An apparatus for adjusting the level of a liquid filling a packaging tube comprises a float for use as suspended in the liquid filling the tube, a magnet attached to the float, and a magnetic sensor for detecting from outside the tube variations in the intensity of magnetism due to the upward or downward movement of the magnet to produce an output signal. The level of the liquid in the tube is adjusted in accordance with the output signal of the sensor.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in a packaging machine wherein a vertical tube filled with a fluid food or like contents is divided into lengths each corresponding to one container to obtain intermediate containers, which are eventually made into rectangular parallelepipedal completed containers, the apparatus being adapted to adjust the level of the fluid or liquid to be filled into the tube to a predetermined level.
The conventional apparatus of the type mentioned above include one which comprises a vertical filling pipe covered with a packaging tube, a damper provided inside the filling pipe close to its lower end and pivotally movable upward or downward, an annular float fitted around the filling pipe upwardly or downwardly movably and positioned a small distance above the damper, and a connector connecting the movable end of the damper to the float. The upward or downward movement of the float opens or closes the level of a liquid filling the tube.
It is strongly required that recent machines for preparing aseptic products be antiseptic. To meet this requirement, the machine must be highly amenable to cleaning and sterilization, whereas the conventional apparatus described has the damper within the filling pipe and can not therefore be cleaned and sterilized efficiently. Especially, the pin supporting the damper for pivotal movement poses problems.

Apparatus for adjusting level of liquid to be filled into packaging tube


A self-calibrating digital-to-analog converter includes a delta-sigma modulator (25) receiving a digital input signal, an output producing a stream of digital pulses the density of which represents a value of the digital input signal, and an intermediate digital input port coupled to a digital summing element which is also coupled to an output of an integrator within the delta-sigma modulator. A 1-bit DAC converts the stream of digital pulses to an analog signal that is filtered to produce an analog output voltage. A 1-bit DAC converts the analog output signal to a digital feedback signal, and a successive approximation circuit produces a digital offset correction signal from the digital feedback signal and loads it into an offset register. An output port of the offset register is coupled to the intermediate digital input port to provide self-calibration of an offset error without skewing an input range of the digital input signal. The filter circuit includes an operational amplifier and switching circuitry operative to isolate the analog output voltage from both the inverting input and the output of the operational amplifier during the self-calibration operation of the self-calibrating digital-to-analog converter.

The invention relates to a self-calibrating digital-to-analog converter that requires a less limited range of its digital input signal to avoid distortion of its analog output than is the case for prior self-calibrating digital-to-analog converters. The invention also relates to such a self-calibrating digital-to-analog converter which does not skew its valid digital input range as a result of digital self-calibration to accomplish an offset correction, or as a result of switching from a self-calibrating mode to a normal operating mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 (Sooch et al) discloses the closest prior art presently known to the inventor. FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 shows a digital-to-analog conversion system in which a digital input 18 is converted to an analog output on conductor 34. The system includes a digital section 10 that performs two main functions, the first of which is to convert an 18-bit digital input word on bus 18 to a 1-bit digital data stream that appears on a single conductor 20. It accomplishes this mainly by an oversampling system that includes an interpolation filter and sample/hold circuitry in block 14, and applies that information in parallel form to the digital inputs of a delta-sigma modulator 16. Delta-sigma modulator 16 functions as a "quantizer" that converts the parallel digital data input to it into a 1-bit digital data stream containing essentially the same digital information.
The second function performed by digital section 10 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 is to perform a digital self-calibration to adjust for an analog "offset" voltage that, because of inaccuracies in the circuit components, would otherwise appear on analog output conductor 34 if all eighteen bits of the digital input on BUS 18 were set to logical "0"s. To accomplish the self-calibration, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 converts the analog offset voltage to a digital number which is stored in offset register 19 and then is added by means of adder 24 to the digital output produced by the interpolation filter and sample/hold circuitry 14. The addition of adder 24 is performed before or ahead of the delta-sigma modulator 16. The digital offset correction provides a more accurate parallel data input to delta-sigma modulator 16. Therefore, any digital input word applied to input conductors 18 will be converted to an accurate analog output voltage, with the offset error having been cancelled by offset register 26 and parallel adder 24.
Analog section 12 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 includes a 1-bit digital-to-analog converter 21 followed by an analog filter 22 and an output operational amplifier 28. During a self-calibration operation, operational amplifier 28 amplifies the output of analog filter 22 and feeds it back via a comparator 28 to a calibration control circuit 40 which computes an offset value by a successive approximation technique and loads it into offset register 26. Meanwhile, isolation operational amplifier 28 isolates the analog output 34 from the output of output operational amplifier 28 during the entire self-calibration procedure and also closes switch 44 to thereby clamp analog output 34 to ground.
A problem with performing the self-calibration ahead of the delta-sigma modulator as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 is that adding a digital offset correction number to the digital input word before it is applied as an input to the delta-sigma modulator skews the valid digital input signal range of the delta-sigma modulator by the amount of the digital offset correction. That can result in "clipping" of digital bits within the delta-sigma modulator at the end of the input signal range which is diminished by the amount of the digital offset correction. That makes it necessary to add one or more bits to the length of the digital input word if it is desired to avoid distortion of the analog output of the digital-to-analog converter that is caused by diminishing one end of the valid digital input range by the amount of the digital offset correction. Thus, the self-calibration technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 either diminishes the digital input range or requires addition of one or more bits to the length of the digital input word; the latter increases the complexity and amount of chip area required for an integrated circuit implementation of the digital-to-analog converter 1.
Another problem of the self-calibration scheme disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 is that the analog output terminal is clamped to the ground reference voltage level by switch 44 during each self-calibration operation. That ground level may be an "invalid" level with respect to an external utilization system that receives the output signal of the digital-to-analog converter, and therefore may be very undesirable in the utilization system because it may necessitate disabling the entire utilization system during self-calibration of the digital-to-analog converter of the '914 patent. In any case, additional time then must be allowed for the utilization system to recover when the analog output on conductor 34 is unclamped after the self-calibration procedure is complete. Thus, there is a need for a self-calibrated digital-to-analog converter which does not limit the digital input range or clamp the output during the self-calibration operation.
Another problem with the self-calibration scheme disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 is that since the feedback resistor 36 is clamped to ground during the self-calibration operation, it can not also be used to establish the gain of amplifier 28 during self-calibration. Therefore, the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,914 would not be expected to provide self-calibration of the gain of the digital-to-analog converter.

System for calibration of a digital-to-analog converter


A communication chamber defined in a body is supplied with a fluid under pressure through a pipe connected to a supply port defined in the body. The fluid under pressure is ejected from the communication chamber through fluid ejection members, which are made of a porous material and mounted on an end face of the body by a plate, toward a workpiece. The workpiece is levitated upwardly and held airborne by the fluid under pressure that is ejected toward the workpiece and the fluid under pressure that flows between the workpiece and the plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a workpiece levitating device for holding and conveying a workpiece in the form of a thin plate while keeping the workpiece airborne.
2. Description of the Related Art
For conveying a workpiece in the form of a thin plate such as a liquid crystal glass substrate for use in liquid crystal display units, a semiconductor wafer, or the like, there has been used a levitating device in the art for levitating and holding the workpiece with a fluid. After the workpiece has been levitated by the levitating device, the workpiece is moved while being kept out of contact with other objects.
One levitating device employs a porous body having a plurality of pores for levitating a workpiece in the form of a thin plate such as a liquid crystal glass substrate, a semiconductor wafer, or the like while the workpiece is being conveyed. Specifically, air is ejected from the pores in the porous body toward the workpiece to levitate the workpiece a certain distance in the air under the force of the ejected air. The workpiece which is levitated by the levitating device is conveyed to a desired position while being kept out of contact with other objects and also kept free of dust. For details, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-62950, for example.
Such workpieces are conveyed in a clean room in order to prevent dust particles from being attached to the surface of the workpieces. In the clean room, a downward flow of air is produced from above workers working on the workpieces to prevent dust particles produced by the workers from being applied to the workpieces, which are typically glass substrates, semiconductor wafers, or the like.
With the levitating device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-62950, depending on the shape and weight of workpieces to be levitated and held in the air, it is necessary to employ an increased number of porous bodies for ejecting air toward workpieces at an increased rate. As a result, the amount of consumed air that is ejected to levitate workpieces with the levitating device is increased, resulting in an increased running cost.
The increased amount of air ejected from the porous body toward the workpieces tends to disturb the downward air flow which is produced in the clean room. As a consequence, dust particles from the workers may possibly be applied to the workpieces.
Since the workpieces are generally in the form of thin plates, the levitating device is required not to strain or flex the workpieces when they are upwardly levitated and held in the air. The forces of the ejected air are applied to a workpiece only at regions above the respective porous bodies and nearby regions. Therefore, if the surface area of the workpiece levitated by the ejected air streams is large, then the porous bodies are spaced from each other by large distances, and the workpiece has a large area between the porous bodies to which the forces of the ejected air are not applied. As a result, those regions of the workpiece to which the forces of the ejected air are not applied tend to be strained or flexed due to gravity.


