capacity. Providing a power converter capable of transferring the peak energy that may be output by the alternate energy source will result in the power converter regularly operating at less than its rated capacity. This excess capacity of the power converter results in a more expensive power converter, which also requires more space for installation. Thus, it may be more economical to provide a power converter between the output of the alternate energy source and the load that is rated at less than the peak capacity of the alternate energy source. The cost and size required for installation of the power converter may be reduced while allowing the power converter to more regularly operate at its rated capacity.
However, because the power converter is rated at less than the maximum generation capacity of the alternate energy source, periods of time exist during which some of the capacity of the alternate energy source is lost. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system that efficiently captures and utilizes the maximum generation capacity of the alternate energy source.

Method and apparatus for managing power flow between an alternate energy source and a storage device


Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator that provides for enhanced performance of telecommunication systems employing varying-soliton signal propagation and dispersion compensation. Allowing the solitons to change in amplitude, width and shape while traversing the dispersion compensating optical regenerator provides for beneficial system performance including improved signal to noise ratio at the receiver, reduced impact of signal interactions, and longer regenerator spacing. The regenerator in accord with the invention combines the filtering features of a NOLM or NALM with the advantageous effects of dispersion compensation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a signal regenerator for use in an optical communication system, and particularly to such a regenerator that combines dispersion compensation with the saturable absorption properties of a nonlinear optical loop mirror or a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror.
2. Technical Background
The concept of dispersion management emerged early in the development stages of optical waveguide systems. Dispersion management is enabled by the property of waveguides fibers that allows adjustment of the waveguide dispersion by alteration of the optical waveguide fiber refractive index profile. In particular, the waveguide dispersion can be made to substantially cancel, i.e., subtract from, the material dispersion to provide a waveguide fiber having a total dispersion near zero over an extended wavelength range. The total dispersion of a waveguide fiber (also called the chromatic dispersion or the group velocity dispersion) is the algebraic sum of the waveguide dispersion and the material dispersion of the optical waveguide fiber. The convention in the art is to assign a positive value to total dispersion if the total dispersion causes light of shorter wavelength to travel at a higher speed in the fiber in comparison to the speed of longer wavelength light. Conversely; negative total dispersion causes light of longer wavelength to travel at higher speed in the fiber.
The waveguide dispersion can be altered to provide waveguide fibers that have a zero dispersion wavelength at any point in a wide wavelength range. For example zero dispersion wavelength of a waveguide fiber can be placed anywhere in the range from 200 nm to 2000 nm. In addition, the slope of the total dispersion can be made positive or negative essentially independently of the placement of the zero dispersion wavelength. These capabilities allow dispersion compensation to be achieved by altering the sign of the total dispersion along the length of an individual waveguide fiber. Further, dispersion compensation can be achieved on an overall system basis by forming the system of positive and negative waveguide fibers. The accumulated dispersion of a system is determined by adding the dispersion products of the waveguides that make up the system length and dividing by the total system length. The dispersion product of a waveguide fiber is defined as the total dispersion of the waveguide fiber in ps/nm-km multiplied by the length of the fiber.
As a valuable adjunct to dispersion management is the optical amplifier, which is used to manage attenuation. Dispersion management combined with optical amplification raises the possibility of a dispersion and attenuation free system, having repeater spacing limited only by spontaneous noise from the amplifiers, frequency chirping of the signal source, and non-linear optical effects.
A signal regenerator module that, in addition to compensating dispersion and attenuation, also removed spontaneous noise, pulse timing jitter, and reduced or eliminated non-linear effects would serve to greatly decrease system cost by preserving signal pulse integrity in systems having larger regenerator spacing than is possible with present systems using standard regenerators.
Recent theoretical and experimental (PCT WO 98/36512; Golovchenko et al, Electronics Letters, v. 33, n. 9, p. 73, (1997); Nakawaw, et al, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, v. 8, n. 8, p. 1088, 1996; F. Favre. Et al, Electronic Letters, v. 33, n. 25, p. 2135, (1997); T. Yu, Optics Letters, v. 22, n. 11, p. 793, (1997)) work in dispersion managed systems employing a return-to-zero (RZ) format for soliton signals has shown that allowing the RZ soliton signals to alternately broaden in highly dispersive optical waveguide fiber of one sign and then contract in highly dispersive optical waveguide fiber of the other sign has a beneficial impact on overall signal integrity. For example, the RZ soliton signals could broaden in positive dispersion optical fiber and then contract in negative dispersion optical fiber. In particular in varying-soliton signals, timing jitter due to amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is reduced, signal-to-noise-ratio in the receiver (SNR) is improved, the impact of discrete amplifier power perturbations is reduced, and the deleterious effects of signal collisions or multi-wavelength signal interactions is reduced.
An opportunity therefore exists to exploit this advantageous combination in systems using an RZ format. Furthermore, the combination can be configured to further enhance the beneficial effect on the varying-soliton signals.
Throughout this application the term varying-soliton(s) is used to describe RZ (return to zero) signal pulse(s), i.e., soliton pulses whose amplitude, width, or shape are caused to vary along at least a portion of the waveguide fiber, in particular along the waveguide fibers of the dispersion compensating optical regenerator in accord with the invention. This designation of varying-soliton distinguishes the signal pulses of the present application from those that propagate in systems designed to maintain ideal, i.e., invariant, soliton signals. It also distinguishes the signal pulses of the present application from non-return-to-zero pulses used in commercial systems today.
