A method, and related apparatus, for recognizing alphanumeric characters within a sample includes applying ideal alphanumeric character templates to the sample to identify each template which is included substantially within the sample. A template will be considered to be included substantially within the sample even if the sample has portions thereof with which the template does not substantially correspond or substantially match. That is, a template can be considered to be included substantially within the sample even if the template and the sample do not have a substantially one-to-one symmetrical correspondence. Of all of the templates which are identified as included substantially within the sample, the template having the most information (e.g., the template which requires the largest number of data points to define its shape) is selected as a recognized version of the sample.

Automated text recognition involves using digital computers to recognize letters and digits from a predefined "alphabet" of templates. A typical automated text recognition system measures the similarity between a sample to be recognized and each of the predefined templates with a symmetrical mathematical measurement. Despite continuous research efforts for almost four decades, the performance of known automated text recognition systems generally does not compare to the capabilities of a human in recognizing text such as cursive script which typically varies in many respects including size and style.
Traditionally, two approaches have been used for automated text and/or pattern recognition: a statistical approach and a linguistic approach. The general idea of both approaches is to select a set of measurements called features (e.g., the density of black pixels, the number of loops in the character to be recognized, the type and position of a stroke) and to implement a set of decision rules which constitute a classifier. Because of variability across samples of the same pattern class, the features generally are unknown and are thus modeled as random variables. These random variables define a feature space. In the statistical approach, the feature space is partitioned according to the set of decision rules into regions corresponding to different patterns (e.g., one region for A, another region for B, etc.). Given an unknown sample pattern to be recognized, the procedure in the statistical approach is to: extract a vector of features; determine the region to which it belongs; and assign to the pattern a label for that region. In the linguistic approach, a pattern class is considered to be a set of features generated by, for example, a non-deterministic finite state machine, a Markov process, or a push-down automata. Given an unknown sample pattern to be recognized, the procedure in the linguistic approach is to: extract the set of features; determine the machine which generated it; and label the unknown pattern accordingly.
A main difference between the statistical and the linguistic approaches lies in the structure of the classifier which, in a sense, is determined by the definition of a character. In the statistical approach, classifiers include nearest mean classifiers, Fisher classifiers, neural network classifiers, and nearest neighbor classifiers. In the linguistic approach, classifiers include machine matching classifiers. In general, the statistical approach is older than the linguistic approach and is typically used for recognizing relatively simple patterns such as characters. The linguistic approach generally is preferred for recognizing more complex patterns such as three-dimensional images.
With both the statistical and linguistic approaches, it is necessary to select a useful set of features (which is sometimes termed the problem of representation or the representation problem). This requirement of both approaches can result in difficulty in implementing either approach. For instance, in a handwritten text recognition problem, selecting the pixel values of the text image as features is not a useful strategy. While the set of pixel values marks a complete representation in the sense that any other representation can be derived from it, it is not a convenient representation with which to deal. Variations in the samples of a handwritten pattern to be recognized typically cause a wide scale correlation among the features which tends to complicate the design and analysis of the classifier.
The standard paradigm of text and/or pattern recognition which involves feature extraction and subsequent classification (such as is employed in both the statistical and linguistic approaches) typically is inadequate to achieve desirable levels of recognition speed and recognition accuracy. A new and better approach to the problem of automated text recognition whereby both machine-printed and handwritten (especially cursive script) alphanumeric characters can be recognized relatively simply and quickly and with a relatively high degree of accuracy is needed.

Method and apparatus for automated text recognition


In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an information handling system may include a processor subsystem configured to execute a hypervisor, wherein the hypervisor is configured to host a plurality of virtual machines and a memory subsystem communicatively coupled to the processor subsystem. The memory subsystem may be configured to implement namespaces for the hypervisor and the plurality of virtual machines and implement for each of the namespaces a concealed namespace object store as a hidden metadata area of the memory subsystem unexposed to the hypervisor and the plurality of virtual machines, each concealed namespace object store comprising metadata for an associated namespace.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Increasingly, information handling systems are deployed in architectures that allow multiple operating systems to run on a single information handling system. Labeled "virtualization," this type of information handling system architecture decouples software from hardware and presents a logical view of physical hardware to software. In a virtualized information handling system, a single physical server may instantiate multiple, independent virtual servers. Server virtualization is enabled primarily by a piece of software (often referred to as a "hypervisor") that provides a software layer between the server hardware and the multiple operating systems, also referred to as guest operating systems (guest OS). The hypervisor software provides a container that presents a logical hardware interface to the guest operating systems. An individual guest OS, along with various applications or other software executing under the guest OS, may be unaware that execution is occurring in a virtualized server environment (as opposed to a dedicated physical server). Such an instance of a guest OS executing under a hypervisor may be referred to as a "virtual machine" or "VM".
Often, virtualized architectures may be employed for numerous reasons, such as, but not limited to: (1) increased hardware resource utilization; (2) cost-effective scalability across a common, standards-based infrastructure; (3) workload portability across multiple servers; (4) streamlining of application development by certifying to a common virtual interface rather than multiple implementations of physical hardware; and (5) encapsulation of complex configurations into a file that is easily replicated and provisioned, among other reasons. As noted above, the information handling system may include one or more operating systems, for example, executing as guest operating systems in respective virtual machines.
An operating system serves many functions, such as controlling access to hardware resources and controlling the execution of application software. Operating systems also provide resources and services to support application software. These resources and services may include data storage, support for at least one file system, a centralized configuration database (such as the registry found in Microsoft Windows operating systems), a directory service, a graphical user interface, a networking stack, device drivers, device management software, and memory. In some instances, services may be provided by other application software running on the information handling system, such as a database server.
One of the main disadvantages of a virtualized computing environment is that tools and practices for securing a physical information handling system infrastructure do not necessarily extend well to a virtual environment. A hypervisor of a host operating system upon which a virtual machine executed may have many vulnerabilities. Due to native virtualization architecture which may require specially configured hardware, most virtualization deployments are implemented with the hosted architecture. With vulnerabilities and security holes in most modern operating systems, malicious attacks can be carried out to gain control of the host operating system. Because the hypervisor is often a layer executing on the host operating system, once an attacker has control of a host operating system, the hypervisor is essentially compromised. Thus, an attacker may corrupt critical portions of virtual machines, including a virtual machine boot on memory namespaces (including, for example, persistent memory namespace such as non-volatile dual-inline memory module (NV-DIMM) namespaces) and can perform one or more malicious activities on any of the virtual machines hosted by the hypervisor.
Attacks on a hypervisor through a guest operating system may use the guest operating system to gain unauthorized access to other virtual namespaces on a memory module (e.g., NV-DIMM). Because many virtual machines may share the same physical resources (e.g., NV-DIMM namespaces), if an attacker is able to discover how one virtual machine's virtual resources map to physical resources, the attacker may be able to conduct attacks directly on the real physical resources. By modifying his virtual memory in a way that exploits how the physical resources are mapped to each virtual machine, the attacker may adversely affect multiple virtual machines and the hypervisor, and potentially all virtual machine and operating systems boots may fail.
Any small namespace attribute change may cause block input/output (I/O) issues in a namespace, and as a result, an entire virtual machine may fail to load/boot. A virtual machine has access only to read/write to namespace data areas but namespace attributes or metadata is often not accessible to a virtual machine because of security reasons. But the vulnerabilities of a hypervisor may allow an attacker to gain access to virtual machines to corrupt the namespace object data. Because NV-DIMM namespace labels and metadata objects are created within NV-DIMM storage space and maintained at the hypervisor level, such namespace labels and metadata objects are prone to corruption.

Systems and methods for concealed object store in a virtualized information handling system


A green toner comprised of resin particles, HELIOGEN GREEN.TM. pigment particles, a charge enhancing additive, and surface additive particles.