For a distributed and transparent debugging environment, a controller and an executor, each which accepts operations from a user, are disposed on each of plural computers. The controller and the executor each has a setting-status manager for managing the setting of a debugger and an execution-status manager for managing the execution status of a debugger. In response to a status change, the controller and the executor each notifies other computers of the content of the change via the network. A process manager manages a debug object program according to the content of setting and sets an operation status change due to detection of a break point to an execution-status manager. Meanwhile, the process manager changes its operation in response to a change in execution status sent from another computer.

The present invention relates to a system and method for debugging the software which facilitates the development of software which runs on plural different computers inter-linked via a network. The present invention also relates to a recording medium. Particularly, the present invention relates to a distributed debugger system and debugging method that can easily debug, in execution, programs described for the distributed transparent technique which makes a program recognize as if computers inter-linked via a network are virtually one computer. Moreover, the present invention relates to a recording medium on which control programs are recorded.
Distributed System Configuration Foundation:
Conventionally, in order to construct a distributed system that executes processing between plural computers, a software module is created for each of the computers so that communications are accomplished between the computers. A typical example of the distributed system is a client/server system. In this system, a client program and a server program, respectively described, are distributed to different computers. Each program is executed on the corresponding computer. For that reason, the programmer has to design and create communication constructions between modules, in addition to processing of the system itself. This makes difficult to realize the client/server system.
Recently, some distributed construction foundations have been utilized as the technique of easily constructing the distributed systems. The technique called a distributed object is known as one of distributed system construction foundations. This is the technique by which objects on different computers can be manipulated in a manner similar to that to an object on the same computer, in an object-oriented system. In the object-oriented system, a program is executed by sequentially invoking the procedures called "method" of an object. In the distributed object, an object of a method calling destination can be described in a program source code within the computer for the object or on a different computer, in a manner similar to that to the object of the calling source. Hence, if object groups are once distributed on plural computers, a programmer can easily describe programs for a distributed system, without recognizing allocation of objects and an occurrence of communications necessary for an access to objects on different computers after the allocation. CORBA defined the object management group (OMG) and Java-RMI defined by Sun Microsystems Inc. are listed as typical examples of the distributed object technique.
The technique called agent migration is known as another distributed system construction foundation. In this technique, when an instruction "migration" is invoked during execution of an executor of a computer program called agent on a computer, the executor is moved onto another computer while the execution status of the agent at the time of invoking is maintained. Thereafter, the execution can be resumed immediately after the instruction is invoked at the migration destination. The use of agent migration allows a process wanting execution on plural computers to be easily described, like the program executed on a single computer, by merely inserting instruction "migration" into an arbitrary place of a program. Telescript disclosed in JP-A No. 182174/is listed as typical examples of the agent migration.
In the above two techniques regarding distributed object and agent migration, the common concept is "distributed transparency" that a distributed system can be easily constructed by apparently handling plural computers interconnected via a network as a single computer. By utilizing the distributed system construction foundation which provides the distributed transparency, it is possible to avoid the difficulty in resulting from distribution among difficulties in describing programs for distributed systems, for example, difficulty in describing communications between modules or difficulty in recognizing how various types of information or resources within a distributed system are allocated on plural computers.
Parallel Execution:
In order to operate the distributed system efficiently, parallel execution of the distributed system becomes effective. Generally, a single computer has a CPU resource and a memory resource such as a primary memory or a secondary memory and can independently operate without being influenced by others. When two computers are required to implement a computation process respectively, they may implement a simultaneous and parallel computation and then compile the results after completion of the computation. This process can realize a faster computation, compared with the sequential execution in which after one computer first performs the computation process, the other computer performs the computation process.
Generally, there is the disadvantage in that information transfer rate or execution rate at which information is exchanged between different computers via a network is very slow, compared with exchanging information via the primary memory within a single computer. For that reason, in the case of the program which requires an access to a remote computer and a computational process inside a computer, it is preferable to execute both the processes in parallel and to make the CPU execute a computational process inside the computer during a waiting time for an access to the remote computer, compared with the continuous sequence of one process and the other process. Thus, the computational capability of the CPU can be used effectively and fully. The multithread is broadly known as the technique of paralleling the process within the program.
(Distributed Debugger System)
The use of the distributed transparency technique or multithread technique enables effective programs to be easily described. In an actual system construction, it is important to debug the described program. There is the method of using the device called the source level debugger as a conventional debugging method used broadly. According to this method, while a program to be debugged is being actually run, the debugger monitors it. The debugger sets a break point, temporarily halts the execution at an arbitrary location, and displays the execution stack of the program in temporary halt state or the content of a variable. The debugger also monitors an arbitrary variable and displays it if the variable is changed. Thus, the program execution status can be easily grasped.
However, the conventional source level debugger intends only the program running on a single computer. When it is tried to debug a distributed system operated on plural computers, it is necessary to respectively activate plural source level debuggers of respective computers and to manipulate each source level debugger through each corresponding user interface. This makes it difficult to utilize the source level debugger.
Some distributed system debugging techniques are proposed to solve the above-mentioned problems. JP-A No. 203140/1999 discloses the debugging technique for agent migration that automatically activates the agent debugger at a migration destination. This eliminates activating the debuggers on all computers in advance when an agent migrating on plural computers is debugged.
In the technique disclosed in JP-A No. 120366/1997, when a distributed object system activates the method of a remote object, the step execution function of the debugger can be used in distributive and transparent mode over two computers to debug the method. Moreover, even when a method activation source does not recognize a remote object existence place, the place can be specified and debugged. Thus, even when processing is performed over plural computers, the step execution function can be used in a distributive and transparent mode, without knowing the distribution of the process.
JP-A No. 272644/1996 discloses the technique of transmitting a process request with debugging to a remote computer to automatically activate the debugger that debugs a process activated on the remote computer and then issuing a debug command to the debugger. JP-A No. 346912/1993 discloses the technique of manipulating plural debuggers, each which operates on a remote computer, through a single interface.
Other examples of that type of technique are disclosed in JP-A No. 224984/1993, JP-A No. 324394/1993, JP-A No. 185378/1996, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2782971, and JP-A No. 197586/1993.
In order to manipulate plural debuggers operated on plural computers, it is basically necessary to set them respectively. In the prior art, the debugger on each computer is automatically activated. However, each debugger is independently activated and can be merely operated easily via a common user interface.
In the techniques disclosed in JP-A No. 203140/1999, JP-A No. 272644/1996, and JP-A No. 346912/1993, the debugger automatically activates at a remote place. An activated debugger is independent of other debuggers and nothing is considered to the content of setting. In the technique disclosed in JP-A No. 120366/1997, a break point is automatically set to other debuggers in a limited process such as step execution. However, that function only does not require any individual operation.
A further problem is that the execution status of a debugger operating on each of plural computers is managed every computer and that a change in execution status on a computer is not reflected to other computers, except the user interface. In the prior art, a program to be debugged runs inside a single computer only. However, when a single program is executed over plural computers, the operation of a communication destination or a parallel operation of another process on a different computer is not considered. When there is no parallel operation within a distributed system to be debugged, only the computers in an operating state at that time are stopped, so that any trouble does not occur in the process on other computers (not operated). However, when the system that operates in parallel over plural computers is debugged, a break point is detected on any one of computers. When a process temporarily halts on the computer, the execution continues without ceasing the process on other computers. As a result, it becomes difficult to grasp the entire state of the system.
In the technique disclosed in JP-A No. 120366/1997, it is considered to execute a single program over plural computers is considered. However, that art does not have the function of dealing with the parallel operation of a program. In the technique disclosed in JP-A No. 120366/1997, it is considered that the server is a multithread system and the technique relates to parallel processing inside a computer as a server. However, this technique does not consider the distributive processing such that one client executes the parallel processing to plural servers.
In any one of the above-mentioned prior arts, users must use debugger system, with knowledge that debuggers or debug objected systems are distributed over plural computers. Users cannot enjoy the advantage of the distributive transparency that is provided by the distributed system construction foundation during debugging. The technique of solving the above-mentioned problems is not disclosed even in other disclosed patent publications.

System and method for distributed debugging and recording medium on which control programs are recorded


A photosensitive element having an infrared imageable layer, and a process for making a relief image from such an element are disclosed.

