There is provided a method of controlling the flow of information in a client/server system for interactive configuration, wherein a request to a rule base is processed, comprising the steps of: providing request information, resulting from a first client interaction; transferring said request information to the server; collecting intermediate information, resulting from at least one second client interaction succeeding said first client interaction; creating response information on the server responsive to said request information; transferring said response information to the client; determining whether said response information indicates conformity with said rule base; creating merged information responsive to said intermediate information and said response information; determining whether said intermediate information represents a higher level of knowledge than said response information; selecting at least one of the following actions according to said determinations: use said merged information to update said client or transmit said merged information as a request.

In short, the general interactive configuration problem can be described as having a computer based model of a number of selectable objects, or selectable attributes of objects, and a number of rules that define constraints on the selectable objects and attributes. The configuration process is the process of selecting or deselecting objects or object attributes until a solution is found that satisfies all the constraints. During this configuration, the configuration engine will deduce consequences of the selections made, as well as interactively handling conflicting selections, and aiding the user in resolving these.
Traditionally, the configuration process in a client/server environment consisted in the user making a number of selections at the client side and then submitting the selections for validation by the server. This traditional way of operation has the serious drawback, that the user can end up with a set of selections that does not satisfy all the constraints, without having means of knowing exactly which selections caused the inconsistency. It may be likely that the user is forced to undo all selections in order to reach a valid state.
A computer system intended to solve a configuration problem is a special application of artificial intelligence where the problem can be stated in terms of a set of selectable elements and a number of relations between these selectable elements. The configuration problem is solved when the set of all selectable elements is completely divided into two disjunct sub-sets representing elements that are included in the configuration and elements that are excluded from the configuration, respectively, without violating any of the relations between the selectable elements.
A selectable element is anything that can be included or excluded. It can be a physical object (e.g. a car or a specific kind of engine), an attribute (e.g. the color red or the texture pattern of a carpet) or something abstract (e.g. a specific number of trips between home and work or a particular type of contract).
A relation is a rule involving one or more selectable elements. The purpose of a rule is to constrain the selection of elements to obey some requirements. A rule can be based on a physical limitation (e.g. if a car needs a large engine to support a large number of selected electrical accessories), or a discretionary decision (e.g. if management decides that all cars having a particular large engine are produced only in red color to give them a more sporty look). Often the term "constraint" is used to refer to a rule limiting how elements can be combined.
A configuration engine is the heart of a computer system for solving configuration problems. The configuration engine maintains a value for each selectable element reflecting the current knowledge of that element. The knowledge value is "unknown" to begin with, and can be set by either the user of the computer system or the configuration engine. Some examples of values are:
Selected, meaning that the user operating the computer system has chosen to positively include the element.
Discarded, meaning that the user operating the computer system has chosen to positively exclude the element.
Concluded, meaning that the Configuration Engine has deduced that the element must be included.
Rejected, meaning that the Configuration Engine has deduced that the element must be excluded.
Unbound, meaning that the Configuration Engine has deduced that the element may be either included or excluded.
Possibly concluded, meaning that the Configuration Engine has deduced that the element may be included but cannot be excluded.
Possibly rejected, meaning that the Configuration Engine has deduced that he element may be excluded but cannot be included.
Unknown, meaning that the configuration engine has no present knowledge of whether the element is included or not.
It is possible to define a partial ordering of knowledge values that reflects the level of knowledge which the configuration engine has about the element. An example of such an ordering is given in table 1 below:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Level Knowledge Value ______________________________________ 3 Selected, Discarded, Concluded, Rejected 2 Unbound 1 Possibly concluded, Possibly rejected 0 Unknown ______________________________________
Table 1 shows the ordering of knowledge values.
Two values are said to be equivalent if they have the same effect on the set of selected elements. Using the example values in table 1, selected is equivalent with concluded and discarded is equivalent with rejected.
If two different values of the same element are compared, one value may overrule the other value if it has a higher associated knowledge level. If e.g. the value of an element is "unbound" in one part of the computer system and "selected" in another part of the system, then the value of "selected" may overrule the value of "unbound".
An element is defined as "free" if it is either unbound, possibly concluded, possibly rejected or unknown.
An element is defined as "bound" if it is selected, discarded, concluded or rejected.
The configuration engine uses the rules to assist the user in the selection process. This assistance can be more thorough, the more calculations the configuration engine is allowed to perform. It is possible to define the amount of assistance given to the user in terms of the deduction level reached by computations of the configuration engine. Some possible definitions of deduction levels are given below:
Validation is defined as the deduction level where all rules have been examined without finding any violations.
Propagation is defined as the deduction level where the first implications of the rules are computed. If e.g. a rule states "if A then B" and A is included (selected), propagation means that the configuration engine has deduced that B is also included (selected).
A deduction of consequences is a calculation by the configuration engine where at least the propagation level is reached.
A contradiction is defined as the situation where the user performs a choice to either include or exclude an element, following which the configuration engine is not able to reach a level of validation because at least one rule is violated.


An antenna for electromagnetic waves including a quantum interference filter, at least one low-temperature transistor and primary antenna structures, means for deriving an electromagnetic wave from the circuit, cooling elements and insulating means. The interference filter and the transistor act as active components, the primary antenna structure is connected up to at least one of the active components in such a way that upon incidence of an electromagnetic wave on the primary antenna structure there is present at the output of the at least one active component a conducted electromagnetic wave, and wherein at least one part of the circuit and at least one part of the primary antenna structure are thermally insulated, the thermal insulation is frequency transparent to electromagnetic waves, and the cooling elements are designed to cool down at least one part of the circuit below the transition temperature of at least one of the superconducting materials.

The mode of operation of conventional electric receiving antennas is based essentially on the fact that an incident electromagnetic wave induces a voltage drop across the antenna that constitutes the input signal for the receiving electronics. However, the induced voltage drop is generally so small that it must initially be amplified with the aid of resonance effects. In this case, either the conventional antenna is itself designed in such a way that a geometrical resonance occurs at the receiving frequency, or the antenna is provided with an electric balancing network such that the antenna and balancing network form a resonant circuit.
Owing to the resonance amplification required for achieving an adequate sensitivity, the frequency bandwidth within which reception is possible is severely restricted with conventional antennas. The bandwidth is typically smaller than 20% of the resonance frequency. A larger bandwidth can be achieved with the aid of so-called "frequency independent" logarithmic spiral antennas. However, even here the extent of the antenna must be in the region of the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave to be received, and the sensitivity of such antennas is mostly low.
It is true in principle that magnetic loop antennas can be designed with broader bands than electric antennas, but they cannot be used at relatively high frequencies because of the occurrence of inductive effects and because of the skin effect. Moreover, during conventional operation the impedance of magnetic loop antennas can be adapted to the impedance of conventional electronic circuits only with difficulty, and the efficiency of the antennas is thereby sharply decreased.
A further problem occurs with conventional antenna systems when electromagnetic waves of very low signal strength are to be received. The input sensitivity of conventional antenna systems is limited in principle by the noise of the preamplifier following the antenna. The input signal coming from the antenna must be above the noise threshold of the preamplifier so that it can be usefully amplified. In order to receive very small signals, it is therefore necessary with conventional receiving systems that the antenna extracts a sufficient amount of energy from the electromagnetic field. In the case of very small signal strengths, this can be achieved conventionally only by using very large antennas, parabolic mirrors or arrays of antennas, for example. In any case, the spatial extent of the antenna increases sharply here. A typical application in which small signal strengths are present, is the reception of satellite signals, for example. Here, the extent of the antenna is typically in the region of one meter.
Because of their large dimensions, antenna arrays are not suitable, or suitable only in a severely restricted way, for mobile use, in particular, for example in vehicles, ships or aircraft.
Since conventional antenna systems must extract energy from the electromagnetic field in order to process the information contained in the field, the range of transmission antennas is additionally limited in principle by the number of the receivers for a given transmitter power.


A method is provided for operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, The internal combustion engine has at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, a water injection unit with a tank and at least one injection nozzle for directly or indirectly injecting water into the combustion chamber, an exhaust gas system with at least one exhaust gas catalytic converter and a particulate filter device which has a particulate filter for filtering particles out of an exhaust gas flow guided in the exhaust gas system. A control unit is provide for a state monitoring process and for controlling the combustion in the cylinder.