The present invention is generally directed to toners, developers, and imaging processes, including a process for forming multicolor, including two-color, images, and more specifically, the present invention is directed to a process for obtaining two-color images which in an embodiment comprises charging an imaging member, creating on the member a latent image comprising areas of high, medium, and low potential, developing the low areas of potential with a developer composition, subsequently developing the high areas of potential with a developer composition, transferring the developed image to a substrate, and optionally permanently affixing the image to the substrate. Another embodiment of the present invention relates to processes for obtaining passivated green toners, and more specifically wherein the green toner pigments are passivated thereby decreasing, or substantially eliminating their adverse effects on the electrical characteristics of the toner and developer compositions containing such pigments. The toner in embodiments can be comprised of resin particles, a green, such as HELIOGEN GREEN.TM., negatively charged pigment, and a positive charge enhancing additive, such as distearyl dimethylammonium methyl sulfate; and wherein the pigment selected is passivated. Passivation is achieved by, for example, the admixing of certain colored green pigments and charge additives with the toner resin particles. Advantages associated with the processes of the present invention are the ability to generate high quality two-color images, one of which is green, in a single development pass, particularly as a result of the absence of interaction between the colored, excluding black, and especially green, and the black developers; and passivation of the toner pigments in embodiments of the present invention. Also associated with the processes of the present invention is the ability to generate high quality two-color images, one of which is green, in a single development pass, particularly as a result of the absence of interaction between the green and the black developers in an embodiment of the present invention. Other advantages associated with the present invention include the provision of a developer with stable negative triboelectrical toner characteristics and stable negative triboelectrically charged toner which enables the generation of high quality images subsequent to development, that is images with substantially no background deposits and substantially no smearing for a broad range of relative humidity conditions, that is, for example, from 20 to 90 percent relative humidity at an effective range of temperature zones ranging, for example, from about 20.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C.
Toner compositions with colored pigments are known, for example, there is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,686, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, processes for the formation of two color images with a colored developer comprised of a first toner comprised of certain resin particles, such as styrene butadiene, a first pigment, such as copper phthalocyanine, a charge control additive, colloidal silica and metal salts of fatty acid external surface additives, and a first carrier comprised of a steel core with, for example, a polymethyl methacrylate overcoating containing conductive particles therein, or thereon; and a second developer comprised of a black toner, a second charge additive and a steel core carrier with certain polymeric overcoatings. Examples of colored toner pigments are illustrated in column 9, lines 10 to 26, with a specific green not being listed, (note Example VI discloses a green obtained by blending cyan and yellow, which green is not as brilliant or sharp as the green of the present invention) and examples of charge additives for the toner are detailed in column 9, lines 27 to 43, of the aforementioned patent. For the black toner, there can be selected the components as recited in columns 10 and 11, including charge additives such as distearyl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, see column 11, lines 16 to 32. Additionally, the working Examples of this patent detail the preparation of a number of specific toners. More specifically, there is illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,686 patent a process for forming two-color images which comprises, for example, (1) charging an imaging member in an imaging apparatus; (2) creating on the member a latent image comprising areas of high, intermediate, and low potential; (3) developing the low areas of potential by conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising a colored first toner comprising a first resin present in an amount of from about 80 to about 98.8 percent by weight and selected from the group consisting of polyesters, styrene-butadiene polymers, styrene-acrylate polymers, styrene-methacrylate polymers, and mixtures thereof; a first pigment present in an amount of from about 1 to about 15 percent by weight and selected from the group consisting of blue copper phthalocyanine pigments, quinacridone pigments, azo pigments, rhodamine pigments, and mixtures thereof; a charge control agent present in an amount of from about 0.2 to about 5 percent by weight; colloidal silica surface external additives present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 2 percent by weight; and external additives comprising metal salts or metal salts of fatty acids present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 2 percent by weight; and a first carrier comprising a steel core with an average diameter of from about 25 to about 215 microns and a coating selected from the group consisting of methyl terpolymer, polymethyl methacrylate, and a blend of from about 35 to about 65 percent by weight of polymethyl methacrylate and from about 35 to about 65 percent by weight of chlorotrifluoroethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, wherein the coating contains from 0 to about 40 percent by weight of the coating of conductive particles and wherein the coating weight is from about 0.2 to about 3 percent by weight of the carrier; (4) subsequently developing the high areas of potential by conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising a black second toner comprising a second resin present in an amount of from about 80 to about 98.8 percent by weight and selected from the group consisting of polyesters, styrene-butadiene polymers, styrene-acrylate polymers, styrene-methacrylate polymers, and mixtures thereof; a second pigment present in an amount of from about 1 to about 15 percent by weight; and a second charge control additive present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 6 percent by weight; and a second carrier comprising a steel core with an average diameter of from about 25 to about 215 microns and a coating selected from the group consisting of chlorotrifluoroethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer containing from 0 to about 40 percent by weight of conductive particles at a coating weight of from about 0.4 to about 1.5 percent by weight of the carrier; polyvinylfluoride at a coating weight of from about 0.01 to about 0.2 percent by weight of the carrier; and polyvinylchloride at a coating weight of from about 0.01 to about 0.2 percent by weight of the carrier; and (5) transferring the developed two-color image to a substrate. Imaging members suitable for use with the process of the aforementioned patent may be of any type capable of maintaining three distinct levels of potential. Generally, various dielectric or photoconductive insulating material suitable for use in xerographic, ionographic, or other electrophotographic processes may be selected for the above process, and suitable photoreceptor materials include amorphous silicon, layered organic materials as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, and the like.
Processes for obtaining electrophotographic, including xerographic, and two-colored images are known. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,185, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, there is illustrated an apparatus for forming two-color images by forming a bipolar electrostatic image of a two-color original document on a photoconductive drum. A first developing unit applies a toner of a first color and polarity to the drum and a second developing unit applies a toner of a second color and polarity to the drum to form a two-color electrostatic image which is transferred and fixed to a copy sheet. A bias voltage of the first polarity is applied to the second developing unit to repel the toner of the first color and prevent degradation of the first color toner image. A bias voltage of the second polarity is applied to the first developing unit to prevent contamination of the first color toner with the second color toner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,821, there is disclosed a method and apparatus for forming two-color images which employs two magnetic brushes. The first developed image is not substantially disturbed during development of the second image since the second magnetic brush contacts the surface of the imaging member more lightly than the first magnetic brush, and the toner scraping force of the second magnetic brush is reduced in comparison with that of the first magnetic brush by setting the magnetic flux density on a second nonmagnetic sleeve with an internally disposed magnet smaller than the magnetic flux density on a first magnetic sleeve, or by adjusting the distance between the second nonmagnetic sleeve and the surface of the imaging member. In addition, the toners selected may have different quantities of electric charge.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,415, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a method of highlight color imaging which comprises providing a layered organic photoreceptor having a red sensitive layer and a short wavelength sensitive layer, subjecting the imaging member to negative charges, followed by subjecting the imaging member to positive charges, imagewise exposing the member, and developing with a colored developer composition comprising positively charged toner components, negatively charged toner components and carrier particles. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,402, there is illustrated a two-component type dry developer for use in dichromatic electrophotography which comprises two kinds of developers, each of which is comprised of a toner and a carrier. Dichromatic images are formed by developing a both positively and negatively electrified electrostatic latent image successively with toners different in polarity and color from each other, wherein one carrier becomes positively charged by friction with either of the two toners while the other carrier becomes negatively charged by friction with either of the two toners.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,302 discloses a developing process for two-colored electrophotography which comprises charging the surface of a photoreceptor with two photosensitive layers of different spectral sensitivities with one polarity, subsequently charging the photoreceptor with a different polarity, exposing a two-colored original to form electrostatic latent images having different polarities corresponding to the two-colored original, developing one latent image with a first color toner of one polarity, exposing the photoreceptor to eliminate electric charges with the same polarity as the first toner which are induced on the surface of the photoreceptor in the vicinity of the latent image developed by the first color toner, and developing the other latent image with a second color toner charged with a polarity different from that of the first color toner.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,616 discloses a method of developing electrostatic latent images by selectively extracting colored grains of one polarity from a mixture containing colored grains having opposite polarity to each other in the presence of an alternating field, followed by development of the electrostatic image by the selectively extracted colored grains. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,117 discloses an electrophotographic method for forming two-colored images which comprises uniformly charging the surface of a photoreceptor having a conductive surface and a photoconductive layer sensitive to a first color formed on the conductive substance, followed by exposing a two-colored original to form on the photoconductive layer a latent image corresponding to a second color region in the original with the same polarity as the electric charges on the surface of the photoconductive layer. The photoreceptor surface is then subjected to a reversal development treatment by the use of a photoconductive color toner charged with the same polarity as the electric charges constituting the latent image to develop the noncharged region with the photoconductive toner. The latent image is then subjected to normal development treatment with an insulative toner having a color different from the color of the photoconductive toner. Subsequently, the color toners on the photoconductive layer are charged with a different polarity from the charging polarity and, simultaneously, the original is exposed through a filter shielding against the first color, thereby forming a two-colored image.
Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,447, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, there is illustrated an image forming method which comprises forming on a photosensitive member an electrostatic latent image having at least three different levels of potentials, or comprising first and second latent images and developing the first and second latent images with a three component developer. The developer comprises a magnetic carrier, a first toner chargeable to one polarity by contact with the magnetic carrier, and a second toner chargeable to a polarity opposite to that of the first toner by contact with the first toner, but substantially not chargeable by contact with the magnetic carrier. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,281 discloses a method of forming dichromatic copy images by forming an electrostatic latent image having a first image portion and a second image portion. The first image is developed by a first magnetic brush with a magnetic toner of a first color that is chargeable to a specific polarity, and the second image portion is developed by a second magnetic brush with a mixture of a magnetic carrier substantially not chargeable with the magnetic toner and a nonmagnetic toner of a second color chargeable to a polarity opposite to that of the magnetic toner by contact with the magnetic carrier.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,129, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a method of forming dichromatic copy images with a developer composed of a high-resistivity magnetic carrier and a nonmagnetic insulating toner, which are triboelectrically chargeable. An electrostatic latent image having at least three different levels of potential is formed and the toner and carrier are adhered, respectively, onto the first and second image portions. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,883, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a method of forming composite or dichromatic images which comprises forming on an imaging member electrostatic latent images having at least three different potential levels, the first and second latent images being represented, respectively, by a first potential and a second potential relative to a common background potential. The first and second images are developed by a first magnetic brush using two kinds of toners, at least one of which is magnetic, and both of which are chargeable to polarities opposite to each other with application to a developing electrode of a bias voltage capable of depositing the magnetic toner on the background potential area to deposit selectively the two toners on the first and second latent images and to deposit the magnetic toner on the background potential area, while collecting the deposited magnetic toner at least from the background potential area by second magnetic brush developing means.
Also mentioned are the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,004 directed to hydrophobic silicon type micropowders comprising silicon type microparticles which have been treated with secondary tertiary amine functional silanes, and when the micropowders combine with the positively charging resin powder, such as a toner, the fluidity of the resin powder is substantially increased, see for example the Abstract of the Disclosure, column 1, beginning at line 60, and continuing on to column 4 and the working Examples: U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,491 directed to dry toner and developer compositions with good charge stability and minimization of toner image transfer defects, which composition comprises a major component of a normally solid fixable binder resin which is free of siloxane segments and is a minor component in a normally solid multiphase thermoplastic condensate polymer which contains a polyorgano siloxane block or graft segment, note specifically the use of a charge control agent in column 2, beginning at line 50, examples of charge control agents being detailed, for example, in column 4, beginning at line 23, including ammonium or phosphonium salts, and the like; U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,003 directed to a toner for developing electrostatic latent images characterized in that the toner comprises an aluminum compound of a hydroxy carboxylic acid which may be substituted with alkyl and/or arylalkyl, see for example column 2, beginning at line 29, and continuing on to column 5; and 4,855,208 directed to a toner for developing electrostatic latent images, which toner comprises an aluminum compound of an aromatic amino carboxylic acid as represented by the formula illustrated in the Abstract of the Disclosure, and also see column 2, beginning at line 26, and continuing on to column 7.
Other representative patents of interest with respect to formation of two-color images include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,045,218 and 4,572,651.
The process of charging a photoresponsive imaging member to a single polarity and creating on it an image of at least three different levels of potential of the same polarity is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,929, trilevel imaging, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a method of creating two colored images by creating on an imaging surface a charge pattern including an area of first charge as a background area, a second area of greater voltage than the first area, and a third area of lesser voltage than the first area with the second and third areas functioning as image areas. The charge pattern is developed in a first step with positively charged toner particles of a first color an, in a subsequent development step, developed with negatively charged toner particles of a second color. Alternatively, charge patterns may be developed with a dry developer containing toners of two different colors in a single development step. According to the teachings of this patent, however, the images produced are of inferior quality compared to those developed in two successive development steps. Also of interest with respect to the trilevel process for generating images in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,163, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference.
The photoresponsive imaging member can be negatively charged, positively charged, or both, and the latent image formed on the surface may be comprised of either a positive or a negative potential, or both. In one embodiment, the image comprises three distinct levels of potential, all being of the same polarity. The levels of potential can be well differentiated, such that they are separated by at least 100 volts, and preferably 200 volts or more. For example, a latent image on an imaging member can comprise areas of potential at -800, -400, and -100 volts. In addition, the levels of potential may comprise ranges of potential. For example, a latent image may consist of a high level of potential ranging from about -500 to about -800 volts, an intermediate level of potential of about -400 volts, and a low level ranging from about -100 to about -300 volts. An image having levels of potential that range over a broad area may be created such that gray areas of one color are developed in the high range and gray areas of another color are developed in the low range with 100 volts of potential separating the high and low ranges and constituting the intermediate, undeveloped range. In this situation, from 0 to about 100 volts may separate the high level of potential from the intermediate level of potential, and from 0 to about 100 volts may separate the intermediate level of potential from the low level of potential. When a layered organic photoreceptor is employed, preferred potential ranges are from about -700 to about -850 volts for the high level of potential, from about -350 to about -450 volts for the intermediate level of potential, and from about -100 to about -180 volts for the low level of potential. These values will differ depending upon the type of imaging member selected.
Moreover, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,185, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, are developers, toners and imaging processes thereof. In an embodiment of the copending application, there is provided a process for forming two-color images which comprises (1) charging an imaging member in an imaging apparatus; (2) creating on the member a latent image comprising areas of high, intermediate, and low potential; (3) developing the low areas of potential by, for example, conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising carrier particles, and a colored first toner comprised of resin particles, colored, other than black, pigment particles, and an aluminum complex charge enhancing additive; (4) subsequently developing the high areas of potential by conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising a second black developer comprised of carrier particles and a toner comprised of resin, black pigment, such as carbon black, and a charge enhancing additive; (5) transferring the developed two-color image to a suitable substrate; and (6) fixing the image thereto. In an embodiment of the aforementioned copending application, the first developer comprises, for example, a first toner comprised of resin present in an effective amount of from, for example, about 70 to about 98 percent by weight, which resin can be selected from the group consisting of polyesters, styrene-butadiene polymers, styrene-acrylate polymers, styrene-methacrylate polymers, Pliolites.RTM., crosslinked styrene acrylates, crosslinked styrene methacrylates, and the like wherein the crosslinking component is, for example, divinyl benzene, and mixtures thereof; a first colored blue, especially PV Fast Blue.TM. pigment present in an effective amount of from, for example, about 1 to about 15 percent by weight, and preferably from about 5 to about 10 weight percent; an aluminum complex charge enhancing additive; and a second developer comprised of a second toner comprised of resin present in an effective amount of from, for example, about 70 to about 98 percent by weight, which resin can be selected from the group consisting of polyesters, styrene-butadiene polymers, styrene-acrylate polymers, styrene-methacrylate polymers, Pliolites.RTM., crosslinked styrene acrylates, crosslinked styrene methacrylates, and the like wherein the crosslinking component is, for example, divinyl benzene, and mixtures thereof; and a black pigment present in an effective amount of from, for example, about 1 to about 15 percent by weight, and preferably from about 1 to about 5 weight percent wherein the aforementioned black toner contains a charge enhancing additive such as an alkyl pyridinium halide, and preferably cetyl pyridinium chloride, and in an embodiment the black toner is comprised of 92 percent by weight of a styrene n-butyl methyacrylate copolymer (58/42), 6 percent by weight of Regal 330.RTM. carbon black, and 2 percent by weight of the charge enhancing additive cetyl pyridinium chloride.
Illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,538, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference, is a process for forming two-color images which comprises (1) charging an imaging member in an imaging apparatus; (2) creating on the member a latent image comprising areas of high, intermediate, and low potential; (3) developing the low areas of potential by, for example, conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising carrier particles, and a colored first toner comprised of resin, a positively charging pigment, and a negatively charging pigment; (4) subsequently developing the high areas of potential by conductive magnetic brush development with a developer comprising a second developer comprised of carrier particles and a toner comprised of resin, black pigment, such as carbon black, and a charge enhancing additive; (5) transferring the developed two-color image to a suitable substrate; and (6) fixing the image thereto.