Photosensitive elements which can be used to make relief images are well known. The photosensitive compositions generally comprise a photoinitiator and a component which is capable of reacting with the initiator, after it has been activated by exposure to actinic radiation. The reaction of the initiator and the second component produces a change in the physical properties of the layer such that the exposed areas can be differentiated from the nonexposed areas.
Imagewise exposure of a photosensitive element requires the use of a phototool which is a mask having clear and opaque areas covering the photosensitive layer. The phototool prevents exposure and photoreaction in the non-image areas, so that the image can be later developed. The phototool is clear, i.e., transparent to actinic radiation, in the image areas so that those areas are exposed to radiation. The phototool is usually a photographic negative (or positive) of the desired printing image. If corrections are needed in the final image a new negative (or positive) must be made. This is a time-consuming process. In addition, the phototool may change slightly in dimension due to changes in temperature and humidity. Thus, the same phototool, when used at different times or in different environments, may give different results and could cause registration problems.
Thus, it would be desirable to eliminate the phototool by directly recording information on a photosensitive element, e.g., by means of a laser beam. The image to be developed could be translated into digital information and the digital information used to adjust the relative position of the material and laser for exposing. The digital information could even be transmitted from a distant location. Corrections could be made easily and quickly by adjusting the digitized image. In addition, the digitized image could be either positive or negative, eliminating the need to have both positive-working and negative-working photosensitive materials, or positive and negative phototools. This saves storage space and, thus, reduces cost. Another advantage is that registration can be precisely controlled by machine during the imaging step.
In general, it has not been very practical to use lasers for the imagewise exposure of the elements which are used to prepare relief images, e.g., flexographic printing plates. The elements frequently have low photosensitivity and require long exposure times even with high powered lasers. In addition, most of the photosensitive materials used in these elements have their greatest sensitivity in the ultraviolet range. While UV lasers are known, economical and reliable UV lasers with high power are generally not available. Although it may be possible to develop photosensitive compositions which are sensitive in the infrared region where lasers are readily available, this would require a great deal of experimentation in order to achieve materials which have the other necessary properties of the relief.

Process and element for making a relief image using an IR sensitive layer


The present invention provides a method of doing cognitive diagnosis of mental skills, medical and psychiatric diagnosis of diseases and disorders, and in general the diagnosing of latent properties of a set of objects, usually people, for which multiple pieces of binary (dichotomous) information about the objects are available, for example testing examinees using right/wrong scored test questions. Settings where the present invention can be applied but are not limited to include classrooms at all levels, web-based instruction, corporate in-house training, large scale standardized tests, and medical and psychiatric settings. Uses include but are not limited to individual learner feedback, learner remediation, group level educational assessment, and medical and psychiatric treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a method of doing cognitive, medical and psychiatric, and diagnosis in general of latent properties of objects that are usually people using binary scored probing of the objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Part 1: Background Prerequisite to Description of Prior Art
Standardized Testing as Currently Practiced; Cognitive Diagnosis Defined. Before describing the prior art related to the invention, it is necessary to discuss needed background material. Both large scale standardized testing and classroom testing typically use test scores to rank and/or locate examinees on a single scale. This scale is usually interpreted as ability or achievement in a particular content area such as algebra or the physics of motion. Indeed, the two almost universally used approaches to "scoring" standardized tests, namely classical test theory (Lord, F. and Novick, M., 1968, Statistical Theories of Mental Test Score, Reading, Mass., Addison Wesley—although an ancient book, still the authority on classical test theory) and "unidimensional" item response theory (IRT), assign each examinee a single test score. An "item" is merely terminology for a test question. The standardized test score is usually the number correct on the test, but can include in its determination partial credit on some items, or the weighting of some items more than others. In classroom testing, teachers also typically assign a single score to a test.
The result of this single score approach to testing is that the test is only used either to rank examinees among themselves or, if mastery standards are set, to establish examinee levels of overall mastery of the content domain of the test. In particular, it is not used to produce a finely grained profile of examinee "cognitive attributes" within a single content domain. That is, an algebra test can be used to assess John's overall algebra skill level relative to others or relative to the standard for algebra mastery but it cannot determine cognitive attribute mastery, such as whether John factors polynomials well, understands the rules of exponents, understands the quadratic formula, etc., even though such fine grained analyses are clearly to be desired by instructor, student, parent, institution, and government agency, alike.
Herein, cognitive diagnosis refers to providing fine-grained profiles of examinee cognitive attribute mastery/non-mastery.
Statistical Method or Analysis The cognitive diagnostic algorithm that forms the core of the invention is a particular statistical method. A statistical method or analysis combines collected data and an appropriate probability model of the real world setting producing the data to make inferences (draw conclusions). Such inferences often lead to actual decision-making. For instance, the cognitive diagnosis indicating that Tanya is deficient on her mastery of the quadratic formula can be followed up by providing remediation to improve her understanding of the quadratic formula.
To clarify what a statistical method is, an overly simple, non-cognitive example is illustrative. As background, it seems worth noting that a valuable aspect of statistical methods is that they explicitly state the inherent error or uncertainty in their inferences. In particular, a valid statistical analysis is careful not to draw inferences that go beyond what is reasonably certain based on the available information in the data, accomplishing this by including a measure of the uncertainty associated with the inference, such as providing the standard error, a fundamental statistical concept. As such, this makes any statistical method for doing cognitive diagnosis superior to any deterministic model based method (variously called rule-based, artificial intelligence, data-mining, etc., depending on the particular deterministic approach taken).
The difference between a deterministic inference and a statistical inference is illustrated in a simple setting. A coin is claimed to be loaded in favor of coming up heads. It is tossed 10 times and produces 7 heads. The non-statistical, deterministic approach with its inherent failure to address possible inference error or uncertainty simply reports that the inferred probability p of heads is 0.7 and hence concludes that the claim is true. The statistical approach reports that even though the most likely probability p of heads is indeed 0.7, nonetheless, because of the uncertainty of this inference due to the very limited amount of data available, all that can really be confidently predicted is that 0.348≦p≦0.933. Thus from the statistical inference perspective, there is not strong evidence that the coin is unfair. This statistical perspective of appropriate caution is the superior way to proceed.
Similarly, cognitive diagnoses using the Unified Model (UM) discussed hereafter will only assign attribute mastery or attribute non-mastery to an examinee for a particular attribute when the examinee test data provides strong evidence supporting the particular conclusion drawn, like Jack's mastery of the algebraic rules of exponents.
Now a non-cognitive example of a statistical method in more detail than the illustration above is given.


There are provided a photographing apparatus and a method capable of photographing a subject a plurality of times sequentially and calculating exposure time periods in consideration of temporal change in light from the subject of the photography. The photographing apparatus includes: a photographing section; a photographic subject light information acquisition section; an exposure time calculation section and an image processing section that adds images sequentially captured through the shots of the photography. Assuming that n is an integer equal to or greater than 2, the exposure time calculation section calculates an exposure time period of an n-th shot on the basis of images captured through an (n−1)th shot or previous shots than the (n−1)th shot of the photography. The photographing section takes each shot of the photography, on the basis of each exposure time period which is calculated by the exposure time calculation section for each shot of the photography.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus and a method capable of photographing a subject, which is placed in a casing, a plurality of times sequentially.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, photographing systems, in which a subject is placed in a casing and which photograph a subject by irradiating the subject with light through a light source provided in the casing, have been utilized in various fields. In such photographing systems, a photography technique is selectively used mainly in accordance with a type of a subject. For example, JP2004-128546A, JP2014-050525, JP2009-236846A, and JP2008-042746A disclose photographing systems that generate images by causing an imaging element to capture chemiluminescent, fluorescent or reflected light, which originates from a subject, or transmitted light which is transmitted through the subject.
In a proposal of JP2004-128546A, since an intensity of chemiluminescent light or fluorescent light emitted from a subject is weak, when such light is intended to be photographed, photography is performed a plurality of times sequentially, thereby generating an added image in which images captured through a plurality of shots of the photography are cumulatively added up.
In a proposal of JP2013-68725A, a plurality of shots of pre-photography are taken, light emitting characteristics of a sample are calculated on the basis of a result of the pre-photography, and appropriate exposure time periods of shots of the photography are calculated on the basis of the light emitting characteristics.

Photographing apparatus and method capable of setting appropriate exposure time periods in consideration of temporal change in light


A variable area restrictor is disclosed that is preferably used in a turbine engine to provide improved matching between the pressure required for aerofoil cooling and the somewhat lower pressure requirement for supplying air to the interstage seals and disc cavities. In a preferred embodiment, the valve of the present invention comprises a spring loaded valve assembly with a fixed minimum flow area controlled by pre-setting a minimum dimension for the opening between an inlet and the housing or body of the valve. A pre-loaded spring maintains the lift at this minimum dimension until the pressure drop across the flow area exceeds a certain value. Above this critical pressure drop, the valve lifts, causing the flow area to increase, and thereby reducing the supply pressure that would be otherwise necessary to achieve a disc cavity flow adequate to maintain the temperatures within specifications.