The invention relates to the use of a mixture of water and at least one further component for injection into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. In addition, the invention relates to an internal combustion engine, in particular a spark-ignition engine, for a motor vehicle with a water injection system, and to a method for operating an internal combustion engine with a water injection system.
In the endeavor to improve the quality of exhaust gases of internal combustion engines in motor vehicles by reducing the emission of pollutants ever further, manufacturers of motor vehicles and, in particular also the manufacturers of exhaust-gas systems, have proceeded to use particulate filters in the exhaust-gas system even of spark-ignition engines, in particular in order to avoid an emission of particulates.
The invention is described below in the context of particulate filters for spark-ignition engines, but is usable according to its basic concept for all particulate filters in air guides and exhaust-gas guides of motor vehicles, optionally with standard adaptations in the art to the corresponding application.
Particulate filters for spark-ignition engines (also called Otto particulate filters OPFs) are being fitted into the exhaust-gas guide of the exhaust-gas system of ever more new vehicles in order to filter ash particulates and/or soot particulates there out of the exhaust gas. While soot particulates which are trapped in the particulate filter can be removed pyrolytically from the particulate filter, for example by means of the passage of a very hot exhaust-gas flow, the ash particulates introduced generally remain there until the end of the service life of the particulate filter if they are not removed mechanically—for example with manual emptying.
In particular if a new particulate filter is introduced into the exhaust-gas system, as rapid an ashing as possible is even desirable up to a certain degree of loading. This is because the particulate filters have poorer and therefore insufficient filtration efficiency so long as they do not yet have a certain minimum degree of loading with ash particulates. However, preloading of the particulate filter with ash prior to the installation in the vehicle is impractical in manufacturing and prone to error during the installation, and therefore the particulate filters in new vehicles or during exchange at the garage are typically not preloaded with ash.
In order, despite a new particulate filter, to arrive as rapidly as possible at a sufficient or optimum filtration efficiency, tests have been carried out in-house by the applicant where vehicles with new particulate filters have been filled with a fuel containing an ash-former additive.
This has proven disadvantageous in that, at certain engine operating points, and in particular at certain exhaust-gas temperatures, the increased admission of ash sometimes damaged the functionality of the catalytic converter or the lambda probe.
Taking this as the starting point, it is an object of the invention to achieve the rapid ashing required for optimized filtration efficiency of the particulate filter in an improved manner. This requires in particular an improved method for operating an internal combustion engine and/or an improved internal combustion engine.
This object is achieved by the use of a mixture of water and at least one further component for indirect or direct injection into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, by a method for operating an internal combustion engine, and by an internal combustion engine, in accordance with the independent claims. A motor vehicle with such an internal combustion engine is also provided.
According to one aspect of the invention, a mixture of water and at least one further component is used for the indirect or direct injection into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The further component of the mixture is an ash former.
A direct injection into the combustion chamber can be understood as meaning, for example, that the water injection system has a separate injection nozzle for the injection into the combustion chamber, i.e. a further injector in addition to the fuel injector. However, for example, a direct injection into a combustion chamber can also be understood as meaning that an injection nozzle of the water injection system and a fuel injector are formed together for the respective injection into the combustion chamber. Indirect injection into the combustion chamber can be understood as meaning, for example, that the water and ash-former mixture is already added to the fuel and air mixture in the common rail (for example by means of a common injection nozzle), or a separate injection nozzle for the water and ash-former mixture is provided in the intake manifold (or in general terms in the feed pipe) upstream of the combustion chamber.
An ash former should be understood here as meaning in particular a substance or a substance mixture which, in particular as a component of a water and ash-former mixture, forms ash particulates upon combustion in the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. According to various embodiments, the ash former used can be, for example, a component which has a metal salt or is composed of the latter. For example, use can be made of a nitrate (for example magnesium nitrate), a sulfate (for example magnesium sulfate), a chloride (for example magnesium chloride) or a sulfide (for example magnesium sulfide) of magnesium, calcium, zinc, molybdenum, silicon, aluminum or titanium.
According to one embodiment, a concentration of the ash former in the mixture is between 100 ppm and 2000 ppm, in particular between 200 ppm and 1000 ppm, in order to permit an optimum compromise between rapid ashing and little impairment of the operation of the engine.
Depending on the ash former used, the ash former upon combustion forms an ash with or composed of a metal oxide, in particular magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, zinc oxide, molybdenum oxide, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide or titanium oxide.
Which of the chemical elements listed is/are mixed as the ash former with the water in the individual application is at the discretion of a person skilled in the art and generally at least depends on the type of internal combustion engine and/or on the designated engine operating points (in particular on the designated operating temperatures in the combustion chamber and in the exhaust-gas guide), and/or on the installed type of catalytic converter and/or on the composition and/or the size of the ash particulates required for improving the filtration efficiency of the particulate filter.
Depending on which type of mixture for the ash-former additive used in the individual case for mixing with water is more stable, it can be provided, according to different embodiments, that the mixture is an aqueous solution of the ash former in the water and/or a water-based suspension of the ash former and of the water. If, for example, the ash-former additive has more than one chemical compound, both a solution and a suspension with the water can be provided.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle is provided, wherein the internal combustion engine in particular has: a) at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, b) a water injection system with a tank and at least one injection nozzle for directly or indirectly injecting water into the combustion chamber, c) an exhaust-gas system with at least one exhaust-gas catalytic converter and a particulate filter device which has a particulate filter for the filtration of particulates, in particular of soot and/or ash particulates, out of an exhaust-gas flow conducted out of the combustion chamber in the exhaust-gas system, d) a control unit for condition monitoring, in particular by means of determination of a filter condition, and for controlling the combustion in the cylinder.
The method is carried out by filling the tank of the water injection system with a mixture of water and an ash former, in particular with a water and ash-former mixture, as is used according to the previously described aspect of the invention for injection into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
According to a further aspect of the invention, an internal combustion engine, in particular a spark-ignition engine, for a motor vehicle is provided, having: a) at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, b) a water injection system with a tank and at least one injection nozzle for directly or indirectly injecting water into the combustion chamber, wherein, for the injection, use is made of a mixture of water and an ash former, in particular according to one of the preceding claims, c) an exhaust-gas system with at least one exhaust-gas catalytic converter and a particulate filter device which has a particulate filter for the filtration of particulates, in particular of soot and/or ash particulates, out of an exhaust-gas flow conducted out of the combustion chamber in the exhaust-gas system, d) a control unit for condition monitoring, in particular by means of determining a filter condition, and for controlling the combustion in the cylinder.
The control unit is designed in particular to influence operation of the water injection system in such a manner that less or no water and ash-former mixture is injected if an exhaust-gas temperature in the exhaust-gas flow lies within a predetermined exhaust-gas temperature range. A temperature range should also be understood here as meaning in particular that the range includes every temperature above or below a limit value (in particular belonging to the range).
According to one embodiment, the internal combustion engine does not differ, at least in respect of its embodied features, from an internal combustion engine that is known per se and has a water injection system. However, according to various embodiments, differences can be provided in particular in respect of the activation of the water injection system; this activation can be coordinated in particular with the injection of the water and ash-former mixture—instead of water or of a water mixture conventionally used for injecting water in the corresponding type of engine. Such an adaptation of the activation in comparison to known water injection systems is described here at a later point.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is provided which has an internal combustion engine according to one embodiment of the invention.
The invention is based, inter alia, on the finding that the filtration efficiency of Otto particulate filters is dependent on the degree of loading thereof with soot and/or ash particulates. A new particulate filter installed free of soot and free of ash has a filtration efficiency of approx. 50% to 85%, depending on the substrate and operating point. During the normal driving mode, it takes the first 2000 to 10 000 km (depending on the oil consumption and the size of the particulate filter) to reach an ash loading amount which leads to an increase of the filtration efficiency to a required extent of approx. 99%. Soot also increases the filtration efficiency, but ash has a number of advantages here over soot, including the lower increase in counterpressure and a lower sensibility to counterpressure (soot elbow; less deep-bed filtration for ash, inter alia, because the particulates may be more rigid and/or larger than in the case of soot) upon an additional loading with soot.
The invention is also based, inter alia, on the finding that the desired filtration efficiency of approx. 99% should be achieved as rapidly as possible. In particular, this operation should not require several thousand kilometers of driving the vehicle. For the reasons already mentioned, loading of the particulate filter with ash particulates prior to fitting into the particulate filter device of the exhaust-gas system is not, however, expedient.
The invention is now based, inter alia, on the concept of introducing an ash former in a suitable manner to a newly fitted particulate filter in the motor vehicle such that the exhaust-gas flow has an increased ash percentage, at least until the filter is loaded with sufficient ash particulates, that is to say in particular with one to two, four or eight grams, in the case of typically used types of filter and sizes of filter, in order to achieve the desired filtration efficiency.
This is achieved within the context of the invention by an ash former being introduced into the water used in any case for the water injection system.
It is thereby ensured that the introduction of ash former can always be stopped if an engine operating state is present, in which damage to the lambda probe and/or a catalytic converter is threatened by the ash particulates that additionally arise during the combustion, for example if the exhaust-gas temperature is too high.
According to one embodiment, the ash-former concentration can be selected depending on the size of the water tank, by the concentration of the metal salts in the water. While, in a known solution, a high ash-former concentration in the fuel tank requires a high naphtha percentage (for dissolving the ash former in the fuel) and therefore leads to a high knocking tendency or to an increased deposition in the engine and at the catalytic converter, this can be avoided, according to one embodiment, even if there is a high ash-former concentration, for example in the case of a small water tank, by only ever a small quantity of water containing ash former being injected into the combustion chamber. In this case, it may be necessary, according to one embodiment, to limit the power of the engine for the duration of the water injection until the water containing the ash former has been converted completely or up to a certain value in the combustion chamber.
Unlike when ash former is added in the fuel tank, the ash concentration by water injection can thus always be kept low, which is associated with fewer depositions in the injection system, combustion chamber, spark plug and/or at the outlet valves. This is desirable because this deposition may influence the operation of the engine and, because of an increased knocking tendency, may even damage the engine.
By adding ash former via the injection water, the lambda probes and the catalytic converters are therefore less contaminated since it is possible to achieve a lower ash concentration and an admission of ash at less harmful temperatures for the catalytic coatings in the catalytic converters and on the lambda probes.
The deactivation with pure ash is greater at higher temperatures. If ash in combustion with unburned oil meets catalytic coatings, the ash together with the phosphorus contained in the oil reacts with the coating even at low exhaust-gas temperatures (400-600° C.). Harmful phosphate compounds arise, in particular in the high load range (high rotational speeds and high loads) because of the additionally high oil consumption. According to one embodiment, the ashing therefore preferably takes place in the lower/average part load operation of the engine.
Disadvantageous temperature ranges for the ashing are dependent on the ash former. Taking the example of a zinc-based ash former: up to approx. 500° C., zinc forms what is referred to as flaky ash which can be removed again, for example by means of high-temperature regeneration of the exhaust-gas system. Above approx. 500° C., the zinc ash becomes more fluid. As the temperature increases, the gas permeability of the deposits drops, and the zinc partially diffuses into lower layers of the coating, in particular also in the particulate filter. Above approx. 900° C., there is a viscous liquid which uniformly coats the surface. The deposits become as hard as glass and can no longer be regenerated under actual operating conditions.
Taking the example of a magnesium based ash former: in the event of an excess of oxygen and temperatures of over 600° C., magnesium together with aluminum occurring in the wash coat forms spinel, the more so the further the temperature exceeds 600° C. In order to permit selective preliminary ashing which takes place in particular only if not harmful for other components, such as the lambda probe or a catalytic converter, or only to an extent which does not cause damage, the method according to one embodiment has the following method step of: influencing the operation of the water injection system, in particular by means of the control unit, in such a manner that less or no water and ash-former mixture is injected if an exhaust-gas temperature in the exhaust-gas flow lies within a predetermined exhaust-gas temperature range.
In particular, the predetermined exhaust-gas temperature range is determined here by the fact that it extends above a limit temperature of in particular 700° C. or lower, 600° C. or lower, 500° C. or lower, or 400° C. or lower.
To avoid adversely affecting the operation of the engine, according to one embodiment the water injection is metered, in particular by means of the control unit, in such a manner that the concentration of the ash former in a mixture of the injected fuel and the injected water and ash-former mixture is less than 100 ppm, in particular less than 50 ppm.
In order to achieve a sufficient ash loading of the particulate filter as rapidly as possible, according to one embodiment the following method steps are provided: triggering a loading operating state of the water injection system if an unused particular filter and/or a particulate filter not sufficiently loaded with ash is installed in the particulate filter device; during the loading operating state, influencing the operation of the water injection system, in particular by means of the control unit, in such a manner that more water and ash-former mixture is injected and/or water and ash-former mixture is injected for a longer time.
In order only to excite the increased production of ash if it is required, according to one embodiment the following method step is provided: ending the loading operating state, in particular in accordance with a period of time which has expired and/or an injected quantity of water and ash-former mixture since the triggering and/or in accordance with a degree of loading of the particulate filter.
So that ash (x oxide) arises in the combustion chamber from the nitrates or sulfates or chlorides or sulfides dissolved in the water as ash former, free oxygen is necessary. In order not to promote the formation of spinel under certain temperature conditions, in these conditions, however, free oxygen should rather be avoided. According to one embodiment, the value expedient in the respective operating situation for the exhaust-gas lambda is calculated in the control unit on the basis of the oxygen necessary for the oxidation of the ash. In this case, the control unit requires in particular the information about the ash concentration in the water tank (stored in the control unit), the injected quantity of water (stored in the control unit), the injected quantity of fuel (stored in the control unit) and/or the actual lambda value (lambda probe signal).
According to one embodiment, an oxygen percentage in the air and fuel mixture for combustion is influenced in such a manner that, during the combustion, sufficient oxygen is provided for forming ash, in particular for forming metal oxide ash. In particular, a lean (or at least a leaner) exhaust-gas lambda, for example of greater than 1, is set for this purpose.
If a magnesium salt is used as ash former, in order to avoid formation of spinel above combustion temperatures of 600° C., a lambda value upstream of the catalytic converter can be set to be smaller than or equal to 1.
According to various embodiments, the injection nozzle is arranged on the combustion chamber of the cylinder and/or in a feed pipe for a fuel and air mixture and/or the injection nozzle for the water and ash-former mixture is formed together with a fuel injection nozzle.
Advantageous embodiments of the various aspects of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims. Further features, advantages and possibilities of use of the invention will emerge from the description below in conjunction with the figures.