Passivated green toner compositions comprising positive charge enhancing additive


A system and method for detachably securing emblems, or the like, to articles of clothing, such as caps, hats, shirts, jackets, belts, and shoes. The system employs the combination of two magnetically attractive elements, for example, a magnet and a plate or a piece of ferromagnetic material. One or more magnets or pieces of the ferromagnetic material may be embedded in or adhesively attached to the clothing. Similarly, one or more magnets or pieces of the ferromagnetic material may be embedded in or attached to one or more emblems. The emblems are placed over selected ones of the magnetically attractive elements in the clothing, and thereby magnetically secured thereto. The method contemplates that a user may retrofit new or existing clothing, to enjoy the advantages of the present invention, without having to buy either new or specially manufactured clothing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to accessories for clothing apparel, such as caps, hats, jackets, shirts, pants, belts, and shoes. More specifically, the invention pertains to emblems having printed or graphic designs thereon relating to entertainment characters, movies, sports, schools, or associations, and which are adapted to be magnetically affixed to apparel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the art to stitch or adhesively affix patches and badges to casual attire such as caps, shirts, and jackets. Typically, the patches and badges incorporate and display printed information, logos, and other fanciful designs, pertaining to team sports, school affiliation, and the like. Because the patches are permanently attached to an article of clothing, it is necessary for the wearer to purchase a different cap for each patch, or like display element, to be worn. To eliminate the need for having different articles of clothing for each different patch, changeable patches or display elements have been developed in the prior art.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,274 describes a cap having a self-illuminating patch assembly. A reflector unit having a light diffusion screen and a light are mounted in the front of a cap. Indicia or a logo can be applied directly on the screen or, alternatively, on an interchangeable film which can be placed over the screen. Because both the screen and the film are readily changed, different indicia and graphics can be displayed using the single cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,043 teaches a cap having a rectangular patch of the loop portion of a hook-and-loop fastener, mounted on the brow portion of the cap. Various logos equipped with hook fastener portions can thereby be detachably affixed to the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,640 discloses a cap having a pair of rear positioned straps for adjusting the size of the cap. A nameplate can be removably mounted on the straps by passing the straps through mounting bars on the nameplate. Alternatively, the nameplate can be affixed to the straps via a hook-and-loop fastener, or to a pin provided on one of the straps and receivable by an opening in the nameplate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,726 illustrates articles of clothing made from a stretchable material having a plurality of loop elements therein. One or more decorative elements equipped with hook portions can be removably secured to the clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,368 shows a cap with an erasable billboard, or writing surface, on its crown portion. The erasable billboard, a writing implement, and an eraser are all detachably affixed to the cap by means of hook and loop fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,985 shows a detachable plaque for a cap having a crown portion and a visor portion. The plaque has two hingeably connected segments, one segment being affixed to the crown while the other segment is affixed to the visor, by means of snaps or hook-and-loop fasteners. The segment which lies against the crown has a surface designed for the application of indicia thereto or, alternatively, is provided with a slot for insertion of a display card.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,282,278, 5,418,981, and 5,442,817, issued to Miner, all teach an emblem bearing cap. A cap attachment is fabricated from a relatively stiff material. The attachment is folded about a primary crease, defining an upper facing panel and a lower backing panel. The attachment is then folded over the lower, rear edge of the cap, and releasably secured thereto by hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, double-sided adhesive tape, or similar means. The facing panel allows the display of emblems or other indicia.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,559 discloses a cover comforter for the sizing straps of a baseball cap. The padded comforter consists of a pair of hingeably connected panels provided with hook-and-loop fasteners. The attachment is folded over the straps and the panels are secured together using the fasteners. An outwardly facing panel of the comforter carries a logo.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,733 shows a cap which includes one or more sections of hook material that may simultaneously accept a plurality of patches. The hat and patches may be provided in the form of a kit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,734, the front vertical face of a cap includes a rectangular opening having a seam formed about its periphery. The opening is filled with a rectangular piece of material including fastening hooks. A number of cloth panels, each substantially the same size as the opening, bear a name, logo, or character on one display side, and pile material on the attachment side for placement over the piece having hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,761 shows a cap having a visor provided with an insert. A number of pictorial displays are placed over the insert. The insert is protected by a clear envelope which is slipped over the visor and secured thereto by a hook-and-loop fastener. The envelope may also carry pictorial display elements and may also be made from a fabric.
Lastly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,479, the combination of a cap and a clear plastic case for holding articles such as licenses and photographs, is disclosed. The case can be permanently secured to the cap, or may be removably attached thereto by hook-and-loop fasteners.
The above-described prior art has a number of drawbacks. For example, the cap attachments in the form of frames, cases and plaques detract from the appearance of a cap, whether they contain an insert or not. The fixed configuration of the frame or holder also limits the range of emblem configurations it can accommodate. Lastly, the emblem or other indicia can only be located where the frames or cases are located on the cap.
Emblem or patch attachments, designed to be mounted on or over the rear positioned, size adjustment straps, cannot be employed universally to all caps. Moreover, such attachments can only display emblems rearwardly.
A cap such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,726, having on outer surface consisting entirely of hook or loop elements, has its own unique problems. If the user brushes against certain objects, the cap may become attached thereto. Moreover, the exposed surface portions will readily pick up lint and other substances which make the cap look dirty or shabby. Other cap designs, which use hook or loop elements in plural locations, have similar problems unless each of the elements is covered at all times.
Thus, there is room for improvement in attire to which patches, emblems, and the like may be detachably secured. The present invention solves many of the above-identified problems by employing a detachable means of emblem securement which is economical, flexible, and esthetically pleasing.

Attire having magnetically affixed emblems


A wide-angle illuminator for machine vision applications comprises a fiber optic bundle having a tail end defining a long narrow illumination line adjacent the workpiece and a head end defining a rectangular inlet adjacent the light source. The light source comprises a lamp located within a concave, elliptical cross-section reflector that is elongated in one direction. The elliptical cross-section is the same across the entire direction of elongation, thus defining a partial elliptical cylinder, which is preferably capped by flat, reflective surfaces at each end. The lamp, particularly the filament of the lamp, is aligned with one focus of the ellipse. The head inlet of the fiber optic bundle is aligned with the second focus of the ellipse so that the light emitted from the lamp is reflected to the second focus for transmission through the fiber optic bundle. The resultant light pattern projecting at the tail exhibits an angular light distribution that is weighted toward light that projects at an angle to the optical plane of the tail-end fibers. Light projecting directly perpendicular to the optical plane of each fiber is, likewise, minimized. The resulting distribution increases light at the edges of the field of view, improving camera response across the entire field.

Moving webs and other workpieces are often scanned for defects or known patterns using a machine vision device. Machine vision devices typically employ an illumination system to concentrate a bright light into a narrow line along the workpiece. A line scan camera is directed at the illuminated area to receive light from the web. The camera can be oriented to view a direct reflection or transmission of the image as produced by the illumination light. This is termed a so-called "bright field" image. Conversely, the camera can be oriented off-axis relative to the reflected or transmitted is image light, resulting in a so-called "dark field" image.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a machine vision system 20 adapted for use with a wide moving web 22. Width is taken in the direction perpendicular to the page and the web moves in the direction of the arrow 23. The web 22 in this embodiment is a transparent or translucent web in which light is transmitted from one face of the web material to an opposing face. The concepts described are also applicable to an opaque web with certain modifications to be described below. The web 22 is typically wide (about four or more feet wherein width is taken in a direction into the page). A single system 20 can view a web section approximately four feet wide. For web widths greater than four feet, a plurality of identical machine vision systems are arranged side-by-side along the web width. A lamp 24, with an associated power supply 26, generates a bright illumination light that is represented as a series of rays 28. The lamp 24 can be any acceptable bright illumination source such as a metal-halide lamp, a high-pressure sodium lamp, a filament lamp, a laser or other coherent light source, a gas discharge lamp, or an LED array or other semiconductor light source. A 750-watt quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) lamp is used in one known illumination arrangement. While not shown, a reflector or shield may be provided so that light emanates only from a predetermined region of the lamp 24. A condenser lens assembly 30 is provided adjacent the lamp 24. In this embodiment, a condenser assembly 30 comprises two or more counterfacing plano-convex lenses 32. The lenses have a circular perimeter, forming a focused beam that projects a circular pattern. At the desired focal point 34 of the rays 28 is positioned the head or "entrance face" of a fiber optic cable 38.
With further reference to FIG. 2, the fiber optic cable assembly is shown in further detail. The head 36 of the cable 38 reveals a fiber optic bundle 40 constructed from a large number of small-diameter fiber optic strands with flat, polished ends. The cable 38 typically comprises a resilient outer covering that encases over three-hundred-thousand 0.002-inch diameter optical fibers. Typically, the fibers are packed to substantially fill the cross-sectional area of the cable 38. The diameter D of the head 36 is approximately 1.35 inches, and is approximately equal to the diameter of the spot generated by the rays 28. In other words, the head 36 is located relative to the condenser lens assembly 30 so that the illumination spot approximately covers the head 36. Note that the amplitude of the distribution within this spot may not be uniform.
At the opposing tail or "exit face" of the cable 38 is located an illumination line housing 42. The line housing 42 includes an elongated rectangular opening 44 that reveals the polished tail ends of the cable's individual optical fibers. The line housing opening 44 and a typical implementation has a width W of four feet and a height H of 0.030 inch. In general, ten to twenty fibers can be aligned vertically side-by-side within the confines of the height H.
The long, narrow line of bundled optical fibers within the line housing 42 generates a corresponding narrow elongated line of light rays 46 that are typically refocused by an elongated focusing lens 48. Randomization of the fibers between the head and tail ends of the cable generally tends to improve the uniformity of the resulting illumination line. In fact, it is common to twist and braid the fibers within a cable to achieve greater uniformity in transmitted light distribution. However, the system may rely on a certain rotational orientation of the head end relative to the illumination source (e.g. the light bulb), and rotation of the head end relative to the source at a later time may disturb the system's settings. In addition, the particular distribution of light produced may limit the ability to subsequently move the camera relative to the image line. Thus the randomization can be both advantageous and problematic.
A variety of lens constructions can be used such as a linear convex cylinder lens or an acrylic rod lens approximately one inch in diameter. An off-axis elliptical reflector can also be employed. The term "lens" should be taken broadly to include a focusing reflector. The lens 48, focuses the rays 46 onto the web 22 to generate the desired narrow illumination line across the width of the web 22. Based upon this illumination line, light is transmitted through the web 22 to a camera assembly 50 that comprises a wide-angle focused lens 52 and an electro-optical pick up assembly, such as a commercially available CCD camera unit 54. The lens 52 is focused on the web 22 using the focus ring 55 and a desired lens aperture is provided using the aperture adjustment ring 57. Images are converted by the CCD camera into electronic signals for transmission to an appropriate data acquisition device 56. The device can comprise a microcomputer having pattern-recognition software for analyzing the surface of the viewed on the web. A monitor 58 can also be provided for real-time of viewing of the web surface or for viewing data derived by the software.
One problem encountered with the machine vision system described above is that the quality of the substantially uniformly illuminated image viewed by the wide-angle lens tends to degrade near the edges of the field of view of the lens. This degradation is due largely to the inherent optical characteristics of wide-angle lenses. FIG. 3 illustrates the camera lens response measured by the CCD element 54 for a 35 mm Nikon Nikkor.TM. lens. The specified field of view of this lens is .+-.32.degree. from perpendicular (0.degree., directly beneath the camera) which translates into approximately four feet of web width at a focal length of approximately 3.2 feet from the web face to the camera'optical plane 53. The measured response curve 52 registers 100 percent intensity at a 0.degree. field of view. In other words, maximum intensity is viewed directly beneath the lens. As the viewing angle increases, the viewed intensity drops off sharply. The decrease in intensity occurs as a function of the cosine to the fourth power of the camera's field of view angle. At maximum viewing angles the intensity of the viewed image is about 52 percent of the maximum value. This uneven response can lead to viewing errors since illumination at the edges of the field of view may be insufficient to acquire a proper image of the web. Another associated problem with the prior art illumination arrangement is that the camera operates most effectively when it is aligned near the center of the illumination line. Placing the camera "off-axis" can result in a significantly degraded acquired image.
There are several techniques currently employed to overcome the imaging limitations of wide-angle lenses. One technique entails providing additional illumination near the edges of each camera's field of view. Cameras can be placed closer together so that the full field of view of each camera is not utilized. This and other solutions to the problem, however, substantially increases equipment cost and reduces efficiency. Conversely, some of the light near the center of the field of view can be attenuated using various types of well-known apodizers so that the overall image appears more-even across the viewing range. These attenuation techniques, however, often reduce the image quality since the total amount of light entering the lens is reduced.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for providing an illumination line that enhances the response of a wide-angle lens at the edges of its field of view. This illumination line should not require any attenuation of light entering the camera lens and should not require any decrease in the rated field of view of the lens. Furthermore, the choice of the position of the camera along the illumination line should not influence the benefits of the illumination line provided according to this invention.