The background of turbomachinery is well known in the art and familiarity with such art is presumed. The details of a typical prior art turbine are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,343, which is issued to the inventor of the present invention and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
Typical prior art turbines use a fixed, low restriction flow area at the inner shroud to supply air to the seals and disc cavities. In some designs, however, the pressure required for stator vane cooling is considerably higher than that required for the seals and disc cavities. When this situation occurs the pressure must be raised above the vane and is therefore higher than required for disc cavity flows thereby resulting in excessive leakage. This change is accompanied by reduced engine performance which must be accepted or an additional compensating pressure drop must be built into the system at the inner shroud by decreasing the otherwise relatively large inner shroud flow area. However, the added restriction at the inner shroud should be acceptable for nominal design point operation. A problem arises if the disc cavity flow required to maintain acceptably low disc cavity temperatures is higher than expected. Should this situation arise in an assembled, ready to run engine, the only choice is to increase the pressure at the outer vane shroud until sufficient inner shroud flow and acceptably low disc cavity temperatures are obtained. As a result, the outer shroud pressure is now higher than required for vane cooling and preventing contamination, and hence a potentially large additional performance-penalizing flow will be automatically supplied from the compressor bleed system, in addition to what is actually required for the disc cavities.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and methods by which the pressure required for airfoil cooling in a turbine can be achieved without jeopardizing the lower pressure requirement for supplying air to the interstage seals and disc cavities. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to permit the compensation of the pressure within various sections of a turbine engine. It is a further object of the present invention to optimize the pressure distribution within a turbine so as to achieve maximum efficiency and maximize power.


The object of the present invention is to provide a work sheet processing system wherein the material work sheet can be transported in and the product work sheet can be transporting out efficiently, and the cycle time of the processing can be shortened.

The present invention relates to a work sheet processing system for transporting a material work sheet by a loader into a work sheet processing machine such as a punch press or a laser processing machine, and transporting out by the loader, a product work sheet processed by the work sheet processing machine.
According to the conventional work sheet processing system of such kind, the product work sheet processed by the work sheet processing machine and located on a work table is transported out by the loader, and the next material work sheet is to be transported onto the work table by the loader after the surface of the work table is cleared.
However, under such structure, there is a problem in that the cycle time of the processing is to be long due to the work sheet making two round trips between the loader work sheet processing machine and the transporting in-and-out position for the material work sheet to be transported into the work sheet processing machine from the transporting in-and-out position and the processed product work sheet to be transported out to the transporting in-and-out position from the work sheet processing machine. By providing an exclusive unloader apart from the loader, the efficiency can be improved. However, in such case, the structure of the entire system is to be complicated, the set-up cost is to be expensive, and the occupying floor space is to increase.
The object of the present invention is to solve such problems and to provide a work sheet processing system capable of transporting in the material work sheet and transporting out the product work sheet efficiently, and shortening the cycle time of the processing.
The structure of the present invention will now be described in reference to FIG. 1 which corresponds to the embodiment. The work sheet processing system comprises a work sheet processing machine 3 for processing a work sheet W, and a loader 5 for transporting a material work sheet W onto a table 7 of the work sheet processing machine 3 and for transporting out the processed product work sheet M from the table 7 of the work sheet processing machine 3. The loader 5 comprises a work sheet holding means 18 which is comprised of a material work sheet holding tool 19 for holding the material work sheet W, and a product work sheet holding tool 20 for holding the product work sheet M. Furthermore, the work sheet processing system comprises a processing machine control means 31 and a loader control means 32. The processing machine control means 31 controls the work sheet processing machine 3 so that the work sheet processing machine 3 opens an area on the table 7 for the material work sheet W to be transported in by the loader 5, and the product work sheet M to be on standby by being placed within the area the product work sheet holding tool 20 of the loader 5 is capable of being transported out. The loader control means 32 controls the loader 5 so that the loader 5 holds onto the product work sheet M and then transports it out when the material work sheet W is placed on the table 7.
According to the structure, when the loader 5 transports the material work sheet W onto the table 7 of the work sheet processing machine 3, the product work sheet M on standby on the table 7 is held by the same loader 5 and can be transported out. Therefore, the material work sheet W can be transported into the work sheet processing machine 3 and the product work sheet M can be transported out from the work sheet processing machine 3 by an operation of one round trip of the loader 5. Further, the material work sheet holding tool 19 and the product work sheet holding tool 20 can be of the same structure to one another.
According to the present invention, a position changing control means 34 can be provided for the work sheet processing machine 3 to carry out the position changing operation so that the position of the product work sheet M is to be changed to the area where it can be transported out by the product work sheet holding tool 20 in the case the product work sheet M is not located within the area where it can be transported out by the product work sheet holding tool 20 of the loader 5.
If constructed likewise, the position of the product work sheet M is changed by the position changing control means 34 to the area capable of being transported out. Therefore, even in the case in which the processing shape or the processing form of the work sheet differ variously, the material work sheet W can be transported in and the product work sheet M can be transported out by one round trip of the loader 5.
Moreover, the work sheet processing machine 3 comprises a work sheet feeding device 9 for feeding the work sheet W to be processed. The position changing control means 34 can be made to control the work sheet feeding device 9.
If constructed likewise, the work sheet feeding device 9 for feeding the work sheet W can be used for changing the position of the product work sheet M. As a result, a special mechanism for changing the position of the product work sheet M becomes unnecessary.
Further, the processing machine control means 31 can be having a function to control the work sheet processing machine 3 as to transfer the product work sheet M on the table 7 by the work sheet feeding device 9 to the area capable of being transported out by the product work sheet holding unit 20 of the loader 5, and to make the work sheet feeding device 9 to be on standby at a position where the material work sheet W can be transported in by being separated from the product work sheet M. Accordingly, it can be prepared for the transporting in of the material work sheet W.

Abstract: The work sheet processing system comprises a work sheet processing machine 3, and a loader 5 for transporting the material work sheet W onto the table 7 of the work sheet processing machine 3 and transporting out the product work sheet M from the table. The loader 5 includes a work sheet holding means 18 comprised of a material work sheet holding tool 19 and a product work sheet holding tool 20. The work sheet processing system further comprises a processing machine control means 31 and a loader control means 32. The processing machine control means 31 controls the work sheet processing machine 3 so that the work sheet processing machine 3 opens an area on the table for the material work sheet W to be transported in by the loader 5, and the product work sheet M to be on standby by being placed within the area the product work sheet holding tool 20 is capable of being transported out. The loader control means 32 controls the loader 5 so that the loader 5 holds onto the product work sheet M, and when the material work sheet M is placed on the table 7, transports out the product work sheet M.


An apparatus main body 1 is provided with an air supply passage 19 for supplying compressed air for supporting a borne surface 42 in a shape of a projecting spherical surface of an aligning member 4 on a bearing surface 32 in a shape of a partial recessed spherical surface of an air bearing 3 such that the borne surface 42 can be aligned and for floating the aligning member 4 with respect to the air bearing 3. A lock mechanism for locking the aligning member 4 has contact faces 24 and 44 in contact with each other at a locking portion 25 at a tip end of a piston rod driven by a cylinder driving portion 2 and on a face of the aligning member 4 opposite to the borne surface 42 and the contact faces are formed into partial spherical surfaces concentric with the borne surface 42.