Ashing a particulate filter in a motor vehicle

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


An information processing device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a multi-core processor including plural cores; a virtual network connecting the plural cores to each other; a network interface; a router function unit configured, in a core of the plural cores, to act as a router between the virtual network and a local network to which the network interface is connected; and a forward processing unit configured, in the core that the router function unit exists, to forward either a multicast packet or a broadcast packet on the virtual network to the local network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent high performance processors are making virtualization technology popular. Virtualization technology enables cores of a multi-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) to run respective operating systems and cause the operating systems to perform respective different processes in parallel. In such a case, a virtual network may be built to perform communication between the cores.
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram which indicates an example of a software configuration and a network configuration in an information processing device which includes a multi-core CPU. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, a CPU 101 includes four cores 111 to 114 which are connected to each other through a virtual network 102.
One core of the cores 111 to 114 (here, the core 114) controls a network interface 103 and performs a communication process for an external local network 201. By executing a predetermined program, the core 114 forms not only a communicating unit 121 which performs a communication process for the virtual network 102 but a communicating unit 122 which performs a communication process for the local network 201, and further forms a router function unit 123 which performs routing between the virtual network 102 and the local network 201 as two different IP networks.
Since the router function unit 123 exists in one core (i.e. the core 114) in the CPU 101, the other cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) perform communication through the router function unit 123 with another device on the local network 201.
When the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) transmit a unicast packet to the virtual network 102 to communicate through the router function unit 123 with another device on the local network 201, this packet passes through the router function unit 123, is transmitted to the local network 201, and reaches the destination device.
However, when the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) transmit either a multicast packet or a broadcast packet to the virtual network 102, the router function unit 123 does not pass along the packet, and therefore, the cores 111 to 113 (i.e. programs therein) do not have means for a multicast packet and a broadcast packet to reach a device on the local network 201.

Information processing device and image forming apparatus


A system and method to facilitate editing of content data. An update metadata identification block identifies metadata that is affected (or must be updated) by destructive edit processing by a material data destructive edit processing block. If the metadata is required for updating, a realtime metadata update block updates realtime metadata and a nonrealtime metadata update block updates nonrealtime metadata in correspondence with the destructive edit processing. A proxy data update block updates proxy data. A clip information file update block updates a clip information file. A clip write block records the data of each clip updated by the above-mentioned processing to an optical disc.

The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method and a program and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and method and a program that correctly support the easier destructive editing of content data for example.
With related-art VTRs (Video Tape Recorders), in recording content data such as image data and audio data to a tape device, which is a recording medium, only the content data is usually recorded on the tape device. Metadata such as a time code may be attached to content data; this time code is recorded along the time axis with content data on a tape device. Therefore, if content data is edited by rewriting a part thereof for example, the metadata is updated only in the part corresponding (or accompanying) the edited part of the content data.
In contrast, a technique has been recently developed in which content data such as image data and audio data is recorded in a non-linear manner onto a random-accessible recording media such as an optical disc and a hard disc (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-29242, for example). In this technique, each piece of recorded content data is managed by a file system as a file (or a clip).
In the case of a television program made up of video and audio for example, the content data of this television program is managed as a set of a plurality of files, such as an image file, an audio file, and a metadata file. At this moment, metadata is also generated as the information for managing and reproducing these files. Namely, if content data is recorded in a non-linear manner like this, the content data is attached with many more pieces of metadata than in the case of the VTR.
Therefore, like the case of the VTR, if an editing job is executed such as rewriting content data, the contents of the metadata corresponding to the content data must also be updated so as to maintain the integrity of the files forming the content data.
With related-art technologies, in the editing of non-linearly recorded data such as above, an edit device does not update the original data to be edited, but newly generates a file that includes the information indicative of editing contents (or the information from which editing results may be derived) (this type of editing is known as non-destructive editing) (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-29242, for example).