Method and apparatus for wide-angle illumination in line-scanning machine vision devices


A serum-free or serum-depleted medium for the short- and long-term proliferation and development of cells, particularly hematopoietic cells and bone marrow stromal cells, the medium comprising cell proliferation and development effective amounts of:. a standard culture medium such as Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium; serum albumin; transferrin; a source of lipids and fatty acids; cholesterol; a reducing agent; pyruvate; a glucocorticoid (when the cells to be cultured are hematopoietic cells); nucleosides for synthesis of DNA and RNA; growth factors that stimulate the proliferation and development of stromal cells and cells from a variety of tissues or organs, such as epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, and insulin; and extracellular matrix materials, such as collagen, fibronectin, and laminin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to serum-free or serum-depleted culture media for supporting the proliferation and development of cells. More particularly, it is directed to culture media for the long-term growth of hematopoietic cells and the stromal cells which support their growth. It is also directed to methods for culturing mammalian cells from different tissues and organs using such media. The media and methods enable the maintenance of cell growth and development for up to several months.
II. Description of Background and Related Art
One aspect of the present invention is a medium for culturing cells, particularly mammalian cells in the absence of or substantial depletion of serum, whereby the medium is chemically well defined, while still providing long-term support of development and proliferation of such cells.
In the past, many types of mammalian cells have been isolated and attempts have been made to propagate the cells in culture for further study or use. The media used for such culture have typically included sources of nutrients, adhesion factors and growth factors required for cell proliferation and development, many provided by horse, bovine or calf serum. However, the use of serum to support cell culture has been problematic since it does not provide physiological conditions. Indeed, the only time a cell would see the sort of serum concentration normally used for cell culture would be at the site of a wound, where the blood is clotting. The use of serum is further complicated by high cost and the presence of undefined components in the serum which may vary from sample to sample. The presence or absence of these undefined components has led to inconsistent results in the culture of cells and lack of control over the culturing process. For example, a particular serum sample may introduce particular components into the culture medium that inhibit the growth of the cells.
In response to problems associated with the presence of serum, a variety of serum-free media have been produced in the past. See for example:
1) Barnes, D. & Sato, G. Serum- free cell culture. A unifying approach. Cell. 1980; 22: 649; PA1 2) Cormier, F., Ponting, I. L. O., Heyworth, C. M. & Dexter, T. M. Serum-free culture of enriched murine haemopoietic stem cells I: Effect of haemopoietic growth factors on proliferation. Growth Factors. 1991; 4: 157-164; PA1 3) Deslex, S., Negrel, R. & Ailhaud, G. Development of a chemically defined serum-free medium for differentiation of rat adipose precursor cells. Experimental Cell Research. 1987; 168: 15-30; PA1 4) Drouet, X., Douay, L., Giarratana, M. C., Baillou, C. L. Gorin, N. C., Salmon, C. H. & Najman, A. Human long-term bone marrow culture in serum-free medium. British Journal of Haematology. 1989; 73: 143-147; PA1 5) Kumar, R. K., O'Grady, R., Li, W., Smith, L. W., Rhodes, G. C. Primary culture of adult mouse lung fibroblasts in serum-free medium: responses to growth factors. Experimental Cell Research. 1991; 193:398-404; PA1 6) Migliaccio, G. Migliaccio, A. R. & Adamson, J. W. The biology of hematopoietic growth factors: Studies in vitro under serum-deprived conditions. Experimental Hematology 1990; 18: 1049-1055; and PA1 7) Ponting, I. L. O., Heyworth, C. M., Cormier, F. & Dexter, T. M. Serum-free culture of enriched murine haemopoietic stem cells II: Effects of growth factors and haemin on development. Growth Factors. 1991; 4: 165-173. PA1 (a) a standard culture medium such as Iscove's modified Dulbecco's medium (IMDM), RPMI, DMEM, Fischer's, alpha medium, Leibovitz's L-15, NCTC, F-10, MEM and McCoy's; PA1 (b) serum albumin; PA1 (c) transferrin; PA1 (d) a source of lipids and fatty acids; PA1 (e) cholesterol; PA1 (f) a reducing agent; PA1 (g) pyruvate; PA1 (h) nucleosides for synthesis of DNA and RNA; PA1 (i) one or more growth factors that stimulate the proliferation and development of stromal cells and/or cells from a variety of organs and tissues (preferable mammalian), such as epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, platelet derived growth factor, and insulin; and PA1 (j) one or more extracellular matrix materials; PA1 (k) a glucocorticoid such as hydrocortisone, cortisol, dexamethasone or other structurally related, natural or synthetic molecule. PA1 (1) stromal cells, which provide a supporting network for hematopoietic cells, as described below in greater detail.
As described in a number of the cited articles, there already exist methods for the short-term (up to 3-4 weeks) serum-free culture of hematopoietic progenitor cells, using added hematopoietic growth factors as the proliferative and developmental stimuli. However, the development of ideal serum-free media to study the long-term culture of hematopoietic cells has proven to be particularly difficult.
Prior to the invention described herein, mammalian long-term hematopoiesis has been studied in vitro mainly using serum supplemented bone marrow culture systems which appear to closely mimic some of the processes that occur in vivo. The first of these was described by Dexter, T. M., et al, J. Cell. Physiol., 91: 335-344 (1977) and involves the formation of an adherent layer of murine bone marrow stromal cells, which included endothelial cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes and macrophages. This cell layer was required to support the hematopoietic cells, probably by providing a physical adhesive matrix as well as the correct cell to cell signalling, including the necessary growth factors for hematopoietic cell proliferation and development.
The hematopoiesis which takes place in these Dexter cultures occurs in intimate contact with the stromal cell layer. In many cases the stem cells and progenitor cells proliferate under the stromal cells forming foci called cobblestone regions due to their characteristic appearance under phase microscopy. As the hematopoietic cells mature, many of them migrate to the uppermost surface of the stromal cells. Further maturation to a fully differentiated state results in release of the hematopoietic cells into the surrounding medium where they are removed by the bi-weekly feeding.
This culture system enabled the maintenance of hematopoiesis for several months, with the constant production of progenitor cells. Soon after, a similar system was developed for human cells (Gartner, S. and Kaplan, H. S., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 77: 4756-4759 (1980)).
One important drawback of the Dexter method was that it mainly allowed the development of macrophages and neutrophils, at the expense of other cell types normally produced by the bone marrow, particularly B lymphocytes. A method for the long-term production of B lymphocytes was discovered by Whitlock, C. A. and Witte, O. N., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79: 3608-3612 (1982). This system differed from that described by Dexter, et al. in that the horse serum was replaced with fetal calf serum and hydrocortisone was replaced with 2-mercaptoethanol. However, this system precluded the development of hematopoietic lineages other than B lymphocytes. The reason(s) for the differences in the development that occurs in these two culture systems, and why they do not mimic all aspects of bone marrow hematopoiesis, is unknown but is possibly a reflection of the use of serum.
In spite of the many attempts that have been made to produce an ideal, chemically controlled medium for culturing cells, especially mammalian hematopoietic cells, a number of shortcomings have persisted in such media. For example, prior media do not truly enable long-term culture of such cells. In accordance with the present invention, "long-term" is defined as greater than or equal to approximately eight weeks of continuous proliferation and development, including generation of new progenitor cells in the medium. The media of the present invention can produce up to three to five months of continuous growth and development in culture. There have been no prior serum-free media that have been able to achieve such long-term culture of mammalian hematopoietic cells.
The following is a brief description of some of the additional related prior art:
Cormier, et al. Growth Factors. 1991; 4: 157-164, relates to serum-free culture of enriched murine hematopoietic stem cells and focuses on the effect of certain growth factors on proliferation. However, the medium disclosed in this publication contains different components in different relative proportions as compared to the present invention, and was unable to achieve any long-term growth (as defined herein), in contrast to the present media.
Dexter, T. M., et al., J. Cell. Physiol. 91: 335-344 (1977), discloses the classical Dexter long-term bone marrow culture method. It is notable that this method contains serum, unlike the present invention. As a result its use is restricted to certain mouse strains and even with such strains the growth is not as pronounced as in the current invention.
Dexter, T. M., et al., Long-Term Bone Marrow Culture. New York: Alan R. Liss: 57-96, is a review of long-term marrow culture techniques and media. None of the techniques or media disclosed in this reference contain the same group of components as the present invention.
Drouet, X., et al. Brit. J. of Haem. 73: 143-147 (1989), disclose a human long-term bone marrow culture medium that is serum-free. However, the medium disclosed therein is not capable of achieving the same degree of long-term culture as in the present invention, growth being maintained for only 3-4 weeks. Furthermore, unlike the media of the present invention, those discussed by Drouet, et al. do not involve stromal cells.
Whitlock, C. A., & Witte, O.N. P.N.A.S. 79: 3608-3612 (1982), relates to long-term culture of B lymphocytes and their precursors from murine bone marrow. This is the famous Witte-Whitlock culture technique. However, again, the media disclosed in this paper are substantially different from those claimed in the present invention, in that they contain serum and can only support B lymphocyte growth.
Teofili, L., et al. Ann. Hematol. 65: 22-25 (1992), describes a serum-free culture system for the growth of human hematopoietic progenitor cells using a preformed extracellular matrix. However, this method does not produce long-term growth, progenitor cells only being maintained in reasonable numbers for 3 weeks. In addition, this method does not use growth factors to support the growth of the bone marrow stromal cells and does not use purified extracellular matrix materials for cell adherence. As a result it does not support the growth of cells from a wide variety of tissues and organs.
In spite of the above prior art, there remains a need to produce chemically defined media for long-term culture of cells. Ideally, such media should be simple to prepare, contain chemically defined ingredients, be economical to produce, and achieve optimal long-term growth and development of cells.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide serum-free media for long-term maintenance of proliferation and development of cells, especially of hematopoietic origin.
A further object of the present invention is to provide methods for both short- and long-term culture of cells in a chemically defined medium.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for stimulating the proliferation and/or development of early progenitor cells for bone marrow transplants and/or gene transfer into these cells for gene therapy procedures.
These and other objects of the invention as will hereinafter be described in greater detail will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Medium for long-term proliferation and development of cells