One aspect of the present invention is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator for use in a waveguide fiber telecommunications system. This passive optical component combines the functions of dispersion compensation with signal regeneration, where signal regeneration includes recovering signal amplitude and shape. The dispersion compensating optical regenerator system comprises a positive total dispersion waveguide fiber for the transmission fiber and a negative total dispersion waveguide fiber for dispersion compensation, where the negative dispersion waveguide fiber is a part of a non-linear optical loop mirror (NOLM) or a non-linear amplifying loop mirror (NALM). The respective positive and negative total dispersion waveguide fibers have respective lengths and total dispersion magnitudes selected to provide a pre-selected amount of dispersion compensation. In particular, the waveguide fiber dispersion products, i.e., the product obtained by multiplying fiber total dispersion by fiber length, of the respective waveguide fibers are added algebraically. The respective fiber lengths and dispersions are chosen such that the magnitude of the algebraic sum is made to fall within a desired range.
An advantageous range is one that does not include zero, thereby limiting resonant non-linear phenomenon of four wave mixing. Another advantageous range choice is one in which the algebraic sum is positive, thereby allowing for formation and propagation of soliton pulses. The invention is particularly suited for use in varying-soliton transmission as will be pointed out in the detailed description below. The upper limit of the algebraic sum should be small to limit dispersion power penalty. Thus a preferred range of total average dispersion of the system is 0.01 to 5.0 ps/nm-km and a more preferred range is 0.1 to 1 ps/nm-km.
In an embodiment of this first aspect of the invention, the phase shifting means is an asymmetrical coupler that divides the signal pulses into counter-propagating pulses having different amplitude. The higher amplitude pulses corresponding to one of the propagation directions will undergo a larger phase shift due to self phase modulation.
In another embodiment, the respective amplitudes of the counter-propagating pulses are made asymmetric by an optical amplifier asymmetrically placed along the length of the optical waveguide fiber comprising the loop mirror. An alternative statement of the asymmetric placement of the optical amplifier is that the length of the fiber of the loop mirror coupled to one port of the amplifier is different from the length coupled to the other port of the amplifier. In this case the optical amplifier has two ports, one for signal input and one for signal output, where the ports are symmetrical in that either port can be the input or output port. The optical amplifier can be selected to amplify the varying-soliton signals coupled out of the loop mirror to an extent that the insertion loss due to the loop mirror (signal power lost in traversing the loop mirror) is compensated. This selection of amplifier obviates the need for a post-loop-mirror-amplifier sometimes used to compensate loop mirror insertion loss.
In either of the above embodiments, a polarization controller coupled in series with the waveguide fiber of the loop mirror can be used to insure that low intensities come out the input of the central coupler, i.e., are reflected, while high intensities come out the output of the central couple, i.e., are transmitted. A polarization controller is known to produce a linear phase shift in signals passing therethrough such that it controls the fiber port through which the signal exits the loop.
In any of the preceding embodiments, a phase shift of 180 degrees (xcfx80 radians) between the counter-propagating signals is desirable, because the 180 degree phase shift insures maximum signal power is coupled out of the loop mirror.
In a further embodiment of this first aspect of the invention the phase shifting means can be selected from the group consisting of an asymmetrical coupler or an asymmetrically placed optical amplifier, either a discrete erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) or a Raman optical amplifier. Any combination of these phase shifting means can be used to obtained the desired phase shift, which in most systems is a 180 degree (xcfx80 radians) phase shift. For example, an EDFA could be used together with an asymmetrical coupler, where the amplifier could be used to compensate for too high or two low an asymmetric power division of the signals by the coupler.
Asymmetric Raman amplification is created in the fiber loop by coupling pump light into the loop fiber in only one direction near the central coupler. Amplification is highest where the pump power is greatest. In fact, Raman gain in units of decibels is directly proportional to pump power in linear units of Watts.
In an embodiment of this first aspect of the invention, the optical waveguide fiber of the loop mirror is selected to have a negative total dispersion in the range of xe2x88x9270 ps/nm-km to xe2x88x92100 ps/nm-km. Preferably the negative dispersion waveguide fiber of the loop mirror has an effective area in the range 20 xcexcm2 to 40 xcexcm2 and a non-linear refractive index not less than 2xc3x9710xe2x88x9220 m2/Watt, where the watt refers to the signal pulse power. More preferably the negative total dispersion of the fiber of the loop mirror is in the range xe2x88x9280 ps/nm-km to xe2x88x9290 ps/nm-km, the effective area is in the range 20 xcexcm2 to 30 xcexcm2, and the non-linear refractive index is in the range 2.5 m2/W to 4 m2/W.
A further embodiment of the invention includes an optical preamplifier coupled to the regenerator to increase the amplitude of signals propagating from the preamplifier to the loop mirror such that the signal amplitude in the loop mirror is above the threshold amplitude at which the signal undergoes self phase modulation.
In another aspect, the present invention is an optical waveguide telecommunication system which includes a signal transmitter optically coupled to a signal receiver by means of an optical waveguide fiber. Incorporated in series arrangement into the waveguide fiber is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator as set forth in the first aspect of the invention. The telecommunications system is particularly suited to varying-soliton pulse propagation because of the features of the dispersion compensating optical regenerator.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in part will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from that description or recognized by practicing the invention as described herein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary of the invention, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.