The present invention relates to a pressing apparatus for pressing a workpiece placed in a slightly inclined state against a target portion with uniform force, for example, and more specifically to an automatic aligning pressing apparatus for uniformly pressing a workpiece such as a semiconductor chip placed on a slightly inclined plane or the like against a target portion by automatically aligning a head for pressing.
An automatic aligning pressing apparatus for pressing a workpiece placed on a slightly inclined plane or the like against a target portion with uniform force by automatically aligning a head for pressing is already known.
This type of pressing apparatus generally includes an air bearing having a bearing surface in a shape of a partial recessed spherical surface and an aligning member having a borne surface which is in a shape of a partial projecting spherical surface and which is fitted with the bearing surface and the pressing head for pressing the workpiece is mounted to the aligning member. The aligning member is floated by supplying air between the bearing surface and the borne surface. By pressing the workpiece with the pressing head in this state, the aligning member and the pressing head are automatically aligned according to inclination of the workpiece, thereby uniformly pressing the workpiece against the target position.
Such a pressing apparatus has a lock mechanism for pressing and locking the aligning member after alignment against and to the air bearing. The prior-art lock mechanism presses and locks the aligning member against and to the air bearing by evacuating a gap between the bearing surface and the borne surface. However, it is necessary to increase surface areas of the bearing surface and the borne surface to ensure required suction force in the locking by means of evacuation. Therefore, a size of the apparatus increases adversely.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small-sized aligning pressing apparatus with low air consumption by which an aligning member can be automatically aligned by floating the aligning member and the aligning member can be locked in an aligned position by mechanical means.
To achieve the above object, an automatic aligning pressing apparatus of the invention comprises: an apparatus main body to be mounted to an automatic device; an air bearing mounted to the apparatus main body and including a bearing surface in a shape of a partial recessed spherical surface at a tip end of the air bearing; an aligning member which includes a borne surface in a shape of a partial projecting spherical surface having the same curvature as the bearing surface of the air bearing and a head mounting face to be mounted with a pressing head for a workpiece and which is supported by the air bearing with the borne surface fitted with the bearing surface; an air supply flow path for supplying compressed air to the bearing surface of the air bearing to float the aligning member from the air bearing; a lock mechanism for pressing and locking the aligning member against and to the bearing surface of the air bearing; and a cylinder driving portion for driving the lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism has a piston rod which passes through the air bearing and the aligning member in a position of central portions of the bearing surface and the borne surface in a freely inserted state and which is moved forward and rearward by the cylinder driving portion, a flange-shaped locking portion formed at a tip end of the piston rod, a depression which is formed in the aligning member and in which the locking portion is fitted, and contact faces in shapes of partial spherical surfaces which are formed at the locking portion and the depression to come in contact with each other in locking, and the contact faces are formed concentrically with the borne surface.
In the automatic aligning pressing apparatus with the above structure, if the piston rod is moved forward by the cylinder driving portion, a gap of about 0.02 to 0.05 mm is created between the bearing surface of the air bearing and the borne surface of the aligning member, compressed air is supplied into the gap from the air blowoff hole in the bearing face, and the aligning member is retained in a floating state by an air film. If the pressing head mounted to the aligning member is pressed against the workpiece in this state, because the borne surface and the contact face of the aligning member are concentric with each other, the aligning member is automatically aligned along an inclined face of the workpiece if the workpiece is slightly inclined and the workpiece is uniformly pressed against a target portion.
If the piston rod is drawn back by the cylinder driving portion, the contact face of the locking portion at the tip end of the piston rod comes in contact with the contact face of the aligning member, the aligning member is pressed against the bearing surface of the air bearing, and the aligning member that has been floating is smoothly locked to the air bearing in the aligned position.
By mechanically locking the aligning member through the piston rod by using the cylinder driving portion as described above, it is possible to reduce a size of the pressing apparatus as compared with a prior-art locking method by evacuation and air consumption also reduces.
In the invention, centers of curvature of the bearing surface of the air bearing, the borne surface of the aligning member, and the contact faces of the locking portion and the aligning member are set at a center of a workpiece pressing face of the pressing head mounted to the aligning member. As a result, it is possible to carry out the above floating further stably.
In the invention, it is preferable that the apparatus main body includes in a front end face thereof a depression, the air bearing is fixed to the apparatus main body in the depression, the aligning member is supported by the air bearing, a labyrinth for drawing air and communicating with a gap between the bearing surface and the borne surface is provided between outer peripheral faces of the air bearing and the aligning member and an inner peripheral face of the depression, and the labyrinth communicates with a port for recovering air. As a result, it is possible to recover the compressed air after the compressed air is used for floating the aligning member. Thus, discharge of dust to the surrounding environment can be suppressed and use of the apparatus in a clean room is possible.
In the invention, the air supply flow path extends from a supply port formed in the apparatus main body to pass through a connecting portion between the apparatus main body and the air bearing and to communicate with the blowoff hole opening in the bearing surface and sealing means for preventing air leakage from the connecting portion is provided to the connecting portion. By providing such sealing means, it is possible to reduce the amount of air consumption and to increase burden of the air bearing.
In this case, it is preferable that the sealing means is a heat-resistant annular sealant made of fluoro rubber and the sealing means is inserted into each of an outer peripheral annular groove and an inner peripheral annular groove formed in either one of connecting faces in the connecting portion between the apparatus main body side and the air bearing. As a result, it is possible to use the automatic aligning pressing apparatus even in a high-temperature environment.
It is preferable that the invention further comprises biasing means for applying operating force toward the air bearing side to the aligning member in floating. The biasing means is formed of a magnet, for example, and the aligning member formed of a magnetic substance can be attracted toward the air bearing side by the magnet.
It is preferable that the invention further comprises a rotation preventing mechanism for preventing rotation of the aligning member with respect to the air bearing. The rotation preventing mechanism may be formed of a pin fixed to one of the air bearing and the aligning member and a pin hole which is formed in the other of the air bearing and the aligning member and in which the pin is fitted with a gap around the pin. It is preferable that an elastic body surrounding the pin is disposed in the pin hole.


A method and system for evaluating the water stress status of growing crops in nearly real time employing remote monitoring of entire crop-growing areas, rather than sampling or spot checks, at sufficiently high resolution to recognize features in the crop-growing area, especially to distinguish between crop foliage and non-foliage features, and requiring minimal additional measurements of environmental parameters in the crop-growing area.