A method and apparatus for cooling foodstuff to a temperature of less than 40.degree. F. within the legally mandated time of 4 hours which consists of a refrigeration apparatus capable of forming a bank of ice and means for circulating water over the ice and through an enclosure in heat conductive relationship with a container holding the foodstuff to be cooled.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cooling by conduction a large quantity of foodstuff and more specifically by circulating water cooled by its passage over an ice bank to an enclosure in conductive relationship with a container holding the foodstuff.
It has long been a problem in the food preparation industry to be able to comply with laws, both local and federal, which require that cooked food be cooled to a temperature of 40.degree. Fahrenheit or less within a time of 4 hours to thereby prevent the formation of harmful bacteria. This is not normally a problem with household food because the quantity is small and the domestic refrigerator can adequately cool it within the required time. Heretofore, when large quantities of food are involved, the only way of complying with these health laws was to divide the foodstuff into smaller quantities and cool them in a conventional refrigerator. This is obviously impractical for restaurants or large commercial institutions such as hospitals and the like which must prepare large quantities of foodstuff in advance of it being served. In addition, such cooling must take place without materially effecting the appearance of the food which would make it unsuitable for public consumption. For example, a foodstuff such as lasagna is usually prepared in large sheet-type pans a day in advance and must be rapidly cooled after cooking not only to comply with the aforementioned health laws but also to enable it to maintain its consistency and appearance the following day when it is reconstituted by heating and served.
Applicant has solved this problem by relying on the well-known method of heat transfer called conduction. Briefly, foodstuffs would be cooled by placing it usually in a container or directly on an enclosure such as a plate through which cooled water is circulated. The heat in the foodstuff passes directly through the bottom of the container into the enclosure and is absorbed by the cooled water. This cooling of the water circulated through the enclosure can be done by a conventional water chiller and again this may be satisfactory if the food is in small-size quantities. However, if the quantity of food is large or if it is very hot, the cooling capacity of the chiller would have to be impractically large and very complex to control the temperature of the water to prevent it from freezing. Such chillers would eventually cool the foodstuff, but it would take much longer than the legally mandated 4 hours.
Applicant has solved all of the heretofore mentioned problems of cooling large quantities of foodstuff within the mandated health temperature and time parameters for food sold or served to the general public by forming a thick bank of ice and circulating water over this ice bank and through the enclosure in conductive contact with the foodstuff itself or a container holding the foodstuff. This large reserve of 32.degree. water, which is stored in the form of ice as the latent heat is removed therefrom, permits the heat in large quantities of food to be rapidly withdrawn by conduction to the temperature of below 40.degree. Fahrenheit within the required 4 hours while using a relatively small amount of energy to create the bank of ice. This is because the ice can be built up on a plurality of plates in off hours when the cost of electricity is normally less and expended or melted in a relatively shorter time to achieve the aforementioned mandated degree of cooling and time frame.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for rapidly cooling large quantities of foodstuff.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method which is capable of cooling large quantities of foodstuff to the legally mandated requirement temperature of 40.degree. Fahrenheit within a time of 4 hours.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel ice bank construction for supplying a large quantity of cooled water for use in any distribution system requiring it.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method, apparatus and system for providing a large quantity of water over an extended period of time that is relatively inexpensive to build and operate when compared to water "chillers" presently being used.
These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the foregoing is considered in conjunction with the following brief description of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Apparatus for cooling food by conduction


A processing device comprises a processor coupled to a memory and implements a secure container for accessing data over a network. The secure container is configured to interact with backend infrastructure of an enterprise in order to provide secure access to enterprise data at the processing device. The secure container may be configured in accordance with an access model that implements multiple-factor authentication in combination with active directory authentication. The backend infrastructure may comprise, for example, a threat management gateway and an application control engine coupled to the threat management gateway and configured to support the multi-factor authentication, as well as additional components such as an active directory, a data loss prevention engine adapted to process communications between the backend infrastructure and the secure container, and a proxy server providing access to a content adaptation server configured to filter communications received from the processing device.