Information processing apparatus and method and program


A stabilized physiologically active benzimidazole derivative having the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group, phenyl group or an aralkyl group, R.sup.2 is hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together with the adjacent nitrogen atom form a ring, and each of R.sup.3a, R.sup.3b, R.sup.4a, R.sup.4b and R.sup.4c independently is hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group or an amino group. The stabilized benzimidazole derivative is in amorphous form or present in contact with a basic material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stabilized benzimidazole derivative and a composition in which a benzimidazole derivative is stabilized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is known a physiologically active benzimidazole derivative having the formula (I): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group, phenyl group or an aralkyl group, R.sup.2 is hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 together with the adjacent nitrogen atom form a ring, and each of R.sup.3a, R.sup.3b, R.sup.4a, R.sup.4b and R.sup.4c independently is hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a fluoroalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group or an amino group.
The benzimidazole derivative of the formula (I) shows a prominent inhibitory action on secretion of gastric acid as is described in GB 2,161,160A and GB 2,163,747A (corresponding to DE 3,531,487A1). Moreover, some benzimidazole derivatives of the formula (I) can be employed as cytoprotective agents for gastrointestinal tract.

Stabilized benzimidazole derivative and composition


In a cellular phone, a controller stores content data received from a distribution server into a memory. When the content data is to be transmitted to a memory card, a random number key generator generates a license key, and an encryption processing unit encrypts the content data using the license key. The controller transmits encrypted content data to a memory card via a memory card interface. Then, the controller deletes the content data stored in the memory. As a result, distribution of content data that must be deleted when transferring to another apparatus can be facilitated while protecting the copyright.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data terminal device that allows protection on copyrights with respect to obtained content data, particularly to a data terminal device that provides backup of content data inhibited of duplication in a recording medium. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a data terminal device that transfers obtained content data to another apparatus via a recording medium.
2. Description of the Background Art
By virtue of the progress in information communication networks and the like such as the Internet in these few years, each user can now easily access network information through individual-oriented terminals employing a cellular phone or the like.
By the recent incorporation of Java® into cellular phones, it is now possible to store various content data, image data for example, received from a server in the built-in memory of the cellular phone and provide the data on the display of the cellular phone. Also, game software can be received from a server at a cellular phone and stored in the built-in memory to be used to play that game through the cellar phone.
From the standpoint of copyright protection, the user cannot record such software stored in the built-in memory of a cellular phone to an external recording medium or transmit the same to another cellular phone. When the received software is no longer necessary, the user had to delete the software stored in the built-in memory from his/her cellular phone.
Even if the user wishes to store that software for later usage, that software had to be deleted if any new software is to be downloaded due to the limited size of the built-in memory of the cellular phone. The user has to receive the same deleted software from the server again to use that software afterwards.
Also, consider the case where the user changes his/her cellular phone. Since the software in the previously-used cellular phone cannot be transferred to the new cellular phone, the user must receive the same software from the server into the new cellular phone in order to use the same software in the new cellular phone.
This means that the user must pay again the fee required to receive the same software from the server. This is disadvantageous to the user.
There is also a problem that, in the case where a user wishes to give away a certain software program resident in his/her cellular phone to another user, the software could not be presented to the other user.

Data terminal device providing backup of uniquely existable content data


Ray-intersection methods and apparatus that greatly facilitate processing associated with computer graphics are described. In the described embodiment, a collection of shapes are defined that approximate an object. The described shapes are polygons, with exemplary polygons comprising triangles. A ray is cast toward the approximated object, and a reference object which, in the described embodiment comprises one or more planes, is defined to contain the ray. Aspects of the individual shapes are pre-characterized to provide characteristic data. In the described embodiment, pre-characterization takes place by testing each of the vertices of the polygons to ascertain their position relative to the reference object. The characteristic data is then used to ascertain the position of the shapes that are defined by the vertices, relative to the reference object. This provides a sub-set of shapes that might be intersected by the ray. The sub-set of shapes is then evaluated to ascertain which of the shapes is intersected by the ray.

Computer graphics techniques typically involve manipulating computer-generated objects. Many techniques have evolved to assist in object manipulation, one of which typically represents or approximates an object and, in particular, approximates the surface of an object as collections of other smaller objects like polygons, e.g. triangles. That is, objects, some of which might have fairly complex surface characteristics, can be represented as collections of triangles that collectively represent or approximate the surface characteristics of the object. When object manipulation takes place, the manipulation operations are performed relative to the smaller shapes that approximate the surface of the object.
One technique that is used to manipulate objects is ray intersection. Ray intersection techniques can be used in a number of different scenarios that include image rendering, object selection, and surface interrogation (i.e. surface querying).
In image rendering, a ray can be directed from a visual point toward a picture element on a screen. Each object that is hit, or intersected, by the ray is set as an object to be drawn on the picture element to which the color of the object is allocated. This method of color processing the object can render effects of optical attributes, such as the reflection or the refraction of the object on the color of the object drawn on the screen by using the colors of the reflected ray from another object or the refracted ray through another object. Therefore, this method can precisely express reflexes by the reflection or the refraction of other objects surrounding the intersected object.
Object selection involves operations where a user wants to directly manipulate a rendered image. For example, there may be a rendering of a scene that has particular objects in it. A user can click an object or a particular point on an object with a mouse, grab it, move it, and manipulate it. In this instance, the mouse click essentially casts a ray into the scene and determines the first object portion to be struck or intersected by the ray. Subsequent processing can take place based upon which objects are intersected by the ray.
Surface interrogation can involve an object moving through a rendered scene. In such applications, ray-intersection may be used to enable a determination as to which objects the moving object is about to collide with.
A majority of the processing that takes place in connection with ray-intersection concerns searching for an object that is intersected by a cast ray. Where, as here, the surface of objects are approximated by a plurality of shapes, e.g. triangles, conventional searching takes place by determining whether or not each and every shape that constitutes the approximated surface of an object is intercepted by the cast ray. For example, if the surface of an object is approximated by 6500 triangles, conventional searching algorithms test a first triangle to determine whether the cast ray intercepts it. If the first triangle is not intercepted by the cast ray, then the next triangle is tested and so on. Needless to say, processing each of the shapes used to approximate the surface of an object, while effective, is not the most optimal approach to the problem. Additional background information can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,594,844, 5,933,146, 5,313,568, 5,091,960, and 5,138,699.
Accordingly, this invention arose out of concerns associated with improving the apparatus and methods that are used in connection with computer graphics. In particular, the invention arose out of concerns associated with improving object-intersection processing techniques.

Computer graphics methods and apparatus for ray intersection


A memory cell is provided which comprises two electrodes and a layer arranged in between and comprising an active material comprising    (a) a compound selected from the group consisting of

One of the substantial efforts in the further development of modern memory technologies is to increase of the integration density, so that the reduction in the structure sizes of the memory cells on which the memory devices are based is very important.
In recent years, a plurality of microelectronic elements and in particular memory cells which have a size of a few nanometers has been described. One concept for the design of such memory cells comprises arranging, between two electrodes, an active layer which, depending on the voltage, can reversibly change certain properties, such as, for example, ferromagnetic properties or electrical resistance. Depending on the applied voltage, the cell can be switched between two states, so that one state can be assigned, for example, to the information state "0" and the other state to the information state "1".
Various memory cells having an active layer have been described according to the prior art.
The cell which has, between two electrodes, an active layer which can change the electrical resistance depending on the applied voltage has, compared with the cells which have a ferroelectric material between two electrodes, the advantage that it has a substantially higher signal ratio between the OFF and ON state and, after the read process, need not be rewritten since reading of the state is not destructive.
Bandyopadhyay et al.: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 82, pages 1215-1217, "Large conductance switching memory effects in organic molecules for data-storage applications," describes an active layer arranged between two electrodes and consisting of rose Bengal (4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-2′,4′,5′,7′-tetraiodofluorescein) with a polyallylamine hydrochloride polymer. The electrode consists of indium tin oxide on glass. The production of the active layer is, however, very inconvenient and requires treatment in an oven for several hours in vacuo. In addition, the active layer is limited to the indium tin oxide electrode.
A further memory cell having an active material which exhibits switchable behavior is described in Yang et al.: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, 2002, pages 2997-2999, "Organic Electrical Bistable Devices and Rewritable Memory Cells." The active material consists of 2-amino-4,5-imidazoledicarbonitrile (AIDCN). The memory cell according to this prior art consists of a plurality of layers which have the following composition: an aluminum anode deposited on glass, an AIDCN layer arranged thereon, a metal layer, a further AIDCN layer and a cathode. For switchability, this system requires the five layers described above, which makes the production very complex. A further disadvantage of the cells according to this prior art is that the cells can be switched only with aluminum electrodes and that the active layer can be applied only by means of vacuum vapor deposition.