The present invention relates generally to sensing of irrigation status in crops.
Water stress is known to be a major factor affecting crop yield. Further, it has long been known that crop canopy temperature is a good indicator of water stress in plants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,826 to Wood et al., which discloses an xe2x80x9cAgricultural Infrared Thermometer,xe2x80x9d teaches (col. 1, lines 16-19) that xe2x80x9cthere is a narrow foliage temperature range, or a thermal kinetic window, within which the plant will achieve optimum yield and biomass production.xe2x80x9d
A detailed overview of the state of the art in the use of thermal infrared measurements for monitoring and measuring plant health may be found in xe2x80x9cThermal Infrared Measurement as an Indicator of Plant Ecosystem Healthxe2x80x9d (520-670-6380 X 171, June 2000) by M. Susan Moran, published by USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center, Tucson, Ariz.
It is also known that the difference in temperature between well-watered and inadequately watered or stressed crop canopies depends on additional environmental factors such as total incident radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. In their article, xe2x80x9cCanopy Temperature Characterization of Corn and Cotton Water Status,xe2x80x9d Transactions of the ASAE, 43(4), 867, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, Wanjura and Upchurch review the progression of different measures of crop water stress and how they are determined or calculated and conclude that the crop water stress index (CWSI) is a superior measure of water stress, but that both theoretical and empirical forms of the CWSI (CWSI-T and CWSI-TC, respectively) require measurement or calculation of multiple environmental factors that make their application difficult and impractical.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,755,942 and 4,876,647 to Gardner et al. disclose portable apparatus to determine crop water stress by simultaneously measuring a number of environmental and plant physiological parameters including air temperature, relative humidity, and plant canopy temperature. However, measurements with the apparatus disclosed therein have the limitations of variations in the environmental parameters over time and across the extent of typical crop-growing areas and variations in plant canopy temperature measurements as a result of differences in the position and orientation of a hand-held sensor. As a result, the determination of crop water stress with the disclosed system is of limited reliability. Further, given the size and non-uniformity of typical crop-growing areas, measurements with the hand-held apparatus disclosed therein are totally impractical except for spot-checking, as opposed to systematic monitoring of plant water stress desired in commercial agriculture.
Another approach is that of Murray in U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,047, xe2x80x9cMethod for Monitoring Growth and Detection of Environmental Stress in Plants,xe2x80x9d which relies on laboratory analysis of sample plant tissues. The method disclosed therein, while accurate, is also impractical for the systematic monitoring desired in commercial agriculture, especially if it is desired to control irrigation of crop-growing areas in a timely manner.
The present invention seeks to provide a method and system for evaluating the water stress status of growing crops in nearly real time employing remote monitoring of entire crop-growing areas, rather than sampling or spot checks, at sufficiently high resolution to recognize features in the crop-growing area, especially to distinguish between crop foliage and non-foliage features, and requiring minimal additional measurements of environmental parameters in the crop-growing area.
There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a system for evaluating the water stress status of growing crops including:
a reference array near or within a selected crop-growing area for performing reference parameter measurements thereon;
one or more sensors, which may be portable, for measuring environmental parameters, such as global radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, in the vicinity of the crop-growing area and of the reference array;
a portable imaging sensor for measuring a preselected physical parameter, preferably surface temperature, on a pixel by pixel basis over a selected area, thereby producing a two-dimensional array of pixels corresponding to a thermal image of the crop-growing area and of the reference array;
a portable location sensor for detecting global location reference signals;
a mobile platform, preferably airborne, for supporting all the portable sensors, which maintains a predetermined altitude during measurement by the portable imaging sensor so that the thermal image of the crop-growing area and of the reference array is made up of measurement pixels of a predetermined size, preferably providing a measurement of the surface temperature of an area smaller than a meter squared;
data processing apparatus, which may also include one or more data storage devices, arranged in data receptive association with each other and with the sensors for receiving parameter measurements therefrom; and
a multiplicity of communications devices for transmitting the parameter measurements from the sensors and data storage devices to the data processing apparatus;
wherein the reference array allows measurement of reference parameters which, together with crop parameter measurements of growing crops, facilitates the data processing apparatus in determining the water stress status of the growing crops.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided for use with the system for evaluating the water stress status of growing crops, a reference array near or within a selected crop-growing area for performing reference parameter measurements thereon, which includes a plurality of component reference surfaces, typically formed of fabric, in a predetermined arrangement, each of the component reference surfaces being a predetermined size and having predetermined radiometric and heat-convection properties; and wherein the component reference surfaces allow measurement of a plurality of reference parameters which, together with crop parameter measurements of growing crops, facilitates determination of the water stress status of the growing crops. The component reference surfaces include one or more first reference surfaces fabricated to produce preselected parameter measurements substantially equivalent to those taken on a potentially transpiring crop surface that is internally saturated and one or more second reference surfaces, which are substantially dry, shielded from thermal radiation coming from therebelow, and fabricated to have predetermined heat-convection properties. Accordingly, the first reference surface is configured to permit substantially free evaporation therefrom and includes wetting apparatus which continuously wets ARS 15 first reference surface with water during preselected time intervals including when measurements are to be taken. Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there are two or more second reference surfaces, which are substantially dry and which include one or more uniformly light-colored surfaces and one or more uniformly dark-colored surfaces.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the reference array may further include one or more environmental sensors for measuring predetermined environmental parameters at its location. Additionally in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the reference array may also include temperature sensors for measuring the surface temperatures of the component reference surfaces of the reference array. The reference array may also include a clock device for producing time reference signals and wireless transmission apparatus for transmitting reference parameter measurements and time reference signals to the system so that the system can synchronize the reference parameter measurements with crop parameter measurements for determination of the water stress status of the growing crops. Alternatively, the reference array may further include a data storage device for storing all measurements until they are transmitted by the wireless transmission apparatus to the system for processing.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the size of the component reference surfaces of the reference array allows them to correspond to a predetermined number of whole pixels, preferably, at least four, in the thermal image of the crop growing area and of the reference array produced by the portable imaging sensor when performing measurements at the predetermined altitude above of the crop growing area and of the reference array.
In accordance with yet a further preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method for evaluating the water stress status of growing crops employing the system and the reference array described hereinabove. The method includes the steps of:
providing, near a selected crop-growing area, a reference array, with a number of component reference surfaces, for reference parameter measurements;
measuring, in the vicinity of the crops and in the vicinity of the reference array, a plurality of measurements of a predetermined set of environmental parameters, such as global radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed;
measuring, for the crops and for the reference array, a plurality of measurements of a predetermined set of physical parameters, preferably of the surface temperature, wherein each measurement includes a physical parameter measurement and the location at which the physical parameter was measured;
identifying, by means of the location measurement associated with each physical parameter measurement, those measurements of physical parameters pertaining to the component reference surfaces of the reference array, and those measurements of physical parameters pertaining to the crop-growing area; and
employing the measured parameters for the crop-growing area and those for the reference array for evaluating the water stress status of the crops growing in the crop-growing area.
The step of providing a reference array, includes providing wet component reference surfaces and wetting them with water continuously during preselected time intervals including intervals when measurements are to be taken, and providing dry component reference surfaces, as described hereinabove.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of measuring a plurality of measurements of the surface temperature includes the step of imaging the crop-growing area and the reference array from a predetermined altitude, preferably from an airborne platform, with a thermal imaging radiometer thereby producing a two-dimensional array of pixels corresponding to a thermal image of the crop-growing area and the reference array wherein each pixel of the thermal image provides a measurement of the surface temperature of an area of a preselected size, preferably smaller than a meter squared, of the crop-growing area. The step of imaging may include the substeps of:
producing a number of partial images of the crop-growing area;
locating, to a preselected precision, each of the partial images of the crop-growing area, preferably by measuring a global location reference signal for each partial image; and
splicing the partial images of the crop-growing area to produce a two-dimensional array of pixels corresponding to a thermal image of the entire crop-growing area and of the reference array.
Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the component surfaces of the reference array will each correspond to a predetermined number of pixels, preferably at least four, in the thermal image produced in the step of imaging.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of identifying further includes the step of distinguishing the pixels in the thermal image of the crop-growing area corresponding to locations covered with crop foliage from the pixels in the thermal image of the crop-growing area corresponding to locations not covered with crop foliage.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of employing the measured parameters includes the steps of:
performing statistical analysis of the pixel measurements for a predetermined subset of the pixels in the thermal image of the crop-growing area corresponding to areas covered with crop foliage, thereby determining an effective crop canopy temperature Tc;
determining, from the pixel measurements corresponding to all the component reference surfaces of the reference array and from the measurements of the environmental parameters, preferably from the measurements of the global radiation, in the vicinity of the reference array, the theoretical maximum and minimum crop canopy temperatures, Tmax, and Tmin, respectively;
calculating the crop water stress index (CWSI) for the crop-growing area using the formula:
{CWSI}=(Tcxe2x88x92Tmin)/(Tmaxxe2x88x92Tmin);
and evaluating the water stress status of the growing crops from the crop water stress index for the crop-growing area.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the step of determining is performed from the pixel measurements corresponding to the first, or wet, component reference surface of the reference array and from the measurements of the air temperature in the vicinity of the reference array.
In accordance with still another alternative embodiment of the invention, the step of measuring a plurality of measurements of a predetermined set of physical parameters further includes the steps of:
measuring a global location reference signal for the reference array;
measuring a plurality of measurements of the surface temperature for all the component reference surfaces of the reference array by means of surface temperature sensors associated with the reference array, as described hereinabove; and
synchronizing, by means of the clock and the wireless transmission apparatus associated with the reference array, as described hereinabove, the measurements of the surface temperature for all the component reference surfaces of the reference array with the plurality of measurements of the surface temperature for the crops.
Thus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the step of determining is performed from the synchronized temperature measurements corresponding to all the component reference surfaces of the reference array measured by the sensors associated therewith and from the measurements of the global radiation in the vicinity of the reference array. In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the step of determining is performed from the synchronized temperature measurements corresponding to the first, wet, reference surface of the reference array measured by the sensors associated therewith and from the measurements of the air temperature in the vicinity of the reference array.

System and method for remote monitoring of water stress status of growing crops


A fluid pressure control device has a sliding member fitted in a housing for switching over the connection and the disconnection between an input port connected to a fluid pressure supply source, an output port connected to a fluid pressure operated device and a release port connected to a reservoir; a reaction chamber for generating a fluid pressure urging the sliding member in a retracting direction; an urging piston operatively connected to the rear end of the sliding member; an input piston operatively connected to an operation member; and a pressure chamber formed between a back surface of the urging piston and a front surface of the input piston; wherein a first pressure receiving area of the sliding member exposed to the reaction chamber is set smaller than a second pressure receiving area of the urging piston exposed to the pressure chamber, and the second pressure receiving area is set smaller than a third pressure receiving area of the input piston exposed to the pressure chamber. The ratio of the pressure receiving area of the urging piston, exposed to the pressure chamber to the pressure receiving area of the sliding member, exposed to the reaction chamber is greater than a ratio of the pressure receiving area of the input piston, exposed to the pressure chamber of the urging piston, exposed to the pressure chamber (i.e., A.sub.2 /A.sub.1 >A.sub.3 /A.sub.2).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid pressure control device for use, for example, in the braking system of a vehicle, and comprising a housing which has an input port connected to a fluid pressure supply source, an output port leading to a fluid pressure operated device and a release port connected to a reservoir; a sliding member slidably fitted in the housing between a retracted position connecting the output port with the release port and an advanced position connecting the output port with the input port; a reaction chamber in the housing and facing a front surface of the sliding member for generating a fluid pressure urging the sliding member in a retracting direction, the reaction chamber being connected to the output port; an urging piston slidably fitted in the housing and operatively connected to a rear end of the sliding member; an input piston slidably fitted in the housing and operatively connected to an operation member; and a pressure chamber formed between a back surface of the urging piston and a front surface of the input piston.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a fluid pressure control device is conventionally known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 220054/91.
In the above prior art fluid pressure control device, pressure receiving areas of the urging piston and the input piston, each exposed to the pressure chamber, are set at an equal value. Hence, if the fluid pressure is varied in a condition in which there is such fluid pressure generated in the reaction chamber, the variation in pressure in the pressure chamber, due to the forward and rearward sliding movement of the sliding member, is relatively large, resulting in a relatively large kick-back applied from the input piston to the operation member. In addition, when the operation member is further operated from a condition in which the sliding member cuts off the communication between the output port and the input port, thereby advancing the sliding member, the ratio of the amount of input piston advanced to the amount of urging piston advanced is 1:1. Therefore, a force required to advance the sliding member to a position in which the output port and the input port are put into communication with each other is relatively large.