Waveguide fiber dispersion compensating regenerator


A method for performing root cause analysis of failures in a computer network is provided. The method includes receiving an Adaptive Service Intelligence (ASI) data set related to one or more failures reported in the computer network from a plurality of interfaces. One or more impact events associated with the reported failures are identified based on the received ASI data set. Each of the identified impact events is correlated with one or more cause events. A situation record is selectively generated based on the correlation results.

In today's highly competitive telecommunications industry, service providers provide customers (subscribers) with a wide variety of voice, data, video, and internet services. Because of the complexity of service provider network systems and network equipment being deployed in the field to provide such services, service providers must utilize highly trained technicians to install and fix problems encountered by subscribers.
Typically, service providers utilize call centers that have trained personnel to answer calls from subscribers, to perform the analysis of the problem and to provide a proposed solution. More technical issues are typically referred to tier 2 and tier 3 technicians. Due to the complexity of the systems involved, such call centers may receive a very large number of support calls from subscribers or technicians in the field. Typically, the trained personnel answering the calls begin troubleshooting by performing triage in order to determine, for example, whether the reported problem is related to either radio or core network, whether the problem is subscriber specific or systemic to a subset of subscribers, and so on. After performing the triage the trained support personnel usually apply their empirical knowledge to ascertain possible root causes of the reported problems and to assist with resolution of such problems. However, such calls can be costly in terms of time and resources needed to train the personnel answering the calls from subscribers, and in terms of the time and resources utilized by employing such trained personnel. Furthermore, reducing mean time to repair (MTTR) became of paramount importance and anything that can reduce it, leads to greater return on investment (ROI) for customers.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a more efficient troubleshooting process in various computer networks.