Memory cell, method for the production thereof and use of a composition therefor

Abstract: in which R1 and R4, independently of one another, may have the following meaning: —H, -alkyl, -aryl, -heteroaryl, —O-alkyl, —O-aryl, —O-heteroaryl, —SH, —S-alkyl, —S-aryl, —S-heteroaryl, —CO-alkyl, —CO-aryl, —CO-heteroaryl, —CS-alkyl, —CS-aryl, —CS-heteroaryl, -halogen, —CN and/or —NO2, in which R1 and R2, R2 and R3, R3 and R4 together may form a ring,    (b) a compound of the general formula II:

Abstract: in which R5 to R7, independently of one another, may have the following meaning: —H, -alkyl, -aryl, -heteroaryl, —O-alkyl, —O-aryl, —O-heteroaryl, —NH2, —N(alkyl)2, —N(aryl)2, —N(heteroaryl)2, —SH, —S-alkyl, —S-aryl, —S-heteroaryl, —CO-alkyl, —CO-aryl, —CO-heteroaryl, —CS-alkyl, —CS-aryl, —CS-heteroaryl, -halogen, —CN and/or —NO2,    in which R5 and R6 or R7 and R8 together may form a ring, and optionally    (c) a polymer.

Abstract: A method for the production of the cells according to the invention and the novel use of a composition which can be used as active material for the memory cells are furthermore provided.


The invention relates to a spirometer (1) comprising a MEMS-based thermal fluid flow sensor (13, 13.1, 13.2) for generating a signal in response to a fluid flow generated during inhalation or exhalation; and a microcontroller (14) for calculating the fluid flow from the signal generated by the flow sensor (13, 13.1, 13.2). The spirometer (1) may be connected to other devices, such as a smartphone or a personal computer or any other computing unit which is adapted to collect, store, analyse, exchange and/or display data. The invention further describes the use of the spirometer (1) in measuring a user's lung performance and/or monitoring it over time. Furthermore, the spirometer (1) may be provided in a system together with an air quality measurement device for determining the air quality at a location of interest; and a computing unit for collecting, analysing and correlating the user's lung performance data obtained from the spirometer (1) with the air quality data, and optionally geolocalisation data of said location.

The invention is related to a portable spirometry device, or spirometer, as well as a method for determining lung function parameters using said device.
Spirometry is one of the most common tests used for determining, or evaluating, pulmonary function in terms of lung function parameters relating to the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow, or flow rate) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled, either forcedly or under normal breathing. The primary signals measured in spirometry may be volume and/or flow. Results are provided both as raw data (litres, litres per second) and as percent predicted, i.e. in relation to predicted values for patients of similar parameters such as height, age, sex, weight and sometimes ethnicity. Since multiple publications of predicted values are available, the interpretation of the results may vary slightly, but generally speaking, results close to 100% predicted are the most normal, and results ≥80% are usually also considered normal. Commonly, the results are further displayed as graphs, so called spirograms or pneumotachographs, showing a volume-time curve (volume in litres on the Y-axis and time in seconds on the X-axis) and/or a flow-volume loop (depicting the rate of airflow on the Y-axis and the total volume inhaled or exhaled on the X-axis).
Spirometry is an important tool in the assessment of various obstructive or restrictive lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and also cystic fibrosis (CF), because the tests performed with the so-called spirometer (i.e. a device, or apparatus, for measuring ventilation, the movement of air into and out of the lungs) are able to identify abnormal ventilation patterns, namely obstructive and restrictive patterns.
Lung function parameters that can be determined using spirometry and/or a spirometer include e.g.: vital capacity (VC; volume exhaled after deepest inhalation); forced vital capacity (FVC; determination of the vital capacity from a maximally forced expiratory effort); slow vital capacity (SVC); forced expiratory flow (FEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF; highest forced expiratory flow, measured with a peak flow meter); forced expiratory volume (FEVX; volume of air exhaled under forced conditions in the first X seconds; e.g. FEV1=volume force-exhaled after 1 second); forced expiratory time (FET), inspiratory vital capacity (IVC; maximum volume inhaled after maximum expiration); forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC); residual volume (RV; volume of air remaining in the lungs after maximum exhalation; sometimes expressed in percent based on total lung capacity); total lung capacity (TLC; volume in lungs after maximum inhalation; sum of VC and RV); tidal volume (TV; volume of air moved into or out of the lungs during quiet breathing); inspiratory or expiratory reserve volume (IRV and ERV; maximal volume that can be inhaled or respectively exhaled from the end-inspiratory level or respectively end-expiratory level); inspiratory capacity (IC; sum of IRV and TV); functional residual capacity (FRC; volume in the lungs at the end-expiratory position); extrapolated volume (EVOL), estimated lung age (ELA); maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV; also called maximum breathing capacity); and others.
As mentioned, the test procedures are performed using a spirometer. Various types of these devices are known, from simple mechanically operating to fully electronic ones; said devices using a number of different measurement principles such as water gauges, 'windmill'-type rotors (also called turbines) or pressure transducers. Most conventional spirometers evaluate the fluid flow by measuring either a pressure difference before and after a membrane, capillaries or other forms of flow restriction with a known resistance (e.g. using a differential pressure sensor), or by the rotations of a turbine. In the past, efforts increased to render the devices portable and/or handheld, in order to obtain a more detailed and concise monitoring of e.g. therapy efficacy by allowing the patients, or users, to perform spirometry measurements by themselves; thereby obviating the need to visit a doctor's office or a hospital. Some of these portable devices are even aimed at being connectable to e.g. a patient's smartphone.
For instance, the Vitalograph's asma-1 device is a small, handheld, AAA-battery-powered device to measure and store PEF and FEV1 values. The device is equipped with a rotatable turbine and disposable mouthpieces and can be connected via USB or Bluetooth to a mobile phone, PDA, PC or home hub. Unfortunately, the device can store only a limited number of measurements (up to 600) and no parameters other than PEF and FEV1 can be measured. In other words, no full spirometry as defined by the spirometry standards of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society can be performed by the device; see "Standardisation of spirometry"; Eur Respir J 2005; 26: 319-338 (for instance, these standards define 24 ATS waveforms that the spirometer must correctly identify, some of these generated at higher temperature of 37° C. and high humidity, and additionally, the total resistance to airflow at 0-14.0 L/s must be <0.15 kPa/(L/s)).
Baltimore based company Respi is working on an iPhone® spirometer and a respective respiratory data platform. Respi's prototypical 3D printed spirometer aims at using the smartphone (Apple's Lightning Connector for iPhone® 5s) as a power source and the smartphone's internal sensors to ensure proper body posture during the measurement. The device is equipped with a rotating wing and a laser sensor taking several thousand measurements per second. The collected data are said to be adjusted based on environmental conditions such as pressure and temperature, and any gathered information on a cloud which allows constant patient monitoring, individual spirometry assessment, personalized real-time consultation and big population analytics. Disposable mouthpieces from MIR (Medical International Research) are used to ensure hygiene. While the spirometer is capable of full spirometry (e.g. not just peak flow measurements), it is also associated with various drawbacks; e.g. the smartphone application (or 'app') is currently missing the option to coach a patient through a breathing manoeuver for 6 seconds. Furthermore, dedicated adapters and/or wireless communication mechanisms would be required to work with other types of smartphones than the iPhone® (Respi suggests Bluetooth 4.0).
Introduced in 2012, SpiroSmart is a low-cost mobile phone application that performs spirometry (namely FEV1, FVC, PEF, and FEV1%) using the built-in microphone in the smartphone (iPhone®). The app is intended for non-chronic disease management, and monitoring air quality effects and/or allergic reactions. The app records the user's exhalation and uploads the audio data generated with the microphone to a server. The server then calculates the expiratory flow rate using a physiological model of the vocal tract and a model of the reverberation of sound around the user's head, and final results are then sent back to the smartphone app. However, the system and app are associated with a number of disadvantages. According to the inventors, usability and training challenges exist and patients with severely low lung function may not generate any sound. Algorithms created from audio data collected on a specific smartphone model may not be generalisable to other models or brands. Further, the user needs to ensure that he always holds the smartphone at the same position (e.g. an arms length from the mouth) and at the correct angle; and that he opens his mouth wide enough. SpiroSmart—same as a majority of spirometry tests relying on sound signals—can only be used in quiet settings, and in contrast to full spirometry as performed e.g. in hospital settings, the inhalation which is typically (almost) inaudible would not be recorded by the smartphone. And currently the smartphone app cannot calculate all features in real time; especially the flow-volume loops requiring extensive computation, such that the analysis is done in the cloud (i.e. storage of digital data on one or multiple physical servers, typically owned and managed by a hosting company).
Alternatively to SpiroSmart, a call-in-service (SpiroCall) may be used by users who do not own a smartphone. In that case, the standard telephony voice channel is employed to transmit the sound of the spirometry effort. The tests can be performed either with or without the use of a simple 3D-printed SpiroCall whistle which generates vortices as the user exhales through it, changing its resonating pitch in proportion to the flow rate. SpiroCall combines multiple regression algorithms to provide reliable lung function estimates despite the degraded audio quality over a voice communication channel. The server then computes the lung function parameters and the user receives a response via a text message on their phones.
A similar acoustics based and smart-phone connectable device is AirSonea®'s portable 'digital stethoscope' and its related smartphone app which records breath sounds to detect and measure wheeze, a typical sound resulting from a narrowing of the airways and one of the primary signs of asthma. The AirSonea® sensor is held at the trachea (windpipe) during 30 seconds of normal breathing. The app then records and analyses the breathing sounds and returns a WheezeRATE™, a measurement of the extent of wheezing over the duration. The WheezeRATE™ history is stored in the smartphone and synced to the Cloud for review and sharing with e.g. healthcare professionals However, wheeze is not well validated clinically for monitoring of asthma treatment (lack of clinical guidelines in this field) and the device is not capable of measuring spirometric parameters.
Medical International Research's (MIR) offers a broad range of devices for measurements of respiratory parameters, some of them portable and some connectable to mobile phones. For instance, the Smart One® device is a portable turbine flowmeter, optionally using MIR's customary disposable FlowMIR® turbine and cardboard mouth piece. The device can be connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone on which the respective Smart One® app (available for iOS and Android) and the measured respiratory data are stored. The device is capable of determining e.g. PEF and FEV1; however, no full spirometry can be performed with the device.
MIR's Spirodoc® and Spirobank® II Smart devices are portable, pocket-sized, standalone (i.e. requiring no computer) turbine flowmeter devices capable of performing full spirometry and storing up to 10.000 spirometry tests. The Spirodoc® device comprises an approximately palm-sized main body with an LCD touchscreen display, an attachable flowmeter head housing a bi-directional digital turbine (e.g. the disposable FlowMIR® turbine), and a temperature sensor for BTPS conversion of FVC measurements (i.e. vital capacity at maximally forced expiratory effort, expressed in litres at body temperature and ambientpressure saturated with water vapour). The Spirobank® II Smart device differs mainly in that a keyboard is used instead of Spirodoc®'s touchscreen and in that the flowmeter head is permanently fixed. Alternatively to the keyboard, the Spirobank® II Smart device may also be operated via a tablet computer (iPad™). A smartphone connectivity is not provided, though.
Both devices may optionally further comprise a fingertip pulse oximeter that can be attached via cable to the main body. A built-in three-axis movement sensor is provided in the devices in order to correlate the oxygen saturation level (% SpO2) measured with the fingertip oximeter to the user's physical activity. Data transmission, e.g. to a personal computer (PC) running the related WinspiroPRO® software—or for the Spirobank® Smart an iPad/iPad mini running the iOS-based MIR Spiro® app—may be achieved via Bluetooth or USB connection. Only when connected to a PC or iPad, the respective software allows for real time spirometry and oximetry tests; i.e. real time curve display. Unfortunately, this need of e.g. a tablet computer or the like increases the costs for these devices.
A further portable, pocket size homecare spirometer in the product range of MIR is the Spirotel® which uses an attachable, reusable bi-directional digital turbine and a small touchscreen in a main-body that is connectable to a personal computer (PC) via a USB-cable or Bluetooth; a software application (WinspiroPro Home Care) then extracts the data and sends it to a server. Same as with the Spirodoc® and Spirobank® II Smart devices, the Spirotel® may optionally further comprise a fingertip pulse oximeter that can be attached via cable to the main body, and a built-in three axis movement sensor to correlate the measured oxygen saturation level (% SpO2) to the user's physical activity. While being portable itself, the Spirotel® device cannot be used as a standalone and is not connectable to smart phones, but requires the use of a PC instead.
One common disadvantage of most of the above listed devices is the use of movable parts, namely the turbines or rotating wings, to measure gas flow. This necessitates regular external calibrations, e.g. annually or biannually. Furthermore, a majority also lacks the option to measure spirometric parameters such as FEV6, FRC, SVC, MVV or ERV.
A portable, battery operated device using a gas flow sensor without movable parts is the SpiroTube mobile edition by Thor Laboratories, a pulmonary function diagnostics and monitoring device with Bluetooth or USB connection to a PC (storing the ThorSoft pulmonary diagnostics PC software). Bluetooth and also WIFI connection is available as an option to connect the SpiroTube to iPad/iPhone, Android smartphones, PDA devices as well as any JAVA-ready mobile device. The SpiroTube uses the proprietary IDEGEN™ multipath measurement principle wherein the flow volume measurement depends on the quantity and energy of gas molecules, measured using ultrasound and the Doppler Effect. The inner surface of the flow tube is continuous and free of any obstacles such that it can be disinfected easily.
A further device without movable parts is the WING device by US-based Sparo Labs which can be cable-connected to a smartphone via the headphone jack and which measures PEF (peak expiratory flow) and FEV1 (volume force-exhaled after 1 second). Measured data are synced to a 'cloud' in encrypted form and can be analysed using a dedicated smartphone application. Unfortunately, no parameters other than PEF and FEV1 can be measured (e.g. no forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory flow at 25%-75% of FVC (FEF25-75), etc.). In other words, no full spirometry as defined by the spirometry standards of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society can be performed; similar to e.g. the asma-1 device described above. Also, the WING runs on the phone's battery (via the headphone jack), such that it is at risk to not measure data properly if the phone battery is low.
Alternatively, acceleration sensors (also called accelerometers or gyro-sensors) such as MEMS based thermal fluid flow sensors (MEMS; microelectromechanical systems) have also been suggested in the prior art for flow measurements in medical devices including ventilators, sleep apnoea devices, spirometers, etc.; for instance, by MEMSIC, one of the producers of these type of sensors. These MEMS based thermal fluid flow sensors use temperature sensors, such as thermocouples, and gas molecules heated via a resistive heating element. When subjected to acceleration, the less dense molecules in the heated gas move in the direction of acceleration and the cool and denser molecules move in the opposite direction, creating an acceleration proportional temperature difference measured by the temperature sensors. However, to the best of the inventor's knowledge, this conceptual idea of employing MEMS based thermal fluid flow sensors for flow measurements in medical devices has never been translated into an existing, operable, functional spirometer before; i.e. up to the present invention, it was not clear whether the concept could actually be put into practice and how exactly accurate and reproducible, or precise, spirometric flow measurements could be achieved.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved portable spirometer which overcomes the draw backs of prior art devices; e.g. a device with higher measurement sensitivity that can be used without medically trained staff and which is capable of performing full spirometry, including measurements of main spirometry paramters such as FEV1, FVC, PEF, and FEV1% but also parameters such as FEV6, FRC, SVC, MVV or ERV. This object is achieved by the subject matter of the present invention as set forth in the claims, namely by a portable spirometer employing MEMS based thermal fluid flow sensors as a measurement principle. It was further an object of the present invention to provide a portable spirometer with a MEMS based thermal fluid flow sensor, which is optimized with regard to the flow properties inside the device in order to enable accurate and reproducible, or precise, spirometric flow measurements.


An apparatus for providing a call log includes a call detail information generator configured to generate call detail information of a call; a call recorder configured to record a call content of the call; a call content summarizer configured to convert the recorded call content into a transcribed text, and generate call content summary information based on the transcribed text; a call log generator configured to generate a call log including the call detail information and the call content summary information; and a call log provider configured to output the call log.

1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and a method for providing a call log.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a call log to be stored in a wired/wireless phone and a mobile phone merely includes incoming or outgoing call numbers, time information, and a counterpart's name, but does not include information on a call content.
Accordingly, a user has to infer a call content based on a counterpart's name and call duration included in a call log. Thus, it is difficult to remember the call content over time, and even more difficult to remember it when a counterpart name is not clearly identified in the call log.
In addition, when a user is unable to note down a call content during a call due to circumstances, the user must often rely on his/her own memory to recall the call content. Even if the user writes down the call content on paper or other things, since it is not managed together with a call log, the user needs to search for the call log to check the counterpart's name and call duration.

Apparatus and method for providing call log


An image-forming apparatus for forming an image by electrically charging a photosensitive material, forming an electrostatic image through the exposure to light and developing the electrostatic image, wherein the main charged potential, Vo, of the photosensitive material, the potential, Vr, of the exposed portion of the photosensitive material and the developing bias potential DB are so set as to satisfy the following formulas,

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming apparatus used for copiers, printers and facsimiles. More specifically, the invention relates to an image-forming apparatus capable of obtaining images of suitable densities even when the thickness of the photosensitive material is decreased due to abrasion of the film yet saving the consumption of the toner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, photoattenuation characteristics of the electrophotographic photosensitive materials are dependent upon the thickness of the film. That is, the thickness of a photosensitive material and, particularly, of an organic photosensitive material decreases with an increase in the frequency of use as the film is gradually abraded, and the potential (Vr) at the exposed portion changes (generally, increases) as the thickness of the film decreases. When the photosensitive material is used for extended periods of time, therefore, the potential at the exposed portion changes to such an extent that the image is no longer properly obtained.
In the conventional image-forming apparatuses, therefore, attempts have been made to extend the life of the photosensitive material by such means as correcting the exposure amount depending upon the abrasion of the film.
However, the dependence of potential of the exposed portion of the photosensitive material upon the thickness of the film is not necessarily monotonous; e.g., some photosensitive materials exhibit the potential at the exposed portion that change linearly depending upon the thickness of the film, and some photosensitive materials exhibit the potential at the exposed portion that so changes as to possess a minimum value depending upon the thickness of the film. Therefore, means for correcting the exposure amount must be changed depending upon the properties of the photosensitive material that is used. It is, however, very difficult to bring the control means into match with the properties of the photosensitive material to a sufficient degree.
According to the conventional systems as described above, it is difficult to maintain the potential of the exposed portion to lie within a predetermined range over a wide range of the thickness of the film. Even though obtaining the favorable image can be extended to some extent, the photosensitive material must be renewed after the use of relatively short periods of time, which is not still satisfactory from the standpoint of maintenance and cost.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image-forming apparatus in which the potential of the exposed portion of the photosensitive material varies within a narrow range depending upon the thickness of the film, the photosensivitive material can be used over a wide range of the thickness of the film without substantially causing a drop in the image density without using cumbersome means such as correcting the exposure amount, and which saves the consumption of the toner as compared at a predetermined image density.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image-forming apparatus for forming an image by electrically charging a photosensitive material, forming an electrostatic image through the exposure to light and developing the electrostatic image, wherein the main charged potential (Vo) of the photosensitive material, the potential (Vr) of the exposed portion of the photosensitive material and the developing bias potential (DB) are so set as to satisfy the following formulas (1) and (2),
V1xe2x89xa6|DBxe2x88x92Vr|xe2x89xa6V2xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
V3xe2x89xa6|Voxe2x88x92DB|300xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
wherein V1, V2 and V3 are parameters calculated from a developing characteristics curve obtained by plotting the image densities to a potential difference between the developing bias potential and the surface potential (0 V) of the photosensitive material of when the image is formed by changing the developing bias potential with the exposure amount being zero in a state where the potential on the surface of the photosensitive material is maintained at zero,
V1 being a potential difference (absolute value) at a point at where an approximated straight line A in a region where the image density linearly increases intersects an approximated straight line B in a region where the image density increases to its saturation on the developing characteristics curve;
V2 being a potential difference (absolute value) at a point at where the approximated straight line B separates away from the developing characteristics curve; and
V3 being a potential difference (absolute value) at a point at where the image density exhibits a value of (base paper density +0.005).
In the image-forming apparatus of the present invention, it is desired that:
1. The main charging potential (Vo) of the photosensitive material and the developing bias potential (DB) are so set as to satisfy the following formula (2xe2x80x2),
V3+50xe2x89xa6|Voxe2x88x92DB|xe2x89xa6250xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2xe2x80x2)
2. The exposure amount of the exposure device for irradiating the photosensitive material with light is set to be from 3 times to 10 times as large and, preferably, from 4 times to 6 times as large as the half exposure amount of the photosensitive material;
3. The photosensitive material is an organic photosensitive material containing a charge-generating agent and a charge-transporting agent; and
4. The developing is effected by the reversal developing system by using a two-component developing agent.

Electrostatic image-forming apparatus controlled to compensate for film thinning

Abstract: V1, V2 and V3 are parameters calculated from a developing characteristics curve obtained by plotting the image densities to a potential difference between the developing bias potential and the surface potential, 0 V, of the photosensitive material when the image is formed by changing the developing bias potential with the exposure amount being zero in a state where the potential on the surface of the photosensitive material is maintained at zero.


A method of manufacturing a vehicle trim panel having a storage compartment includes providing a first mold assembly comprising a first mold section and a second mold section, wherein the first mold assembly defines a first cavity. A second mold assembly is provided and comprises a third mold section and a fourth mold section. The second mold assembly defines a second cavity. A first material is introduced into the first cavity, thereby producing a substrate. A second material is introduced into the second cavity, such that the second material defines a cover member. The substrate and the cover member define a vehicle trim panel, such that the cover member defines an expandable portion of the storage compartment.

It is known to provide an interior trim panel for a vehicle, and components thereof, which is aesthetically and/or tactilely pleasing to the vehicle occupants. Such trim panels may have a bezel disposed therein to allow for the placement of various door latch and switch assemblies within the trim panel.
Known bezels are typically formed separately from the trim panel and assembled to the trim panel during an assembly operation subsequent to forming the trim panel. Such assembly operations can be complex and time consuming. It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved method of manufacturing a bezel formed in an interior vehicle trim panel.

International Automotive Components Group North America, Inc.


A socket for a microelectronic component is provided. The socket has a base with metal power and ground layers, and further includes a plurality of electrically conductive socket members, some of which are connected in parallel to the metal power layer, others being connected in parallel to the metal ground layer, while others are insulated from both the metal power and ground layers for purposes of providing signals. Each electrically conductive socket member has a protrusion that breaks through an inner insulating layer that defines an opening into which the electrically conductive socket member is inserted. The protrusions are at different heights, so that some of the protrusions make contact with the metal power layer, while others are connected to the metal ground layer or to a dielectric core layer.

1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a socket for a microelectronic component.
2). Discussion of Related Art
Integrated circuits are usually manufactured in and on semiconductor wafers that are subsequently singulated into individual dies. Such a die is usually mounted on a package substrate for purposes of rigidity and to provide signals, power, and ground to an integrated circuit of the die. Lands on an opposing side of the package substrate are positioned on contacts of a socket that is mounted to a printed circuit board carrier substrate, so as to connect the package substrate electrically to the socket and the carrier substrate.
The socket usually has a base with a plurality of openings therein. Electrically conductive socket members are inserted in the openings and, in addition to the contacts that are against the lands on the package substrate, also have terminals on an opposing side of the base for purposes of connecting to the carrier substrate.
The electrically conductive socket members can provide signals, power, or ground to the integrated circuit. When power is, for example, required at one of the lands on the package substrate, all the power has to be provided through the terminal of the electrically conductive socket member having the contact against the land that requires power. The power required at the land is often extremely high and may vary significantly, thus requiring large, abruptly changing power to be provided to the terminal on an opposing side of the base, leading to high resistance and inductance.

Socket for a microelectronic component having reduced electrical resistance and inductance


The present invention relates to the preparation of universal inactivated vaccines and their use in preparing compositions for the prophylaxis and therapy of dermatomycosis. Vaccines according to the present invention have the advantage of conferring immunity against all important causes of dermatomycosis in animals and are characterized by stable immunogenic properties, easy preparation, high content of microconidia and lack of side reactions in animals.

This invention relates to the preparation of vaccines and their use in preparing compositions for specifically preventing and treating dermatomycosis.
Dermatomycoses in animals are anthropozoonotic diseases of the skin and related tissue. Clinical symptoms are characterized by loss of hair in the affected area, hyperemia, scaling and asbestos-like scabs. Inflammation is often accompanied by suppuration. Dermatomycoses are often also characterized by localized infection of the skin.
Dermatomycoses in animals carry a substantial socioeconomic impact. Diseased animals required prolonged treatment and can spread infection to both animals and humans.
Up till now, dermatomycoses have been treated using various types of medication applied locally to affected areas of the skin. These included the ointments YaM, Yuglon (I) and a number of other ointments, liniments, solutions and other substances containing fungicides and fungistatic agents.
The disadvantages of such treatments were:                they were not very effective;        they required the adoption of quarantine measures and disinfection of areas where animals were kept (rearing pens, vivaria, farms, zoos, circuses, etc.);        they required substantial funds to be spent on drug preparations and veterinary treatment;        they posed difficulties in immobilizing the animals (for wild animals held in captivity).
Later vaccines were developed to treat trichophytosis in cattle (see USSR Patent No. 268593, 1970), fur-bearing animals and rabbits (see USSR Patent No. 835446, 1980), camels (see USSR Patent No. 1190574, 1985) and others.
A vaccine had also been developed earlier for the prevention and treatment of trichophytosis in horses: S-P-I (see USSR Patent No. 548947, 1976).
The S-P-I vaccine contains the vaccinal strain Trichophyton equinum No. 2251/71, deposited with the USSR All-Union State Scientific Control Institute of Veterinary Preparations, which is cultivated in agar/wort for 20–25 days at a temperature of 26–28° C. The fungal mass is then lifted from the surface of the nutrient medium, mixed with sterile distilled water and homogenized, and the concentration of cells is brought to 600–900 million per ml. The homogenate is transferred to a separate flask and stabilized with a mixture containing 2–8% gelatine (gelatose) and 10–40% sucrose in the ratio 1:1 (±25%), then lyophilized.
For prophylactic and treatment purposes the vaccine is injected into the muscle tissue of the neck area of juvenile and mature horses in two doses of 1–2 cc, depending on the age of the horse, with an interval of 10–14 days. For therapeutic use the dosages were doubled.
Vaccines obtained using this method have the disadvantage that they do not provide immunity against microsporiae and trichophytiae caused by other agents. It has also been noted that the areas where a live vaccine is injected may become a specific focus in which cultures of vaccinal strains may at certain times be produced. Given that some species of domestic animals come into frequent contact with humans, the occurrence of such specific foci in these animals is unacceptable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The optoelectronic device includes a sleeve, an insert body, a ferrule, a lens, an optical subassembly, an electrical connector, a substrate, a cover, and a panel nut. The sleeve includes seating surface, an aperture, and thread form. The panel nut has a thread form, and a seating surface. The thread form of the panel nut is complimentary to the thread form of the sleeve so that the panel nut is removeably mountable on the sleeve. In a mounted position, the thread form of the panel nut fully engages the thread form of the sleeve so that the seating surface of the of the panel nut contacts a first one surface of a bulkhead and the seating surface of the sleeve contacts another surface of the bulkhead so that the device is securely mounted to the bulkhead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to optoelectronic devices. The invention more particularly concerns an optoelectronic device that is mountable to a bulkhead.
2. Discussion of the Background
An optoelectronic device utilizes at least one optical subassembly. The optical subassembly can be an optoelectronic receiver or an optoelectronic transmitter. An optoelectronic transmitter receives electrical signals, converts the electrical signals to light signals, and then transmits the light signals. An optoelectronic receiver receives light signals, converts the light signals to electrical signals, and then transmits the electrical signals. A transceiver is an optoelectronic device which has at least one optoelectronic receiver and at least one otpoelectronic transmitter.
In order to pass optical signals through a bulkhead, an optical bulkhead connector is employed. The optical bulkhead connector employs, in this example, two channels. Two discrete optical fibers define the two channels. One end of the optical bulkhead connector conforms to an expanded beam interface and the other ends of the two optical fibers conform to an LC standard interface. The optical bulkhead connector is attached to the bulkhead of the device of interest, such as a tank, so that the expanded beam portion of the connector is exposed to the ambient environment, and the LC portion of the connector is exposed to the interior of the vehicle. The Expanded beam portion of the device is attached to the bulkhead. The optical fibers may run some distance before the LC connectors are plugged into LC receptacles of an optoelectronic device, such as a transceiver, mounted elsewhere within the interior of the vehicle. Examples of expanded beam devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,861, and 5,247,595. An example of an optical bulkhead connector is set forth in FIG. 15 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,683. Examples of optoelectronic devices are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,528,408; 5,546,281; 6,350,063; and 6,499,890. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,884,861; 5,247,595; 5,528,408; 5,546,281; 6,234,683; 6,350,063; and 6,499,890 are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Some of the following qualities are paramount during the design phase of a successful military vehicle: the maximization of useable interior space, the reduction of weight, and the increased reliability of components that are used to construct the vehicle. Furthermore, such goals must be met while operating within a limited financial budget.

Bulkhead mountable optoelectronic device


Transport pipe for high viscosity materials, in particular for concrete. The transport pipe includes an inner pipe (10) made of an abrasion-resistant plastic, at least one metallic joint element (12), as well as a reinforcing jacket (14) which envelops at least the internal pipe. In order to ensure a reliable and enduring joint between inner pipe and joint element, it is proposed in accordance with the invention, that the radially projecting collar of the joint element is defined by a ring-shaped end face (20) and by a thereto joined ring step (22) extending radially towards the inside of the pipe and recessed axially from the ring-shaped end face, and wherein the plastic material of the inner pipe (10) engages in the ring step (22) from the inside of the pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a pipe (tube) for transporting high-viscosity materials, in particular concrete.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Mobile concrete pumps are frequently employed in the construction industry, wherein concrete is conveyed through transport pipes from a source location to an application location. The transport pipes are generally located on the mast arms of a distribution mast, wherein the movement of a terminal hose over a site to be concretized can be directed using remote control. Further, it is known to use stationary concrete pumps, in which transport pipes are laid along the ground from the source site to the site of application. Due to the abrasive characteristics of flowing liquid concrete, the transport pipe must be manufactured from an abrasion-resistant material. Conventionally steel pipes are used for this, of which inner surface has been hardened or coated with a abrasion-resistant material.

Tube for transporting high-viscosity materials


An electrophotographic device for reproducing an image on an imaging member includes: processing elements for forming a toner-developed latent image on a charge retentive surface of the imaging member; a transfer station for transferring toner from the imaging surface to a second surface of a receiving member; an arrangement for enhancing toner release from the imaging surface, including a resonator in contact with and applying vibratory energy to the imaging member at a location at which toner release is desired having a resonator resonant frequency f.sub.r ; a coupler for coupling the imaging member to the resonator; a driving signal source electrically coupled to the resonator, and producing a driving signal selected to drive the resonator at frequency f.sub.r ; the imaging member, coupler and receiving member together defining a system having a first and second belt resonant frequency (f.sub.b1 and f.sub.b2, respectively) when excited by the toner release enhancer; and the belt resonant frequencies and the resonator resonant frequency selected so that EQU f.sub.r =(.sup.f b1+.sup.f b2)/.sub.2

In electrophotographic applications such as xerography, a charge retentive surface is electrostatically charged and exposed to a light pattern of an original image to be reproduced to selectively discharge the surface in accordance therewith. The resulting pattern of charged and discharged areas on that surface form an electrostatic charge pattern (an electrostatic latent image) conforming to the original image. The latent image is developed by contacting it with a finely divided electrostatically attractable powder or powder suspension referred to as "toner". Toner is held on the image areas by the electrostatic charge on the surface. Thus, a toner image is produced in conformity with a light image of the original being reproduced. The toner image may then be transferred to a substrate (e.g., paper), and the image affixed thereto to form a permanent record of the image to be reproduced. Subsequent to development, excess toner left on the charge retentive surface is cleaned from the surface. The process is well known and useful for light lens copying from an original and printing applications from electronically generated or stored originals, where a charged surface may be imagewise discharged in a variety of ways. Ion projection devices where a charge is imagewise deposited on a charge retentive substrate operate similarly. In a slightly different arrangement, toner may be transferred to an intermediate surface, prior to retransfer to a final substrate.
Transfer of toner from the charge retentive surface to the final substrate is commonly accomplished electrostatically. A developed toner image is held on the charge retentive surface with electrostatic and mechanical forces. A substrate (such as a copy sheet) is brought into intimate contact with the surface, sandwiching the toner thereinbetween. An electrostatic transfer charging device, such as a corotron, applies a charge to the back side of the sheet, to attract the toner image to the sheet.
Unfortunately, the interface between the sheet and the charge retentive surface is not always optimal. Particularly with non-flat sheets, such as sheets that have already passed through a fixing operation such as heat and/or pressure fusing, or perforated sheets, or sheets that are brought into imperfect contact with the charge retentive surface, the contact between the sheet and the charge retentive surface may be non-uniform, characterized by gaps where contact has failed. There is a tendency for toner not to transfer across these gaps. A copy quality defect results.
That acoustic agitation or vibration of a surface can enhance toner release therefrom is known, as described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,546 to Maret, 4,684,242 to Schultz, 4,007,982 to Stange, 4,121,947 to Hemphill, Xerox Disclosure Journal "Floating Diaphragm Vacuum Shoe, by Hull et al., Vol. 2, No. 6, November/December 1977, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,653,758 to Trimmer et al., 4,546,722 to Toda et al., 4,794,878 to Connors et al., 4,833,503 to Snelling, Japanese Published Patent Application 62-195685, 3,854,974 to Sato et al., and French patent No. 2,280,115.
Resonators for applying vibrational energy to some other member are known, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,363,992 to Holze, Jr., 3,113,225 to Kleesattel et al., 3,733,238 to Long et al., and 3,713,987 to Low.
Coupling of vibrational energy to a surface has been considered in Defensive Publication T893,001 by Fisler. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,635,762 to Ott et al., 3,422,479 to Jeffee, 4,483,034 to Ensminger and 3,190,793 Starke.
Resonators coupled to the charge retentive surface of an electrophotographic device at various stations therein, for the purpose of enhancing the electrostatic function, are known, as in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,210,577 to Nowak; 5,030,999 to Lindblad et al.; 5,005,054, to Stokes et al.; 4,987,456 to Snelling et al.; 5,010,369 to Nowak et al.; 5,025,291 to Nowak et al.; 5,016,055 to Pietrowski et al.; 5,081,500 to Snelling; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/003906 "Cross Process Vibrational Mode Suppression in High Frequency Vibratory Energy Producing Devices for Electrophotographic Imaging" by W. Nowak et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/620,520, "Energy Transmitting Horn Bonded to an Ultrasonic Transducer for Improved Uniformity at the Horn Tip", by R. Stokes et al. Among the problems addressed in these references are uniformity of vibration, coupling of energy, optimal positioning within the transfer field, and the use in association with cleaning devices.
All the references cited herein are specifically incorporated by reference for their teachings.

Optimized vibratory systems in electrophotographic devices