Disclosed are a method and apparatus for tiling light sheet selective plane illumination microscopy (TLS-SPIM) with real-time light sheet optimization. The method and apparatus image multi-cellular specimens in 3D, with an improved 3D imaging ability of SPIM in resolving complex structures and optimizes SPIM live imaging performance by using a real-time adjustable tiling light sheet and creating a flexible compromise between spatial and temporal resolution. A 3D live imaging ability is provided of the TLS-SPIM by real-time imaging cellular and sub-cellular behaviors.

This invention relates generally a fluorescence microscopy technique to three dimensional (3D) imaging of live biological specimens in real time.
Cells live in 3D environments. A more accurate understanding of cell behaviors and cell-cell interactions can be obtained by studying cells in their native, multi-cellular environments than when cultured on substrates. In a multi-cellular organism, the intracellular activities of a cell affect not only the cell itself but also its neighbor cells, and the cellular behavior of a cell results from both its own intracellular activities and its interactions with other cells. In other words, cell behaviors in a multi-cellular process are caused by the intracellular activities of all cells involved in the process. Thus, in order to understand cell behaviors in a multi-cellular process, it is necessary to study all involved cells at sub-cellular level to acquire the dynamic information of their intracellular activities, by which the underlying connections between cellular behaviors and intracellular activities of the involved cells can be revealed. For this reason, fluorescence imaging techniques that allow low-invasive 3D imaging of multi-cellular specimens with high spatial and temporal resolution are required.
Multi-cellular specimens are difficult to image in 3D because of their size and complexity accompanied with optical aberrations and light scattering. Both high 3D spatial resolution and good optical sectioning capability are required in a large field of view (FOV) in order to visualize the specimen with sub-cellular, or even cellular structural details. Meanwhile, the photobleaching and photodamage must be low enough to allow live imaging at needed speed for a certain period of time. Therefore, selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) is getting increasing attention for its advanced 3D live imaging ability [1-4]. Generally, the latest SPIM techniques allow low-invasive, high-speed 3D imaging of either single cell specimens with sub-cellular level, submicron 3D spatial resolution [5-8], or multi-cellular specimens with cellular level spatial resolution of a few microns [9-12], although the actual performance varies depending on the sample and fluorophore. However, imaging multi-cellular specimens in 3D with sub-cellular spatial resolution remains challenging despite the progress that has been made in SPIM development.
SPIM obtains 3D imaging ability by confining the illumination light near the detection focal plane with a light sheet. With a given detection numerical aperture (NA), its 3D imaging ability, including the spatial resolution, optical sectioning capability, field of view (FOV), photobleaching and photodamage, is mainly determined by the intensity profile of the light sheet [13, 14]. A uniformly thin and large light sheet is therefore required in SPIM to maximize its imaging ability, and the generation of such a light sheet has been a major focus of SPIM development [5-7, 15, 16]. Although different methods have been developed, none of them are ideal. Essentially, every light sheet balances the properties of light sheet thickness, the illumination light confinement, and the light sheet size differently, which results in different 3D spatial resolution, optical sectioning capability and FOV, respectively [13, 14]. Nevertheless, it becomes extremely difficult to balance these properties as the FOV increases to image multi-cellular specimens of dozens of microns or larger, since an ideal light sheet that has thin thickness, good light confinement and a large size at the same time does not exist due to the diffraction of light. Either the spatial resolution, optical sectioning capability, or both must be sacrificed to reach a larger FOV because the light sheet either becomes thicker, or the excitation light is less confined as its size increases. Therefore, the tradeoff between the spatial resolution, optical sectioning capability and FOV sets a fundamental limit on conventional SPIM, and a key problem of imaging multi-cellular specimens with sub-cellular spatial resolution using SPIM turns out to be how to increase the FOV without losing the spatial resolution and optical sectioning capability. Different approaches other than finding a perfect light sheet must be made.
Multiview SPIM is a different approach that works in two ways to improve the 3D imaging ability of SPIM on multi-cellular specimens. First, by sending the excitation light sheet and collecting the fluorescence signal from different directions, the final image is less affected by the optical aberration and light scattering introduced by the sample [9-12]. Next, 3D images taken from different directions can be fused together with similar methods used in tomography, by which the 3D spatial resolution can exceed the resolution limit set up by the light sheet in theory [1, 8, 12]. Nevertheless, the improvement in resolution by this approach relies on the number of different view directions, and the spatial resolution and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the 3D images taken in these different views. In multiview SPIM, the number of view directions is limited to two (lateral and axial) without rotating the sample, while the spatial resolution and SNR of the 3D image taken in each view are still strictly constrained by the light sheet used to take the image. Therefore, multiview SPIM cannot bypass the fundamental tradeoff of SPIM set up by the light sheet. Furthermore, high-speed sub-cellular dynamics, the optical aberration and light scattering introduced by both the sample and the agarose gel usually used to mount the sample make it more difficult to fuse different views accurately with high spatial resolution. Consequently, multiview SPIM is suited for imaging relatively large and bright multi-cellular specimen with cellular level spatial resolution. Imaging multi-cellular specimens with sub-cellular spatial resolution remains a problem with multiview SPIM.
The nonexistence of a perfect light sheet not only limits the 3D imaging ability of SPIM, but also creates a severe yet underappreciated practical problem. Optimization of the light sheet, including its type and dimensions, is required case by case in SPIM depending on the sample to be imaged and the biological question to be studied, as different light sheets balance the 3D imaging ability of SPIM differently [14]. The light sheet is usually determined based on the prior knowledge of the specimen and the biological process to be imaged, and it remains the same during the entire imaging process because a realignment of the microscope, that often takes hours even for SPIM experts, is usually required to change the light sheet. It is not only extremely inconvenient, but also prevents SPIM from adapting itself to reach the optimal imaging performance, because different organelles have different structures and dynamics, and both of these can change in live imaging. Instead, the optimization of SPIM imaging performance would become a closed-loop process if the light sheet could be adjusted in real-time using the immediate imaging result as feedback. More importantly, the understanding of a biological process relies on the spatial and temporal information that can be obtained from the process, whereas an ideal method that is capable of acquiring both with a high resolution is often unavailable, especially for multi-cellular specimens. The only option under such circumstances is to compromise either the spatial or the temporal resolution strategically, and only acquire the necessary information needed to understand a biological process. Such ability and flexibility to compromise can only be obtained by adjusting the light sheet in real-time in SPIM. Thus, be able to optimize the excitation light sheet in real-time is another key to improving the 3D live imaging ability of SPIM on multi-cellular specimens.

Method and apparatus for tiling light sheet selective plane illumination microscopy with real-time optimized light sheet

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York


This invention relates to a kiln of a compact upright configuration which is constructed so as to successively preheat, heat, and then cool aggregate in a continuous operation while avoiding wasteful loss of heat from the walls of the kiln or in the effluent gases. In the apparatus of this invention there is provided an upright hollow housing having an air inlet opening in a lower portion thereof and an air outlet opening in an upper portion thereof. A fan is communicatively connected to the housing for causing outside air to enter the air inlet opening and flow upwardly through the housing. A fuel burner is provided in the housing for combusting a fuel and thereby heating the air flowing upwardly within the housing. A pair of opposing gas permeable retaining walls of nonlinear zigzag configuration is positioned within the upright housing and extending generally longitudinally thereof in closely spaced relation to one another to define an elongate zigzag passageway of relatively narrow cross section adapted for receiving aggregate at the upper end and for maintaining the aggregate in the form of a relatively thin layer extending generally vertically in a series of oppositely directed downwardly inclined courses of travel.

In manufacturing operations involving the heating of a solid aggregate material to relatively high temperatures such as in the production of light weight aggregate or calcined limestone, the aggregate is typically processed in a rotary kiln having a horizontally extending rotatably mounted tubular body. Rotary kilns used for this purpose are typically quite massive, e.g. ten to twelve feet in diameter and fifty to a hundred feet or more in length. Because of the size of the rotary kiln and the fact that the entire tubular body thereof is mounted for rotation, the rotary kiln is quite difficult to insulate and consequently a considerable amount of the heat input to the kiln is lost through the walls thereof.
In an effort to increase the efficiency of a rotary kiln and reduce the fuel requirements, separate cooling devices have been developed for use at the discharge end of the rotary kiln for cooling the aggregate which is discharged from the kiln while transferring the heat content of the heated aggregate to the incoming air. Additionally, separate preheater devices have been developed for use on the input end of the rotary kiln for preheating the incoming aggregate by contact with the waste heated gases from the kiln.
In my copending application, Ser. No. 088,522, filed Oct. 26, 1979 and entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TREATING AGGREGATE MATERIAL WITH A FLOWING GAS, I have disclosed an improved apparatus and method for preheating solid aggregate prior to introduction to a rotary kiln. In accordance with the apparatus and method disclosed in this copending application, the aggregate is directed downwardly along a predetermined zigzag path of travel while being maintained in the form of a relatively thin layer and while the heated gases which are discharged from the kiln are directed upwardly along a predetermined sinuous path of travel repeatedly passing back and forth through the downwardly moving thin layer of aggregate from opposite sides thereof. This arrangement provides highly effective contact of the waste heated gases from the kiln with the aggregate, so as to preheat the incoming aggregate and effectively utilize the otherwise wasted heat content of the gases discharged from the kiln.
In my copending application Ser. No. 095,446, filed Nov. 19, 1979, and entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HEATING AN AGGREGATE MATERIAL, I have disclosed a related, but improved apparatus and method which provides for preheating the aggregate to a higher temperature prior to introducing the aggregate into a rotary kiln. In accordance with this application, supplemental heating means is provided within the pre-heater apparatus for further heating the waste heated gases which are discharged from the rotary kiln.
The aggregate preheater devices of my aforementioned copending applications are of simple and relatively inexpensive construction as compared to the devices previously known for this purpose, and provide for highly effective transfer of heat between the aggregate and the following gases.

Upright kiln and attendant method for heating an aggregate material


Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for a wireless health monitoring system for interactively monitoring a disease or health condition of a patient by connecting an internet-enabled wireless web device (“WWD”) to a digital camera or other health monitoring device. The WWD may accommodate a memory device for enhanced storage capabilities that may be particularly pertinent to data-intensive tasks such as the handling and storage of images or other visual data. The health related data is transmitted from the WWD to a server using standard internet protocols and may be integrated with various operating systems for handheld or wireless devices, especially those with enhanced capabilities for handing images and visual data.

Several attempts have been made in the past to achieve efficient interactive communication of medical or health information between a subject or patient and a reviewer or provider of that information. In particular, communication of consumer physiological information has been a subject of such attempts. It is noted that in this regard the "reviewer or provider of medical or health information" is understood to include not only a physician but also a software application or algorithm that may analyze the information.
Medical or health information has been made available on a CD-ROM accessible by a home computer system. This passive approach had certain disadvantages. First, although the personal computer is prevalent is the United States, it is generally too expensive for a consumer physiological monitoring system and there are many people who find it too complicated to set up and use for that purpose. High-risk, chronically ill patients, responsible for more than half of health care costs in the United States and forming the fastest growing segment of those requiring health care, are indeed the most likely not to be able to afford or use a system built around a personal computer. In addition, such systems are limited in their interactivity to the information stored on the CD.
Previous patents by the Inventor addressed both of these disadvantages, as well as the need to reduce health care costs through providing educational health care information and interactive physiological monitoring in the home environment by means of a user-friendly, interactive system (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,601,435, 6,144,837, and continuations thereof).
These previous patents were based on a video game console, or a multimedia player using a conventional television screen as the display device to achieve a system which is simpler to use than systems based on a personal computer. An initial embodiment of the previous patents utilized a compact disc to provide interactive information for disease management.
Even with the advantages provided, these systems limited the user to location in which the device was located. Even where devices are portable, as in the case of a laptop computer with a modem, an ordinary POTS phone line must be found and used. Where the user's computer employs a broadband connection, such as DSL or satellite, the choices of location are even more limited.
Attempts have been made to remedy this deficiency. For example, many telemetry systems allow a "wireless" distance to be placed between a health measuring unit and a remote monitoring system. However, such systems are limited in their range.
Other systems have used cellular telephone technology to increase the wireless health monitoring range. However, these systems have several deficiencies, such as requiring significant modification of the mobile phone. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,586, issued Jun. 30, 1998 to Heinonon et al., discloses a method for monitoring the health of a patient. This system uses a specialized connection between the patient health measuring unit and the cellular phone, however. The patient health measuring unit is located in the battery space of the mobile phone and is connected to a communication bus of the mobile phone. Other systems have been proposed, but these suffer from similar deficiencies in that they are not designed to be used with "off-the-shelf" wireless devices or health measuring equipment.
The deployment of the above systems also currently lacks employment of full back-end server functionality with which to provide a wide range of interactive communication with the patient. Instead, such systems, if internet-enabled, are often limited to mere one-way non-interactive data transfer via a modem. While some systems are more enhanced, including that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,427, issued Oct. 18, 1994 to Langen, et al., and entitled "Remote Monitoring of High-Risk Patients using Artificial Intelligence", these systems are limited by the wired telecommunications infrastructure.

Method and apparatus for health and disease management combining patient data monitoring with wireless internet connectivity


A wireless power receiver comprises a resonant tank configured to generate an AC power signal responsive to an electromagnetic field, a rectifier configured to receive the AC power signal and generate a DC output power signal, and control logic configured to control the resonant tank to reconfigure and adjust its resonant frequency responsive to a determined transmitter type of a wireless power transmitter. The control logic may operate the wireless power receiver as a multimode receiver having a first mode for a first transmitter type and a second mode for a second transmitter type. The resonant tank may exhibit a different resonant frequency for each of the first mode and the second mode. A method comprises determining a transmitter type for a wireless power transmitter desired to establish a mutual inductance relationship, and adjusting a resonant frequency of a resonant tank of a wireless power receiver.

Battery-powered devices (e.g., consumer electronic devices, electric and hybrid automobiles, etc.) are charged from a power source (e.g., AC power outlet) through a charging device. The charging device couples the battery to the power source through an adaptor. The cord extending between the power source and the battery-powered device can take up space. In situations where multiple devices require charging, each with their own charger and cord, the charging area can become cramped and inconvenient.
Approaches are being developed that use over-the-air or wireless power transmission between a transmitter and a receiver coupled to the electronic device. Wireless power transmission using inductive coils is one method considered as an un-tethered method for transferring power wirelessly through a coupled electromagnetic field. In wireless power transmission, power is transferred by transmitting an electromagnetic field through a transmit coil. On the receiver side, a receiver coil may couple with the transmit coil through the electromagnetic field, thus, receiving the transmitted power wirelessly. The distance between the transmitter and receiver coils, at which efficient power transfer can take place, is a function of the transmitted energy and the required efficiency. The coupling coefficient (k) is a function of the distance between the coils, the coil sizes, and materials. The power conversion efficiency (e.g., coupling factor, coupling quality) may be significantly improved if the coils are sized and operated at such a frequency that they are physically within the so-called "near-field zone" of each other.
Wireless power systems are generally intended to operate in a frequency range substantially near (e.g., exactly at) the peak resonance of the resonant tanks of the wireless power devices. Different wireless power devices may be configured differently, which may cause the devices to be incompatible. For example, a wireless power transmitter may be designed to operate according to a peak resonance that is substantially different than the peak resonance of a wireless power receiver. As a result, if one were to attempt to establish wireless power transfer between two dissimilar devices, wireless power transfer parameters such as the system efficiency and the transient response of the wireless power receiver may suffer.

Multimode wireless power receivers and related methods


A process for depolymerizing polymers by selective, partial oxidation at supercritical or near supercritical conditions for water and wherein supercritical water or water near supercritical conditions is used as a solvent and reforming agent, is used to produce relatively high yields of the monomers originally used to produce the polymers. The invention provides an environmentally friendly process for recycling polymeric waste materials to generate valuable polymer feedstock in a closed oxidation process which is free of hazardous stack emissions. The polymers which can be recycled in accordance with the process can include typical amounts of conventional additive and other impurities without significantly affecting the overall conversion.

It is well known that polymers, like other organically based waste materials, can generally be combusted to produce carbon dioxide, water and other products along with useable energy. Another oxidation process which can be utilized is wet air oxidation wherein the feed and oxidizing agent are pressurized to reaction conditions of from about 1500 to 2500 psig, heated to operating temperature and fed to a reactor for residence times of 0.5 to 1 hour. Catalytic oxidation processes can also be used to convert polymers to carbon dioxide, water and other products depending on the composition of the polymer. All of the known reaction techniques for recycling polymers, however, are generally directed toward achieving or nearly achieving complete oxidation of the polymer in order to recover the maximum amount of thermal energy. Accordingly, none of the known methods for oxidizing polymers has been successfully utilized for achieving selective oxidation to recover high yields of monomers and oligomers thereof which can be used to repolymerize the pure polymer.
The recovery of monomers from polymeric waste material is highly desirable because other means of recycling polymers such as melting thermoplastics and reshaping them into usable articles has only limited applications owing to the tendency of such polymeric materials to undergo progressive contamination and degradation leading to lower quality materials which are unsuitable for many applications.