Numerous techniques are known for controlling user access to protected enterprise data from a mobile phone, computer or other type of processing device that is outside of an enterprise firewall. One widely-used approach involves the use of one-time passcode (OTP) devices such as hardware authentication tokens. Authentication tokens are typically implemented as small, hand-held devices that display a series of passcodes over time. A user equipped with such an authentication token reads the currently displayed passcode and enters it into a computer or other element of an authentication system as part of an authentication operation. This type of dynamic passcode arrangement offers a significant security improvement over authentication based on a static password.
Conventional authentication tokens include both time-synchronous and event-synchronous tokens.
In a typical time-synchronous token, the displayed passcodes are based on a secret value and the time of day. A verifier with access to the secret value and a time of day clock can verify that a given presented passcode is valid.
One particular example of a time-synchronous authentication token is the RSA SecurID® user authentication token, commercially available from RSA, The Security Division of EMC Corporation, of Bedford, Mass., U.S.A.
Event-synchronous tokens generate passcodes in response to a designated event, such as a user pressing a button on the token. Each time the button is pressed, a new passcode is generated based on a secret value and an event counter. A verifier with access to the secret value and the current event count can verify that a given presented passcode is valid.
Many authentication systems are configured to require that a user enter a personal identification number (PIN) or other static access code in addition to entering the passcode from the authentication token. This provides an additional security factor, based on something the user knows, thereby protecting against unauthorized use of an authentication token that is lost or stolen. Such an arrangement is generally referred to as two-factor authentication, in that authentication is based on something the user has (e.g., the authentication token) as well as something the user knows (e.g., the PIN).
Although two-factor authentication based on token passcodes can provide adequate security in many applications, a need remains for further improvements. For example, even in strongly-defended systems, security breaches are becoming more common due to the increasing sophistication of advanced persistent threats (APTs). APTs are usually mounted by well-funded attackers with very specific targets.
In response to such APTs and other security concerns, many different types of products have been developed to provide enhanced security protections in information processing systems. For example, conventional products can detect the occurrence of security-related events such as firewalls being accessed, customer data being sent outside of a company, malware files being downloaded, or security policy violations. A given such product is typically implemented in software and configured to alert a security operator or other user upon detection of particular events.
Nonetheless, a need remains for improved techniques for providing secure access to enterprise data, particularly from remote locations using mobile telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers and other types of mobile devices. As such mobile devices are coming into more widespread use, it is becoming increasingly challenging for corporations, organizations and other types of enterprises to protect their confidential data.

Processing device having secure container for accessing enterprise data over a network


A reticle (10) permits the alignment of three orthogonal axes (X, Y and Z) that intersect at a common target point (30). Thin, straight filaments (12, 14 and 16) are supported on a frame (20). The filaments are each contained in a different orthogonal plane (S.sub.xy, S.sub.xz, and S.sub.yz) and each filament intersects two of the three orthogonal axes. The filaments, as viewed, along the frame axis (22), give the appearance of a triange (24) with a V (17) extending from each triangle vertex (25, 26, and 27). When axial alignment is achieved, the filament portions adjacent to a triangle vertex are seen (along the axis of interest) as a right-angle cross, whereas these filament portions are seen to intersect at an oblique angle when axial misalignment occurs. The reticle is open in the region near the target point leaving ample space for alignment aids such as a pentaprism 54 or a cube mirror 41.

When an aircraft model is tested in a wind tunnel, test data is often sought on the forces (normal side, and axial) and moments (yaw, pitch, and roll) exerted on the model. An apparatus for measuring these forces and moments is called a balance. Prior to usage in a wind tunnel, the balance must be calibrated. One commercial device made for calibrating balances applies adjustable calibration forces to the outer body of the balance and repositions the balance back to a central reference point to compensate for changes in alignment due to the applied forces. The user of the calibration device must position and measure the calibration forces. In order to achieve a total error of 0.1% or less, the applied forces need to be accurately known to about 0.03%, and the position and direction that the forces are applied must be known to approximately 0.001" and 0.002 degrees, respectively. To assure that the normal, side and axial calibration forces are pure and do not interact with each other or produce erroneous moments, the normal, side and axial forces must pass through the central reference point and be mutually perpendicular.
Reticles which include cross hairs are widely used for optical alignment. The following U.S. patents, for example, disclose cross hair reticles: 730,016, Hein; 1,189,422, Bodmer; 2,466,724, Meyer; and 4,380,876, Strassburg. These reticles are intended for single, not multiple axis optical alignment. The principal object of this invention is to provide a reticle which uses a minimum number of filments or cross hairs and permits the precise alignment of up to three orthogonal axes that cross at a common target point.

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A stepwise reduction and acetylation process for the production of pure N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP) from p-nitrophenol in an aqueous system that avoids the need for strong acids or excess acetic anhydride.

N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP) is a known compound widely used as an analgesic and anti-pyretic agent in various therapeutic preparations. A commercial method for preparing N-acetyl-p-aminophenol involves reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol and then acetylation wherein the p-aminophenol is dispersed in a non-aqueous solvent and/or excess acetic anhydride.
The conventional process for the reduction of p-nitrophenol to produce p-aminophenol involves catalytically hydrogenating the p-nitrophenol in the presence of strong acids such as sulfuric, hydrochloric and phosphoric acids as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,198,249. Other acids such as oxalic or sulfonic acids as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,515 have been used. Metal catalysts used for reduction include aluminum as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,515; platinum, palladium or noble metal catalysts and their oxides as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,947,781; 3,076,030; 3,079,435; 3,328,465; 3,383,416; 3,654,365 and 3,383,416; and molybdenum sulfide or platinum sulfide-on-carbon as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,309.
In all of these methods, the p-aminophenol which is obtained is relatively impure and requires substantial purification before it can be further used in the production of APAP. Unfortunately, by-products are formed in the reduction of the p-nitrophenol and in the acetylation which lead to off-color and impure APAP thus requiring further purification and crystallization steps to produce an acceptable product as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,905; 3,694,508; 3,703,598; 3,717,680; 3,845,129; 3,876,703; and 3,953,283.
Attempts to overcome the discoloration and by-product formation by various techniques have not been entirely successful or economical. The use of a reducing atmosphere and non-oxidizing acids is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,177,250; 3,042,719 and 3,223,727. More recently simultaneous reduction of p-nitrophenol and acetylation of the p-aminophenol product while using an acetic acid solvent or acetic anhydride solvent system without prior isolation of the p-aminophenol has been reported as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,076,030 and 3,341,587.
The principle method for the preparation of p-nitrophenol may begin with nitration and chlorination of benzene to produce p-chloronitrobenzene. The p-chloronitrobenzene then is subjected to alkaline hydrolysis to produce the p-nitrophenol. The p-nitrophenol must be purified and separated from the hydrolysate before it can be used to prepare acceptable APAP according to the conventional processes.
Heretofore in the preparation of N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP) it has been necessary to use corrosive strong acids, such as sulfuric, requiring costly neutralization steps producing salts to be removed in purification and possible problems with salt disposal or the use of expensive non-aqueous salt systems. Moreover, expensive and laborious purification procedures were required for p-nitrophenol, p-aminophenol and the APAP to insure an acceptably pure APAP product for therapeutic preparations.


An escutcheon or wall flange to receive a pipe, conduit, cable or like member has an outer periphery, and an inner periphery or a definable inner periphery to bear on the intended pipe. The escutcheon or flange is of a flexible material limited as to its flex outwardly of the inner periphery, or definable inner periphery, by a profile feature and/or a thickness increase. The escutcheon may also be of a flexible material limited as to its flex outwardly in the radial direction of the inner periphery by a profile feature of the face to be concealed in use or profile features of the face to be concealed in use. The escutcheon may also include one or more sacrificial or tear away portions for accommodating different sized pipe.

Such flanges or escutcheons will now be described with reference to plumbing needs as an example.
Pipes used in plumbing applications come in a variety of types and have different wall thicknesses depending on the manufacturer, the requirements of the particular application and/or the industry involved.
Common types of pipes used are copper, polybutylene or polymers of butylene, PEX pipe (white) such as cross-linked polyethylene, PVC (poly vinyl chloride), multi-layer composite aluminium, galvanised metals, stainless steels.
The purpose of a wall flange or escutcheon is to provide an aesthetic cover for the area where a pipe protrudes through a wall.
Wall flanges or escutcheons are produced in a number of standard sizes to cater for the current range of standard pipe types and diameters. Typically, wall flanges or escutcheons are manufactured for use on common sizes normally referred to by their approximate inside diameter.
Because of the different materials used, wall thicknesses and different pressure ratings, the outside diameter of the pipes will vary depending on the product. For example ½ inch pipes may have an outside diameter of anywhere between 0.57 inches (1.45 cm) and 0.85 inches (2.16 cm), while ¾ inch pipes will typically have a diameter of between 0.83 inches (2.11 cm) and 1.06 inches (2.69 cm).
Existing wall flanges or escutcheons are usually made from a plastic which has very little flexibility and cannot be stretched to fit a larger pipe. If the flange is stretched over a pipe it will tend to warp and buckle and will not sit flat against the wall.
A split flange product as shown in FIG. 1 can flex to accommodate a very small increase in outside diameter. However, if the increase in outside diameter is more than this, it will cause the flange to buckle and/or split open. The join created where the ends of the flange meet also leaves a line which is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Because current wall flanges in the market are not made of material that is particularly flexible, and are instead manufactured to fit particular pipe sizes, it means that installers are forced to stock a number of flanges of differing sizes to ensure that when they are called to a job they can use the flange that is the correct size.
Pipes used for soil, waste, ducting, electrical and other similar applications often require pipes with larger diameters than other more general applications. Common sizes for such pipes are 1 inch, 1¼ inch, 1½ inch, 2 inch, 2½ inch, 3 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch. All of these sizes must be stocked too.
The thickness and outside diameter of some pipes can still vary, which means that even if the installer has a flange for the right generic pipe size, it may not fit properly. It can also be difficult to tell the difference between the different sized flanges by a quick visual inspection which can cause confusion during installation.
Because the fit of the prior art escutcheons cannot be guaranteed it is common practice to secure them by applying adhesive to the wall around the outer diameter of the pipe prior as an additional step in installation.
It is therefore an object or aspect of the present invention to provide an escutcheon or flange which will go at least some way towards offering an alternative answer to that currently offered or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
In this specification where reference has been made to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, reference to such external documents is not to be construed as an admission that such documents, or such sources of information, in any jurisdiction, are prior art, or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.


An engine has a plurality of combustion cylinders with a first piston reciprocably mounted in each of the combustion cylinders in the conventional manner. The engine head has, in communication with each of the combustion cylinders, a cylindrical recess containing a reciprocably mounted second piston. On the side of the second piston opposite the combustion chamber is a control chamber with inlets and outlets for controlling movement of the second piston. The second piston is used to increase the compression ratio without appreciably reducing the expansion ratio. Alternatively, the second piston may be used as a pump to pump fluid from the control chamber. In yet another alternative method of operation, the second piston can be driven outward within the cylindrical recess to an extent which varies in accordance with power demand, thereby varying the compression ratio in accordance with the power demand.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to method and apparatus for controlling initiation of homogeneous-charge, compression-ignition (HCCI) over a wide range of load in diesel-cycle engines to reduce NOx nd PM emissions. The field of application is internal combustion engines for motor vehicles.
2. The Prior Art
The growing use of diesel-cycle engines in motor vehicles greatly adds to the atmospheric presence of pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter. Conventional diesel-cycle engines emit nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) substantially in excess of levels achievable in Otto-cycle (e.g., gasoline homogeneous-charge) engines, yet diesel-cycle engines achieve substantially better fuel economy. Because of the higher fuel economy, diesel-cycle engines dominate the heavy-duty truck market and much of the off-road commercial vehicle market, with growing penetration in light duty trucks. Thus, technology which could substantially reduce NOx and PM emissions in a cost effective and efficient manner from diesel-cycle engines is highly desired.
A substantial body of prior art describes the operation of homogenous-charge, compression-ignition (HCCI) engines. A homogenous-charge of fuel and air (oxygen) will auto-ignite during compression at a particular compression level (e.g., compression ratio), depending primarily on (1) the nature of the fuel (e.g., octane level), (2) concentration of the reactants (i.e., fuel and oxygen), and (3) the initial temperature of the charge mixture of fuel and air (including any recirculated exhaust gas). The compression of the charge both increases temperature and concentration of reactants, as well as increases pressure. There is one compression ratio for a given set of starting conditions where auto-ignition (i.e., compression ignition) will occur. If that compression ratio is the same as the mechanical compression ratio of the engine, then combustion will occur at the xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d time, i.e., with combustion initiation at piston top dead center (TDC) and peak cylinder pressure occurring generally within 10 degrees of crank angle (depending on engine speed), and emissions are low and efficiency is high. However, if the auto-ignition compression ratio is lower than the compression ratio of the engine, then combustion will occur before piston top dead center (TDC) and the engine will knock unacceptably. If the auto-ignition compression ratio is higher than the compression ratio of the engine, then misfire will occur and the engine will not operate. Therefore, the primary problem with the prior art (and the commercialization limitation of this combustion process) is the absence of an acceptable means of controlling the initiation of HCCI over the range of operating conditions (e.g., ambient temperature and load) necessary for a practical engine.
The present invention achieves control of the initiation of HCCI by mechanically controlling the engine compression ratio during engine operation so that for a particular set of operating conditions the initiation of HCCI will occur at an optimum condition when the piston has reached near TDC, generally within five crank angle degrees before to ten crank angle degrees after TDC depending on engine speed. One method of controlling engine compression ratio is to change the stroke of the piston by means such as; (1) raising or lowering the centerline of the crankshaft, (2) changing the effective length of the piston-to-crankshaft connecting rod, or (3) changing the effective length of the piston (and thus its displaced volume) above the piston/rod attachment. Another method of controlling engine compression ratio is to vary the height of the engine head above the TDC position of the piston.
Unfortunately, changing the compression ratio by any of these means also changes the expansion ratio of the engine and thus its thermal efficiency. For example, lowering the compression ratio of an engine to, for example 6, to avoid HCCI before piston TDC and to thereby avoid knock, would do so at the expense of engine efficiency. Also, such means of changing the compression ratio retains maximum compression at piston TDC. Given the very rapid combustion associated with HCCI, the peak combustion pressure generally occurs within ten crank angle degrees of TDC and for high engine loads produces undesirably high peak cylinder pressure and associated increased noise.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a diesel-cycle engine (capable of operating on a variety of fuels including gasoline and diesel) including a plurality of combustion cylinders and a first piston reciprocably mounted within each of the combustion cylinders. The piston presents a first face defining one boundary of a combustion chamber within a combustion cylinder and a head covers the combustion cylinders with a plurality of cylindrical recesses, each cylindrical recess opening into a respective one of the combustion cylinders. A second piston is reciprocably mounted in each of the cylindrical recesses in the head and presents a second piston face defining a second boundary of the combustion chamber. A fuel-air mixture is formed in a conventional manner to strive for a homogeneous mixture, with fuel injected into the air charge earlier than in a conventional diesel engine. A fuel-air mixture can be introduced into each cylinder, in succession, through a selected one of plural intake ports formed in the head, as practiced in conventional gasoline engines, or the fuel may be added to the air charge during air intake or compression.
A controller is provided for moving the second piston from a retracted position outward in the cylindrical recess in the head, to an extended position, during the end of each compression stroke (generally within five crank angle degrees before piston TDC) or the beginning of the expansion stroke (generally within ten crank angle degrees after piston TDC) of said piston, to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber and increase the compression ratio to a level causing auto-ignition of the fuel-air mixture.
In a preferred embodiment, the engine is further provided with a sensor for determining power demanded of the engine and with a controller for controlling the extended position of the second piston and thereby varying the compression ratio in accordance with the sensed power demand.
In accordance with another preferred feature of the present invention, the first piston has a face defining one boundary of the combustion chamber and a cylindrical recess formed therein axially aligned with a cylindrical recess in the engine head and, preferably, of the same diameter as the cylindrical recess in the engine head.
In accordance with another preferred aspect of the present invention, the second piston is a free-floating double face piston having one face defining the second boundary of the combustion chamber and a third face defining a control chamber in cooperation with a cylindrical recess in the engine head. An inlet port and an outlet port are provided for introducing hydraulic fluid to and exhausting hydraulic fluid from the control chamber. Each of these ports connects to a line having an on/off control valve therein whereby the second piston can be moved to its extended position by introduction of high pressure fluid into the control chamber and in another embodiment can be returned to its retracted position by the force of the expanding combustion gases in a power stroke.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for operation of the above-described engine, the method including moving the second piston outward from its retracted position to an extended position within a cylindrical recess within the head, to initiate each combustion stroke of the first piston, after the first piston has reached a point near top dead center, to reduce the volume of the combustion chamber and to increase the compression ratio to a level causing auto-ignition of a fuel-air mixture within the combustion chamber. The method of the present invention preferably includes the sensing of power demanded of the engine, e.g., by depression of an accelerator pedal, and controlling the extended position of the second piston, and thereby controlling the compression ratio, in accordance with the sensed power demand.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention maintains a high expansion ratio to maintain high efficiency by providing a method of operation and a means for final charge compression when the piston has already reached near TDC. This avoids engine knocking while providing sufficient compression to auto-ignite low fuel concentrations (light load) under even low charge temperatures.
For example, a fuel that would auto-ignite at a compression ratio of 6 under conditions of high load (maximum fuel concentration) and maximum expected initial charge temperature, would not auto-ignite at lower loads or temperatures and would thus need a means to increase compression ratio under those conditions. In this example, a preferred embodiment of the present invention would provide a conventional piston and crankshaft mechanism with a compression ratio of 6 in the conventional manner, but would also provide a movable surface for the combustion chamber, for example a second piston mounted in the head, which would be able to rapidly further reduce the volume of the combustion chamber (and thus increase compression ratio) after the piston has reached near TDC. The present invention thus provides a method of operation and a means for controlling HCCI at or near piston TDC while maintaining high compression and expansion ratios necessary to maintain high engine efficiency over a range of operating conditions.

Controlled homogeneous-charge, compression-ignition engine

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency