The invention relates to a method for the production of paper, carton, or cardboard using baobab tree bast fibers, baobab fruit fibers, and/or Natal fig fibers as paper raw material, comprising the steps of: obtaining baobab fruit fiber and/or baobab tree bast fiber as baobab raw material and/or Natal fig bast fiber as Natal fig raw material; fraying the baobab raw material and/or Natal fig raw material while adding water; heating and preferably bleaching the obtained fiber pulp; applying the fiber pulp to a sieving means comprising removing a portion of the added water in order to produce a paper fiber fleece; pressing the obtained paper fiber fleece; and drying the obtained paper fiber fleece. The invention further relates to paper, cardboard, or carton obtainable by a method of the invention, and their use for the production of natural paper, papier mâché, art paper, hygienic paper, tissue paper, graphic papers, paper, carton, or cardboard for packaging purposes, or paper for specialized technical purposes.

Presently, numerous conventional production methods for paper, carton, and cardboard are applied that, for the purpose of obtaining raw material, use plant material that entails killing of the plant or the tree, respectively. Although renewable raw materials are used in these known methods, these methods counteract the preservation of our ecosystem and ultimately our planet, because the time of regrowth, i.e. the regeneration of the plant material, can mostly take decades. Therefore, the present paper demand cannot be met along with the preservation of a plant stock relevant for ecological equilibrium when such conventional production methods are employed, even if renewable raw materials are used. Therefore, waste paper is nowadays one of the main components in the production of paper, carton, and cardboard. Also in Europe, the use of waste paper is widespread and a large proportion of waste paper is used there in the paper industry for the production of new paper. However, since the cell structures of the waste paper deteriorate and degrade with every new treatment process, waste paper cannot be recycled infinitely often. Therefore, the fiber materials obtained from waste paper have to be mixed or substituted, respectively, with fresh and new fiber materials from conventional sources (such as spruce, fir, pine, larch, beech, poplar, birch, and eucalyptus wood). By employing fresh fiber materials, the desired and targeted properties of the paper to be produced are controlled. The paper industry is closely connected to the socioeconomic development and the standard of living of humans. Therefore, along with the rapid economic development and the increase of the standard of living of humans, and the paper demand connected to it, paper production increased dramatically. The demand for a method of producing paper, carton, and cardboard that is based on quickly regenerating raw materials and sustainably reduces environmental damage is therefore large.
The use of the light beige to light brown fiber material obtainable from the baobab tree offers a revolutionary change to the paper, carton, and cardboard production industry since the raw material can be obtained without a clearing or the death of the trees, respectively. Since the raw material can be obtained without felling the baobab tree, simply by peeling of the quickly regenerating baobab tree bast or the baobab fruit, the paper, carton, and cardboard production method provided herein is 100% plant sparing and does not require the killing of the tree. Additionally, many chemical processing steps are obsolete as compared with conventional production methods. For instance, compared with conventional wood material use, no lignin needs to be removed, the removal of which requires employing chemicals damaging to the environment and ultimately to the final consumer. Since the method counteracts worldwide logging for the production of paper, carton, and cardboard, and additionally, less environmentally damaging chemicals need to be employed in the production process, the environment is impacted less and protected sustainably by the method of the invention. Furthermore, the bast fibers and fruit fibers obtained from the baobab tree are characterized by their higher strength and tear resistance compared with other wood fibers. Finally, baobab tree bast contains has a higher fiber content than the same amount of wood. Therefore, the fiber materials obtained from the baobab tree are perfectly suited for processing to paper, carton, and cardboard.
Finally, it should be mentioned that the baobab tree is the center of the cultural, economic, and social spheres of many people. For instance, the baobab tree with its seed and fruit pulp is a valuable foodstuff in Africa. The special standing of the baobab tree is exemplified by its designation "apothecary tree", which is due to the broad medical uses of its parts. For instance, fever, dysentery, pox, and measles are treated with extracts of its fruit pulp and seeds, and it also serves as antidote for injuries with poisonous plants of the genus Strophantus, which are native to many parts of Africa.
The tree can be the center of a village and a venue of a market and social events. The development for mass use of this raw material obtained from the baobab tree would therefore improve the economic situation of the people.
Like the fibers of the baobab tree, the bast fibers of the Natal fig or "mutuba" (Ficus natalensis) can also be used for the production of paper, carton, or cardboard. The Natal fig occurs from Eastern Africa south of the equator to Southern Africa. In Uganda, for instance, the tree is used as a supplier of bast fiber for the production of bark cloth. The bark of this tree species had been harvested for centuries and processed into an extremely thin bark cloth long before Arab trades brought cotton to East Africa.
The Natal fig belongs to the mulberry family. Shrub forms and trees of up to 30 meters in height with buttress roots and mighty crowns are among its forms of appearance.
The trees provide shadow for crops and domestic animals, protect banana trees sensitive to wind, provide wood for cooking, and the leaves are used as animal feed. Some farmers purposely plant the tree for obtaining bast fiber.
Already after two to five years, the bark of the trunk of two to five meters in length can be harvested for the first time. This is possible once a year. When removing the bark, latex is extruded at the cuts and the exposed cambium is protected very quickly by a brown, viscous fluid. The tree is harvested on up to ⅔ of the trunk length. After a few months, the trunk is again completely surrounded and protected by reddish-brown fibers bundles. Harvesting the bark and the reddish-brown bast fiber is possible for several decades (up to 40 years) without damaging the tree.
Preferably, the bark is harvested during the rainy season and when the leaves are fully grown, since the stream of sap and latex in the cambium and the phloem (bast) is strongest during this period. Detaching the bark is easier in this time and the regeneration of the bast layer is quickest. Thus, death of the tree is avoided. For promoting bark formation, the trunk is wrapped in banana leaves and the upper rim is smoothed.

Method for the production of paper, carton, or cardboard using baobab tree bark bast fibers, baobab fruit fibers, and/or natal fig bast fibers as paper raw material


A power management circuit for a system that has combined power supplies from an inductively coupled circuit and from a battery comprises voltage sensing circuitry for sensing the voltage of each of the power supplies. A switching arrangement selectively connects one of the power supplies with a user or with plural users. The switching arrangement is controlled by appropriate control circuitry in response to outputs from the voltage sensing circuitry. The power management makes the best use of energy received over the inductive interface to preserve battery lifetime.

Transponders are typical systems that use inductive coupling for data transfer and also for energy transfer. The inductive interface includes an antenna coil and a capacitor forming a resonant circuit, and a rectifier with a storage capacitor. Since a transponder is supplied from inductively transmitted energy, it may be battery-less. An example of a battery-less transponder is a vehicle immobilizer. A vehicle immobilizer is a portable device that may include a physical key fitting into a lock, in addition to a transponder. While the basic function of such a device is that of a reliable key, other features may be added. For example, remote control functionality is among the features that respond to the ongoing demands for comfort. Remote control generally involves a RF transceiver, which needs to be powered from a battery. In spite of their increasing complexity, these systems are mass products and it is essential to keep the system costs as low as possible. A considerable reduction of the total system cost is achieved by combining plural functions in a single circuit and by sharing resources such as a controller, encryption circuits or memory, allowing to reduce the chip size. The shared circuit parts must be supplied regardless whether a supply is available from the inductive interface or from a battery. Since each power supply can have a voltage between zero and a maximum voltage up to e.g. 8 volt, an intelligent power management is required. The power management should make the best use of energy received over the inductive interface to preserve battery lifetime. In addition, energy received over the inductive interface in excess of that required for the basic functionality, should be made available to charge the battery (if a rechargeable battery is used). Also, conflicts between the power supplies must be avoided.

Method for selecting an inductive or battery power supply based on the voltage sensed therefrom for a transponder system


An apparatus is provided for storing media, such as compact discs, or the like. A pair of spaced apart, vertically oriented supports each provide an axle support. A rigid horizontal mounting rod is supported by a pair of integral end axles, each of which extend colinearly at each end of the rod for rotational engagement with one of the axle supports. The rod includes a cylindrical surface between the end axles for providing a plurality of parallel, longitudinal flutes therein. A knob is fixed to one or both of the end axles for enabling rotating of the mounting rod. The vertically oriented supports may be sidewalls of a cabinet for enclosing the apparatus. A plurality of flexible bags for storing the media each include a peripheral edge and a pair of mounting holes positioned adjacent to the edge. The bags are of a thickness such that the edge of at least one of the bags fits within one of the flutes. Each flexible bag is made of a transparent or semi-transparent material, such that the media may be viewed through the bag when the media is stored in the bag. A pair of mounting straps engages one of the mounting holes in each of the bags and circles the mounting rod so that the bags are fastened in positions extending radially from the mounting rod.

Compact discs, video discs, and the like, all require convenient storage while not in use. Conventional storage racks for such media typically only display a thin side panel of the media packaging, requiring a person who is looking for a particular media to read each package in turn. Such thin side panels do not have enough room for display of quickly recognized graphic designs other than textual identifiers. As a result, finding a particular media in such a conventional storage rack is relatively time consuming.
Several prior art devices exist for displaying the larger front surface of the media or media package. The larger front surface of such media packages usually includes a quickly recognized graphic design as well as a textual identifier. As a result, searching for a particular media by looking at such front panels takes relatively little time. One example of such a prior art device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,600 to Garcia on Mar. 30, 1993. Such a device includes a rotatable spindle that rigidly holds a plurality of media holders. As the spindle is rotated, the front face of each media is displayed in turn. Such a device, while perhaps well-suited for holding rigid computer disks and the like, is not well-suited for holding compact audio and CD ROM discs since the rigid holding means of such a device scratches the data surface of such discs. In such a device, therefore, compacts discs and the like must be stored in their protective packages, which are bulky and reduce the storage capacity of such devices. Further, rigid holding means of devices of this type are relatively expensive to manufacture.
Another prior art device, known as the "RA 100," which is produced by Radial Access of Miamiville, Ohio, provides an open structure with suspended padded flexible pockets. To use such a device, one must manually flip each pocket or sleeve over in turn to see the next one. Such a device is more difficult to use, therefore, than the Garcia device since with the Garcia device the user simply rotates either of the two knobs to rotate the spindle and flip sequentially through the media. Further, the Radial Access device is open to the air and therefore the sleeves of such a device are prone to collecting dust.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a media storage device that enables the user to flip through each media in turn. Such a needed device would display a relatively large surface of the media for enabling quick recognition, and would allow the media to be stored in flexible sleeves for maximizing storage capacity. Further, such a needed device would be easy to use in that the user would be able to flip through all of the media stored in the device relatively quickly. Still further, such a needed device would include a closure for preventing dust from collecting on and within the sleeves of the device, and would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.


Techniques are provided for fabricating a low profile antenna that operates with increased efficiency. An antenna implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a first arm comprising a first spiral portion and a first rectilinear portion, and a second arm comprising a second spiral portion and a second rectilinear portion. The second spiral portion is concentric with the first spiral portion. The antenna further includes an insulator to separate the arms. The insulator and the arms are planar surfaces disposed within a rectangular region. The first rectilinear portion is adjacent to a first and second side of the perimeter of the rectangular region, and the second rectilinear portion is adjacent to a third and fourth side of the perimeter of the region. The antenna is fabricated as a printed circuit board which is mounted on the fuselage of an aircraft, which serves as a ground plane for the antenna.

Generally, antennas can take many physical forms, but not all of these physical forms are suitable for a given application. For example, aircraft applications may impose more restrictive operational requirements on an antenna design. Similar design constraints would also apply to applications requiring a platform which supports a given antenna to have a high degree of aerodynamic performance. Numerous such applications will be appreciated in light of this disclosure.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


An n-type semiconductor substrate 11 has a p-type well 12 in which are formed a charge transfer channel 13, a flowing diffusion region 14 made of an n-type impurity region, an n-type buried region 16 and a reset drain region 15. Transfer gates 51 and 52 of a horizontal CCD and an output gate 41 are formed on the surface of the charge transfer channel 13, with an insulation film 20 interposed; reset electrodes 31 and 32 are formed on the surface of the buried region 16, again with the insulation film 20 interposed. The floating diffusion region 14 is connected to a source follower circuit 6. The reset electrodes 31 and 32 are provided adjacent to each other in the channel direction of a reset gate section 3 and can be driven independently of each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state image capturing device having a photoelectric transducer portion, a charge transfer portion for transferring a signal charge from the photoelectric transducer portion and a charge detector portion for detecting the signal charge, as well as an imaging apparatus using the solid-state image capturing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known conventional solid-state image capturing device is a CCD image capturing device capable of interline charge transfer. The CCD image capturing device has a two-dimensional matrix array of photoelectric transducer elements (pixels) that store incident light by converting it to a signal charge associated with its quantity, a plurality of vertical CCDs that are provided for the respective columns of photoelectric transducer elements and which transfer the signal charges vertically as they are read from the respective photoelectric transducer elements, a horizontal CCD that transfers the signal charge for one line (row) horizontally as it is being transferred from vertical CCDs, and a charge detector portion that outputs the signal charge transferred from the horizontal CCD after converting it to an electrical signal.
The charge detector portion of the CCD image capturing device under consideration has a floating diffusion amplifier configuration which is composed of a floating diffusion (FD) section by which the signal charges sequentially transferred from the horizontal CCD are converted to signal voltage (electrical signal), a reset drain (RD) section for draining charges, a reset gate (RG) section which clears the floating diffusion section of all charges so that they are dumped into the reset drain section, and a source follower circuit.
FIG. 12 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional CCD image capturing device, particularly the area around the charge detector portion. FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross-sectional profile of the final transfer stage 5 of the horizontal CCD, an output gate section 4, a floating diffusion section 1, a reset gate section 3 and a reset drain section 2, plus a circuit diagram for a source follower circuit 6. An n-type semiconductor substrate 11 has a p-type well 12 in which are formed a charge transfer channel 13, a flowing diffusion region 14 which is also made of an n-type impurity region and a reset drain region 15 also made of an n-type impurity region. Transfer gates 51 and 52 of the horizontal CCD and an output gate 41 are formed on the surface of the charge transfer channel 13, with an insulation film 20 interposed; a reset electrode 30 is formed between the floating diffusion region 14 and the reset drain region 15, again with the insulation film 20 interposed. The floating diffusion region 14 is connected to the source follower circuit 6.
In the output portion having the configuration shown in FIG. 12, the amount of change in the signal charge in the floating diffusion region 14 (ΔQ), the change in voltage (ΔV) and the static capacity (C) are related to each other by ΔV=ΔQ/C, describing that the sensitivity of signal voltage being output from the source follower circuit 6 (i.e., charge detection sensitivity) depends on the static capacity C of the floating diffusion region 14. Since the static capacity C of the floating diffusion region 14 which depends on the structures of the floating diffusion region 14 and its nearly area is constant, the charge detection sensitivity of the output portion is also constant.
As a result, if the charge detection sensitivity is raised by reducing the static capacity C in order to achieve sensitive imaging, the signal output in response to a quantity of incident light greater than a certain level becomes constant, producing a narrow dynamic range. A proposal for expanding the dynamic range by making the sensitivity of the charge detector portion variable is the solid-state image capturing device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 331706/1999.
The solid-state image capturing device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 331706/1999 changes the sensitivity of the charge detector portion between a mode for reading one pixel and a mode for reading more than one pixel. The change in charge detection sensitivity is in effect accomplished by changing the size of the floating diffusion region. The solid-state image capturing device under consideration has substantially the same structure as the device shown in FIG. 12, except that a plurality of adjacent reset gates are provided between the floating diffusion region and the reset drain region. By selectively driving the plurality of reset gates, the size of the floating diffusion region is altered to change its static capacity C. For instance, if the reset gate which is the closer to the floating diffusion region is held at a reset level whereas the other reset gates control charge storage and drain, the area beneath the reset gate being held at the reset level will in effect function as the floating diffusion region; as a result, the static capacity of the floating diffusion region increases to lower the charge detection sensitivity.
However, the reset gate section of the solid-state image capturing device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 331706/1999 is of a surface channel type, so it has the disadvantage of undergoing deterioration in S/N ratio. To be more specific, since the area beneath the reset gate is used as the charge accumulating floating diffusion region, charges in that area are captured by traps in the semiconductor surface and the accumulated signal charges will not be smoothly reset as required and the trapped charges will flow again into the floating diffusion region, occasionally causing adverse effects on the output signal.
As a further problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 331706/1999 only teaches a camera system capable of switching between the two modes, one for reading one pixel and the other for reading more than one pixel, by using the above-described solid-state image capturing device. This camera system is not considered to make the most of the variability of charge detection sensitivity.

Solid-state image capturing device and imaging apparatus using the same


A shock absorber includes a dust tube that surrounds a shock body. The shock body is movable relative to the dust tube in response to road load inputs. A plurality of magnets is mounted to one of the dust tube and shock body, and a module is mounted to the other of the dust tube and shock body. The module interacts with the plurality of magnets to determine a position of the dust tube relative to a position of the shock body. This position information can be used to adjust suspension ride height as needed.

Air suspensions include leveling valves that can be adjusted to change a ride height of the air suspension. With current air suspensions, ride height is set by, and adjusted by, a mechanical linkage that is attached to the leveling valves. This mechanical linkage must be manually actuated by an operator to adjust ride height. One disadvantage with this system is that the mechanical linkage adds complexity, is labor intensive and increases weight. Additionally, operators do not always set the ride height at a proper level based on vehicle application and/or payload.
Other types of suspensions systems, such as adaptive, semi-active, and active suspensions use accelerometers and/or displacement transducers to determine wheel position and wheel velocity. This information is then used to adjust right height as needed. One disadvantage with this configuration is that the additional components, i.e. accelerometers and displacement transducers, increase the cost of the suspension system.
Thus, there is a need for a simplified method and apparatus for adjusting ride height that eliminates the need for accelerometers and transducers, eliminates potential operator error, and which overcomes the other above-mentioned difficulties in the prior art.

Shock absorber with integrated position sensor


A method and a user equipment of performing resource switching in an unlicensed spectrum are provided. A current set of resources in the unlicensed spectrum is utilized by a UE for performing LBT attempts for transmission of an RACH message to a base station. One or more LBT attempts for transmissions from the UE to the base station are performed over the current set of resources during a current RACH procedure. The current set of resources is switched to a new set of resources in the unlicensed spectrum to be utilized by the UE in a new RACH procedure after a failure count reaches a pre-configured threshold during the current RACH procedure. The failure count is calculated at least based on a count of LBT failure over the current set of resources during the current RACH procedure.

Insufficient wireless frequency bands arise with the increase in mobile traffic demand, which results in increased cost of the licensed spectrum. Therefore, an unlicensed spectrum presents a potential opportunity for mobile services. However, interference caused by existing wireless transmissions, such as Wi-Fi in the unlicensed spectrum, is a serious issue in the effective utilization of the unlicensed spectrum. Listen Before Talk (LBT) was proposed as a promising method to ensure the coexistence of Wi-Fi and commercial mobile services such as LTE or 5G network.
LBT is a technique used in radio communications where a radio transmitter first senses its radio environment before it starts a transmission. LBT can be used by a radio device to find a free radio channel. In the 5G unlicensed spectrum, a successful LBT is needed before each transmission between the user equipment (UE) and the base station. For example, in the 5G unlicensed spectrum, if LBT fails, the transmission of a random access channel (RACH) message (e.g., preamble) cannot be performed. In addition, during the handover procedure, LBT failure before the UE synchronizes with the target base station (i.e., RACH preamble transmission) may lead to unsuccessful handover. Therefore, how to reduce the impact of LBT failure on transmissions between the UE and the base station in the unlicensed spectrum becomes an issue to address.

Method and user equipment of performing resource switching in unlicensed spectrum

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A printing system includes at least one print module for printing on a receiver media; a mechanism for moving the receiver media past the at least one print module; at least a first and second optical encoder sensor for measuring at least one of displacement and velocity of the receiver media which provides an output signal to a controller; wherein the controller, in response to the signals received from the at least two optical encoder sensors, controls the operation of the at least one print module.

Ink jet printing has become recognized as a prominent contender in the digitally controlled, electronic printing arena because, e.g., of its non-impact, low-noise characteristics, its use of plain paper and its avoidance of toner transfer and fixing. Ink jet printing mechanisms are categorized by technology as either drop on demand ink jet (DOD) or continuous ink jet (CIJ).
The first technology, "drop-on-demand" ink jet printing, provides ink drops that impact upon a recording surface by using a pressurization actuator (thermal, piezoelectric, etc.). One commonly practiced drop-on-demand technology uses thermal actuation to eject ink drops from a nozzle. A heater, located at or near the nozzle, heats the ink sufficiently to boil, forming a vapor bubble that creates enough internal pressure to eject an ink drop. This form of inkjet is commonly termed "thermal ink jet (TIJ)."
The second technology commonly referred to as "continuous" ink jet (CIJ) printing, uses a pressurized ink source to produce a continuous liquid jet stream of ink by forcing ink, under pressure, through a nozzle. The stream of ink may be perturbed in a manner such that the liquid jet breaks up into drops of ink in a predictable manner.
Printing occurs through the selective deflecting and catching of undesired ink drops. Various approaches for selectively deflecting drops have been developed including the use of electrostatic deflection, air deflection and thermal deflection mechanisms.
There is a need in the CIJ industry to track the print media during the printing process. For example, US Patent Publication 2006/0132523 discloses a printer having a single 2D optical encoder having a coherent or quasi-coherent light source that reflects light from the print media that is received by a detector for tracking the motion of the print media.
Although satisfactory, this method includes shortcomings. One shortcoming is that the print media is monitored at only one location which limits the available information on the location of the print media. A second shortcoming, particularly in web-based systems, is that stretch of the print medium in the in-track and cross-track directions is not available. The present invention addresses and solves these shortcomings.

Printers having encoders for monitoring paper misalignments


Printing stock for use in making a sign that includes a face sheet and a backing sheet. The sign is formed, for example, by overlapping a plurality of face sub-sheets of the printing stock, with the face sub-sheets arranged in a pattern to form a desired image of the sign. The face sheet includes a printing surface for receiving ink and an adhesive surface for receiving the backing sheet. The face sheet includes a face cut forming a margin and the face sub-sheet such that at least a portion of the margin is separable from the face sub-sheet. The backing sheet may include a backing cut forming a border and a backing sub-sheet such that at least a portion of the border is separable from the backing sub-sheet so that at least a portion of the adhesive surface of the face sheet is exposable.

The present invention relates printing stock for use in small-office, home-office (SOHO) or other printers. The present invention also relates to printing stock that includes adhesive, and to printing stock that is used to form signs or posters that, because of size, would not be able to be printed on a single sheet of printing stock.
Signs and posters are commonly utilized for any number of reasons, for example, for announcing a birthday, the arrival of a baby, an outdoor event at a park, a meeting, and so on. In many cases, the sign or poster is of a large size, that is, larger than a piece of paper having a standard size such as A4, 8½×11 inches, or legal size. Accordingly, a person desiring to make a large-scale sign has a couple of options. One option is to have the sign made professionally. However, this may involve a cost and a turn-around time that is not acceptable to a person.
Another option is to make the sign on a SOHO printer connected to a computer. To do so, a person needs to print out sections of the desired sign on a number of pieces of paper. Some SOHO printers cannot print over the entire extent of a sheet of paper (i.e., the edges of the paper are left blank), so a person may need to cut off the unprinted edges by hand and then assemble the remainder of the printed sheets together by abutting or overlapping them to form the sign. The assembled sheets then need to taped or otherwise adhered together. Available software can manipulate images so that partial images may be printed on a SOHO print, and then assembled by overlapping or abutting the individual sheets of stock.
One specific example of a conventional approach to printing large-scale signs on general-use printers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,405 to Rudin. The Rudin patent shows two embodiments. One of the embodiments utilizes a sheet with a central image area defined by die cuts. The central image area is printed upon so the image edges align with the die cuts. The central image area is then removed from the sheet to form a sign.
In the other embodiment, a repositionable sheet has a strip of adhesive applied along a top edge and a bottom edge of the paper. The central image area is then printed upon and then removed from the sheet to form a sign. Without adhesive in a middle portion thereof, the central image area may be moved about when assembling a sign or a banner. However, in either embodiment of the Rudin patent, a user needs to position a plurality of sheets in such a way that adjacent edges of abutting sheets are precisely aligned in order to have whatever graphic or image is printed on the central image areas look presentable. Moreover, the Rudin patent discusses an extensive and time-consuming test-printing process whereby the user manually adjusts the print margins of the image so that the edges of the image precisely align with the die cuts around the central image area of the sheets.
While the above options may have cost advantages over professionally made signs, there are drawbacks. For example, a considerable amount of manual work needs to be employed to make the sign, particularly in ensuring that sheets are precisely printed and aligned, butting up against each other in a side-to-side arrangement. If there is any printer misregistration or skewing, then this cannot be compensated for, and the resulting images are likely to be misaligned when assembled. Moreover, if the printed image or graphic does not extend to the edges, then the user cannot align the sheets with the printed image but rather needs to "eyeball" or guess where to position adjacent sheets that form the sign.
In addition, the manual cutting of the unprinted edges may result in an imperfect sign with breaks or gaps in the text or image of the sign. Further along these lines, if the sheets are not square for any reason (e.g., slight distortion of the central print area during removal from the sheet, inaccurate die cutting, etc.), then at least one of the abutting edges will not line up perfectly, thereby leaving a visible gap between sheets. In addition, any shrinkage in the sheets caused by low humidity may cause gaps to form between adjacent sheets. The printing described in the Rudin patent has precise printer page alignment that may not be reliably repeated on each printed page. Finally, old tractor-feed printers could print large rectangular banners; however, the banners were generally of poor quality and limited in height by the standard size of paper utilized by tractor-feed printers.
Accordingly, there is a need for a printing stock and a related system that easily allow a user to print and assemble larger assemblies of the printing stock to form large signs, posters, banners, or the like. The present invention satisfies this need.

Printing stock for use in printing composite signs, methods and apparatus for printing such signs, and methods for manufacturing such printing stock


A method and apparatus for collimating ions being emitted from a supersonic expansion nozzle for injection into a time of flight mass spectrometer. Radio frequency fields are used to focus ions toward a desired path, while energy is dissipated from the ions by using a background gas which is advantageously part of a supersonic expansion, giving the background gas a highly organized velocity profile. The background gas absorbs energy when the ions collide with the background gas molecules. By causing the collisional cooling between the ions and the background gas molecules to occur within the supersonic expansion, the ions do not receive velocity distributions determined by ambient thermal energies, but instead enables generation of a highly collimated and high intensity ion beam directed toward the time of flight mass spectrometer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method for injection of ions into a time of flight mass spectrometer. More specifically, apparatus which provides collisional focusing is coupled to a supersonic expansion nozzle to thereby collimate the ions in the expanding gas being emitted therefrom.
2. The State of The Art
The state of the art for injection of ions into a time of flight mass spectrometer has described the use of supersonic expansions. FIG. 1 shows where ions are entrained in a directed flow of gas in a supersonic expansion. More specifically, in a supersonic expansion, an expanding gas 12 forms a jet emanating from a supersonic expansion nozzle 10. The expanding gas 12 is flowing from a higher pressure region into a lower pressure region. Accordingly, the molecular velocities become highly organized. This is because they are directed away from the supersonic expansion nozzle 10 with nearly equal velocities, and thus fan out in a roughly cone-shaped profile 12 as if the supersonic expansion nozzle 10 formed a virtual point source for the ions.
One consequence of the dynamics of this process is that the velocity distribution of the ions (as well as that of neutral gas molecules forming the jet) is greatly narrowed compared to a typical thermal velocity distribution. This is a highly desirable condition for injection of ions 12 into an entrance 16 of a time of flight mass spectrometer 14 because it allows higher resolutions to be achieved in a properly designed instrument.
However, one disadvantage of this approach is that because the jet profile is roughly cone-shaped 12, the ion beam is not well collimated, thus negating much of the inherent advantage of the approach such as the ability to achieve high resolution.
Given that it is desirable to obtain a well collimated beam of ions, there have been various attempts to accomplish this objective. For example, FIG. 2 shows that it is possible to place an aperture 18 between the jet expansion 12 from the supersonic expansion nozzle 10 and the entrance 16 for ions to enter into the time of flight mass spectrometer 14. If the distance between the supersonic expansion nozzle 10 and the aperture 18 is large compared to the distance between the aperture 18 and the mass spectrometer entrance 16, a fairly well collimated beam can be produced. Disadvantageously, this also produces a large loss of ion intensity. Very few of the ions are directed at the entrance 16 of the mass spectrometer 14.
FIG. 3 shows that an alternative method for producing a collimated ion beam is to place an electrostatic lens 20 (or magnetic lens) between the supersonic expansion nozzle 10 and the time of flight mass spectrometer 14. A focusing condition can then be chosen so as to collimate the ion beam, thus injecting a higher proportion of the ion beam 12 into the mass spectrometer 14. Disadvantageously, the focusing condition can be chosen only to collimate ions over a limited kinetic energy range. This is undesirable because ions in the jet expansion typically have a variety of kinetic energies. This is a consequence of the fact that the ions have nearly the same velocities, but different masses. As a result, the collimation occurs only for ions of a restricted mass range, limiting the high resolution capability of the time of flight mass spectrometer to a fairly narrow range of masses.
It would be an advantage over the state of the art to provide a means whereby ions being emitted from a supersonic expansion nozzle can be collimated without having to restrict the resolution of the time of flight mass spectrometer, and without loss of ion intensity.

Collisional axialization of ions in a supersonic expansion for ion injection into time of flight mass spectrometers


A discovery computing system may receive an account identifier (ID) and a set of credentials required to access a first service account. The discovery computing system may transmit a first API query to a remote computing system. The discovery computing system may receive an organization identifier (ID) of the organization from the remote computing system. The discovery computing system may further transmit a second API query to the remote computing system. The discovery computing system may be further configured to receive information about a set of projects, in the organization, from the remote computing system. The discovery computing system may further generate a set of service accounts and further determine the set of resources, in the remote computing system, associated with each of the generated set of service accounts. The discovery computing system may further store the determined set of resources, as configuration items in a persistent storage.

With the advancement of platform as a service (or PaaS), an organization (such as a company) have a capability to employ multiple computing resources (e.g., virtual machines, storage capacity, etc.) in cloud-based networks. These computing resources are hosted remotely and are managed by a third party. Usually in the cloud-based networks, the computing resources are associated with one or more projects that may be owned or administered by an organization. The organization may have tools with which the organization may be able to discover and manage all the devices and services on its own on-premise network. Such tools, however, are insufficient for discovering and managing all the computing resources in cloud-based networks that are employed by the organization. As a consequence, the organization is unable to account for all of its computing assets (resources) in a unified fashion.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.
Limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of described systems with some aspects of the present disclosure, as set forth in the remainder of the present application and with reference to the drawings.

Automatic discovery of cloud-based infrastructure and resources


An electric motor with an add-on unit, such as a gearbox unit, encoder unit or controller unit, and disclosed whereby the electric motor and add-on unit can be firmly connected to each other. For a firm connection, a shrink ring is thermally shrunk on to the electric motor and add-on unit in the area of the joint so that the shrink ring covers the joint. A method is also disclosed for producing the connection, wherein a temperature difference is first created between the shrink ring on the one hand and the electric motor as well as add-on unit on the other hand, whereby furthermore the temperature of the shrink ring is greater than the temperature of the electric motor and add-on unit and whereby the components are then joined together and held so that the shrink ring shrinks on to the electric motor and add-on unit.

According to today's requirements, electric motors are often used with an add-on unit that is firmly connected to the electric motor. For example, in many cases it is necessary to equip the electric motor with a firmly connected gearbox unit in order to make it possible to provide the required torque while keeping a compact design. Often additional add-on units, such as encoder units or controller units, are also firmly connected to the electric motor. Together, the electric motor and the add-on unit form an assembly that itself represents a unit and that is manufactured, sold and also deployed as such.
A plurality of ways of connecting an electric motor and add-on unit are known from the state of the art. For example, it is common to screw, caulk or weld the housing of an add-on unit, for example, of a gearbox, to the electric motor. These types of connections are either expensive or lead to radial deformations of the connected components. Although it is true that there is no danger of deformation provided the electric motor and add-on unit are screwed together, this type of connection requires, however, a connection flange on both the electric motor and on the add-on unit, as a result of which the required construction volume is relatively large, particularly in the radial direction. The assembly proves to be extremely complex and is additionally very expensive particularly when the electric motor and add-on unit are screwed together. This is accounted for by the fact that the bore holes in the two flanges must be made with extreme precision and the screws that are used, as additional components, make the final product more expensive. Particularly in the case of small motors and micro motors, screwing the electric motor to an add-on unit often is ruled out due to the abovementioned reasons, particularly due to the increased construction volume.
Furthermore, bringing about a connection between the electric motor and the add-on unit by means of a snap-on connection is known from the state of the art. For example, a positive-locking connection between a gearbox housing part made of plastic and an adapter plate of an electric motor is known from DE 19729988 C1. There the ring gear of a planetary gear forms the gearbox housing part that is connected to the electric motor. The adapter plate that is connected to the electric motor can be slid into the ring gear in such a way that the cylindrical outer circumference of the adapter plate lies flatly on the inner circumference of the ring gear. The adapter plate furthermore comprises a plurality of latching lugs that are distributed along the circumference and that engage in corresponding latching openings of the ring gear. When the two components are inserted into each other, the ring gear, which is made of plastic, is expanded and does not return back into its undeformed state until the latching lugs have snapped into the latching openings.
The connection known from DE 19729988 C1 is therefore suitable only when one of the two components to be connected is produced from plastic and consequently has a lower level of stability than, for example, a metal component.
A further snap-on connection of an electric motor and add-on unit, said connection not being limited to the use of components made of plastic, is known from DE 102009032088 A1. Here a single-slotted radial elastic lock washer is used that sits both in a circumferential groove of an outer wall of the first component and also in a circumferential groove of an inner wall of the second component. The connection flanges of the electric motor and add-on unit must accordingly have different outer dimensions.

Electric motor with add-on unit, as well as a method for connecting an electric motor and an add-on unit


Two-photon or multi-photon chromophores having a conjugated pi-electron system with donating groups at each end of the pi-electron system providing charge-transfer properties, and having quaternary amine groups that can enhance the solubility of the chromophore in water. In a particular embodiment, the chromophore is based on a distyrylbenzene core, with donor or acceptor groups attached to the central benzene ring.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to chromophores having two-photon or multi-photon absorptivity.
2. Related Art
Organic molecules that absorb two or more photons simultaneously have wide application in a variety of technologies involving such subjects as thin film transistors, light emitting diodes, optical data storage, 3-D microfabrication techniques, host structures providing polar environments and precluding fluorescence quenching, and initiators of polymerization reactions. Two features of the two-photon absorption process make these applications feasible. The first is the quadratic dependence of two-photon absorption on the intensity of the incident radiation. This allows for three dimensional spatial resolution. The second feature is the absence of single-photon absorption, which allows an incident light beam to penetrate deeper into a material than would be possible with single-photon approaches.
Two photon or multi-photon absorbing molecules have been designed based on conjugated pi-electron systems with donating groups at each end of the pi-electron system providing charge-transfer properties. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,267,913 and 6,608,228, both incorporated by reference herein, describe two photon absorption chromophores having electron donors such as amino or alkoxy groups attached to a bridge of pi-conjugated bonds. The absorption of two or more photons by such molecules can trigger chemical and physical changes that make these molecules useful for two-photon applications. Although much progress has been made in developing two-photon or multi-photon molecules, additional two-photon or multi-photon absorbing materials, especially water-soluble materials, are needed to fully exploit two-photon applications.

Water-soluble distyrylbenzene chromophores for applications in optoelectronic technologies

The Regents of the University of California


System and method for implementing a file system across different storage classes in a storage system. Embodiments may define multiple classes of storage and automatically and transparently migrate data in the storage classes within the same file system to meet the usage needs of the business. Embodiments may transparently adapt the cost of storage to the usage patterns of data on the storage, thereby reducing the amount that customers need to spend for their storage. In embodiments, storage devices may be classified into different classes of storage to implement a multi-class file system. Embodiments may provide a multi-class storage mechanism for managing and implementing user-defined policies for assigning and migrating data within the multi-class file system. The multi-class storage mechanism may determine where to initially place data, and may transparently migrate data to other storage classes according to the policies. Migrated data remains online within the file system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of computer systems and, more particularly, to data storage systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In data storage environments such as corporate LANs, total storage needs are increasing and storage costs are an increasing part of the IT budget. More and/or higher capacity storage devices may be added, but this solution is expensive and difficult to manage, and does not address the root of the problem. There is a limit to storage capacity no matter how much storage capacity is added. This solution tends to provide a constant cost per byte for storage, as it tends not to take advantage of lower cost-per-byte storage devices. A high percentage of data stored in a storage environment may be infrequently accessed, or never accessed at all after a certain time. Lower cost-per-byte for storage may be realized using methods that move at least some of this infrequently accessed data off more expensive storage devices and on to the less expensive storage devices.
Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) is a data storage solution that provides access to vast amounts of storage space while reducing the administrative and storage costs associated with data storage. HSM systems may move files along a hierarchy of storage devices that may be ranked in terms of cost per megabyte of storage, speed of storage and retrieval, and overall capacity limits. Files are migrated along the hierarchy to less expensive forms of storage based on rules tied to the frequency of data access.
In HSM systems, data access response time and storage costs typically determine the appropriate combination of storage devices used. A typical three tier HSM architecture may include hard drives as primary storage, rewritable optical as secondary storage, and tape as tertiary storage. Alternatively, hard drives may be used for secondary storage, and WORM (Write Once, Read Many) optical may be used as tertiary storage.
Rather than making copies of files as in a backup system, HSM migrates files to other forms of storage, freeing hard disk space. Events such as crossing a storage threshold and/or reaching a certain file "age" may activate the migration process. As files are migrated off primary storage, HSM leaves stubs to the files on the hard drive(s). These stubs point to the location of the file on the alternative storage, and are used in automatic file retrieval and user access. The stub remains within the file system of the primary storage, but the file itself is migrated "offline" out of the file system onto the alternative storage (e.g. tape).
In HSM, when a file that has been migrated to a lower rank of storage, such as tape, is accessed by an application, the stub may be used to retrieve and restore the file from the lower rank of storage. The file appears to be accessed by the application from its initial storage location, and demigration of the file back into the file system is performed automatically by the HSM system using the stub. While on the surface this demigration may appear transparent to the user, in practice the process of accessing and restoring the file from offline storage (e.g. tape) may introduce a noticeable time delay (seconds, minutes, or even hours) to the user when compared to accessing files stored on primary storage. Thus, accessing offloaded data in an HSM system is typically non-transparent to the application or user because of the difference in access time. In addition, since HSM introduces a substantial time lag to access offloaded data, HSM systems typically only offload low access (essentially, no access) data.
A file system may be defined as a collection of files and file system metadata (e.g., directories and inodes) that, when set into a logical hierarchy, make up an organized, structured set of information. File systems may be mounted from a local system or remote system. File system software may include the system or application-level software that may be used to create, manage, and access file systems.
File system metadata may be defined as information that file system software maintains on files stored in the file system. File system metadata may include, but is not limited to, definitions and descriptions of the data it references. File system metadata may include one or more of, but is not limited to, inodes, directories, mapping information in the form of indirect blocks, superblocks, etc. Generally, file system metadata for a file includes path information for the file as seen from the application side and corresponding file system location information (e.g. device:block number(s)). File system metadata may itself be stored on a logical or physical device within a file system.
File systems may use data structures such as inodes to store file system metadata. An inode may be defined as a data structure holding information about files in a file system (e.g. a Unix file system). There is an inode for each file, and a file is uniquely identified by the file system on which it resides and its inode number on that system. An inode may include at least some of, but is not limited to, the following information: the device where the inode resides, locking information, mode and type of file, the number of links to the file, the owner's user and group IDs, the number of bytes in the file, access and modification times, the time the inode itself was last modified and the addresses of the file's blocks on disk (and/or pointers to indirect blocks that reference the file blocks).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention provides methods for detecting and identifying sequence variations in a nucleic acid sequence of interest using a detector primer. It has been found that the reduced efficiency of primer extension by DNA polymerases when the 3′ end of a primer does not hybridize perfectly with the target can be adapted for use as a means for distinguishing or identifying the nucleotide in the target which is at the site where the diagnostic mismatch between the detector primer and the target occurs. The detector primer hybridizes to the sequence of interest and is extended with polymerase. The efficiency of detector primer extension is detected as an indication of the presence and/or identity of the sequence variation in the target. The inventive methods make use of nucleotide mismatches at or near the 3′ end of the detector primer to discriminate between the nucleotide sequence of interest and a second nucleotide sequence which may occur at that same site in the target. The methods are particularly well suited for detecting and identifying single nucleotide differences between a target sequence of interest (e.g., a mutant allele of a gene) and a second nucleic acid sequence (e.g., a wild type allele for the same gene).

Detecting and identifying variations in DNA sequences among individuals and species has provided insights into evolutionary relationships, inherited disorders, acquired disorders and other aspects of molecular genetics. Analysis of sequence variation has routinely been performed by analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) which relies on a change in restriction fragment length as a result of a change in sequence. RFLP analysis requires size-separation of restriction fragments on a gel and Southern blotting with an appropriate probe. This technique is slow and labor intensive and cannot be used if the sequence change does not result in a new or eliminated restriction site.
More recently, PCR has been used to facilitate sequence analysis of DNA. For example, allele-specific oligonucleotides have been used to probe dot blots of PCR products for disease diagnosis. If a point mutation creates or eliminates a restriction site, cleavage of PCR products may be used for genetic diagnosis (e.g., sickle cell anemia). General PCR techniques for analysis of sequence variations have also been reported. S. Kwok, et al. (1990. Nucl. Acids Res. 18:999-1005) evaluated the effect on PCR of various primer-template mismatches for the purpose of designing primers for amplification of HIV which would be tolerant of sequence variations. The authors also recognized that their studies could facilitate development of primers for allele-specific amplification. Kwok, et al. report that a 3′ terminal mismatch on the PCR primer produced variable results. In contrast, with the exception of a 3′ T mismatch, a 3′ terminal mismatch accompanied by a second mismatch within the last four nucleotides of the primer generally produced a dramatic reduction in amplification product. The authors report that a single mismatch one nucleotide from the 3′ terminus (N-1), two nucleotides from the 3′ terminus (N-2) or three nucleotides from the 3′ terminus (N-3) had no effect on the efficiency of amplification by PCR. C. R. Newton, et al. (1989. Nucl. Acids Res. 17:2503-2516) report an improvement in PCR for analysis of any known mutation in genomic DNA. The system is referred to as Amplification Refractory Mutation System or ARMS and employs an allele-specific PCR primer. The 3′ terminal nucleotide of the PCR amplification primer is allele specific and therefore will not function as an amplification primer in PCR if it is mismatched to the target. The authors also report that in some cases additional mismatches near the 3′ terminus of the amplification primer improve allele discrimination.

Methods for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms


Free flowing, conformable powder-like mix of silica particles and a phase change material (PCM) is provided. The silica particles have a critical size of about 0.005 to about 0.025 microns and the PCM must be added to the silica in an amount of 75% or less PCM per combined weight of silica and PCM. The powder-like mix can be used in tableware items, medical wraps, tree wraps, garments, quilts and blankets, and in cementitious compositions of the type in which it is beneficial to use a PCM material. The silica-PCM mix can also be admixed with soil to provide a soil warming effect and placed about a tree, flower, or shrub.

The present invention relates to a dry, freely flowing powder mix comprising a phase change material.
Phase change materials may be repeatedly converted between solid and liquid phases and utilize their latent heat of fusion to absorb, store and release heat or cool during such phase conversions.
These latent heats of fusion are greater than the sensible heat capacities of the materials. For example, in phase change materials, the amount of energy absorbed upon melting or released upon freezing is much greater than the amount of energy absorbed or released upon increasing or decreasing the temperature of the material over an increment of 10.degree. C.
Upon melting and freezing, per unit weight, a phase change material (PCM) absorbs and releases substantially more energy than a sensible heat storage material that is heated or cooled over the same temperature range. In contrast to a sensible heat storage material that absorbs and releases energy essentially uniformly over a broad temperature range, a phase change material absorbs and releases a large quantity of energy in the vicinity of its melting/freezing point.
Phase change materials capable of storing and releasing thermal energy have found many applications in building structures, road base materials, beverage and food containers, medical wraps, and textile applications such as garments. One of the basic problems, however, in the use of solid-to-liquid PCM's for control of temperature, is containment. That is, for heat transfer efficiency as well as safety purposes, it is undesirable to have a thick block or agglomeration of solid phase PCM below the PCM melting point. Similarly, when above the melting point, PCM in liquid phase can be problematic. For instance, building panels containing liquid phase PCM have proven deficient. In one such PCM-containing panel, carpenters reported that a liquid phase PCM leaked out of the panel when nails were driven through it.
In those situations in which medical hot or cold packs containing PCMs are used, a solid phase agglomerate of PCM below its melting point renders the structure unwieldy and incapable of conforming about the required body part to achieve the desired heating or cooling function.
Accordingly applicant has developed a series of PCM containment systems. These are represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,617,332, 4,711,813, 4,797,160, 4,908,166, and 5,053,446, all assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. However, none of the containment means disclosed in those patents involve silica. Still, the broad idea of using silica as a suspension medium for PCMs in building blocks is not new. For instance, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,401 (Charoudi et al) wherein this concept is disclosed at column 21, line 60 et seq. Also, Johnson et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,023 discloses incorporating fumed silicon dioxide with inorganic phase-change salts which are capable of forming salt hydrates in the presence of water and Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,189 discloses a phase change energy storage system based on a combination of two inorganic salts together with nucleating and thickening agents including silicas. Finally, Allen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,170 describes a powdered product prepared by the vapor phase hydrolysis of a silicon compound reacted with liquid water. However, the dry water in Allen is not used as a phase change material for the storing and releasing of thermal energy.
Besides, the prior art does not suggest utilization of the combination of the preferred silica having the recited particle size and the PCM/silica weight ratios herein required in order to result in a dry, conformable, powder-like, PCM containing composition that may be useful in widespread environments.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a conformable, powder-like PCM-matrix composite that will not liquefy upon heating of the PCM above its melting point and will not form a rigid solid at temperatures below the melting point. In other words, it is desirable to find a new method of containment for the PCM wherein, when above or below its melting point, the PCM-matrix structure will be in the form of a soft, conformable configuration like a sand pack.

Dry powder mixes comprising phase change materials


A portable, multi-purpose exercise system that includes dumbbell bars configured for interconnection to form a barbell and a plurality of hollow, rigid discs configured for attachment to the dumbbell bars. The discs are fillable with water to provide a consistent and accurate amount of weight. The discs and dumbbell bars are stored within a portable transport and storage case that may be used as a bench for weightlifting exercises and a bench step for aerobic exercise. A headrest is included that is attachable to the storage case and extension blocks are provided for adjusting the height of the storage case when used for exercise. The extension blocks also provide extra storage space for other items, along with a separate storage compartment that is configured for storing the headrest when not in use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable, multi-purpose exercise system, and more particularly, to a portable exercise system that can be used for weightlifting and aerobic workouts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise is known to be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, in today's busy society many people have a difficult time finding the time to exercise. The problem is compounded when one frequently travels.
One form of exercise that is popular is weightlifting. Another form that is also popular includes aerobic exercises. Both forms are regarded as important compliments to each other for a healthy lifestyle. Health clubs, gyms and other types of businesses that cater to overall health and fitness generally provide "free weights" for weightlifting, various weight machines, and various forms of equipment for aerobic exercises. These types of businesses, however, generally require membership fees. Accordingly, when one is traveling, one may not be able to exercise unless the business of which they are a member has a branch or chapter located in the town in which the person is traveling. Therefore, it would be convenient to be able to exercise in one's hotel room or wherever one happens to be staying. Unfortunately, it is not practical or even possible to carry sets of weights when one is traveling.
Attempts have been made to provide fluid-filled weights for dumbbells. One such item is an expandable/collapsible dumbbell weight. The dumbbell weights may be filled with water to provide the weight for weightlifting. Unfortunately, this requires the user to fill and drain the weights to achieve the desired weight during workouts. This can be extremely inconvenient and requires a lot of "guesswork" on the part of the user. Additionally, these dumbbell weights are susceptible to holes and other forms of leaks.
Another item is a fixed-weight fluid fillable dumbbell weight wherein the sides and dumbbell bar are hollow and filled with fluid in order to reach a predetermined weight. An additional dumbbell weight or reservoir may be attached to either side for additional weight. This weight system's capacity is very inflexible and the system's usefulness is limited to dumbbell exercises only.
Both of these weight systems are awkward, inconvenient and, in most cases, inadequate for proper weightlifting exercises. Additionally, these systems do not provide for any form of aerobic activity.


A support assembly for an open coil heating element including a planar mounting plate having longitudinally spaced and offset cutouts therethrough with a separate insulator positioned within each cutout by sequentially introducing the insulator through the cutout and longitudinally shifting the insulator within the cutout to overlie the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting plate. The two insulators are locked within their mounted positions within the cutouts by a locking frame affixed to the mounting plate and abutting against the insulators to preclude movement of the insulators from their mounted positions.

Electric coil heating elements for use in different types of appliances for the selective heating of air are well known.
The support assemblies for such coils, while taking many forms, normally include a metallic base member with electrical insulating means for supporting the coil and accommodating the opposed end terminals of the coil.
One known assembly, utilized in the dryer of dishwashers and mounted within the plenum chamber with a motorized fan, comprises a flat metal mounting plate with a pair of spaced rectangular apertures therethrough. A two part insulator is mounted at each aperture and includes separate upper and lower parts which seat respectively on the upper and lower faces of the plate. The two parts are joined together through the aperture and retained in clamped engagement with the plate by an elongate terminal screw. The coil itself is supported in spaced overlying relation to the plate by a ceramic support comb which in turn mounts to an upstanding frame. The opposed ends of the coil align with the two insulators and extend therethrough for connection to an appropriate source of electrical energy.


A removable sealing plug device for protecting the interior of a refrigerant compressor from dust, dirt, and corrosion during storage and/or transport of the compressor before it is assembled into a refrigerating system, including a plug element made of a rubber material and having a body portion adapted to being sealingly fitted in an inlet and/or outlet port of the compressor and a columnar head portion formed in an upper face of the body portion, and a base plate element having a through-bore in which the columnar head of the plug element is fitted with an interference fit, the base plate being secured to the outer circumference of the compressor, by using an existing threaded hole and a screw bolt, to hold the plug element between the base plate element and the outer circumference of the compressor. The plug element of the sealing plug device is provided with a handle portion extending laterally from the body portion thereof to permit the sealing plug device to be easily removed from the inlet port and/or outlet port of the compressor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing plug device for a refrigerant compressor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sealing plug device for tightly closing each of inlet and outlet ports of a refrigerant compressor so as to isolate the interior of the compressor from the atmosphere during either the storage of the compressors in a warehouse or the transporting of the compressors from e.g., the warehouse or the manufacturing factory to an automobile assembling site where the compressors are assembled in automobile refrigerating systems, for the purpose of protecting the interior of the compressor against corrosion, dirt and dust.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, refrigerant compressors are manufactured and assembled, as an important component of an automobile refrigerating system, in a compressor manufacturing factory. During the final stage of the assembly of respective compressors, each compressor is filled with lubricating oil used for lubricating the interior of the compressor during the operation of the compressor, and also preventing the interior of the compressor from being corroded. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an inlet port 40a of the refrigerant compressor is formed in an outer portion of the compressor, i.e., a pipe connecting portion 40 to which suction and delivery pipes of a refrigerating system are connected.
Therefore, after the filling of the lubricating oil into the interior of the compressor, the inlet port 40a of the compressor is covered with a cap member 50 made of a rubber to seal and isolate the interior of the compressor from the atmosphere. An outlet port (not shown in FIG. 8) of the compressor is also covered by a similar cap member or a plug member. Then, the compressors are transported from the manufacturing and assembling factory to an automobile manufacturing and assembling factory where each of the compressors is assembled in an automobile refrigerating system. Namely, during the assembly of the automobile refrigerating system, the compressor is connected to a condenser and an evaporator of the refrigerating system via the suction and delivery pipes, and pipe joints. Therefore, before assembling the compressor into the refrigerating system, the cap members 50 covering the inlet port and/or the outlet port must be removed so that the suction pipe can be connected to the inlet port 40a via the pipe connector. Similarly, the delivery pipe is connected to the outlet port of the compressor via the pipe connector after the removal of the cap from the outlet port.
FIG. 9 illustrates a different cap member for closing and sealing inlet and outlet ports of a refrigerant compressor according to the prior art. The cap member 60 used for closing the suction port 40a of the pipe connecting portion 40 of the compressor is made of synthetic resin material and has a body portion 60a, an arm portion 60b laterally extending from the body portion 60a, and a hand portion 60c vertically extending from the end of the arm portion 60b. The arm portion 60b of the cap member 60 is secured to an upper portion of the connection portion 40 of the compressor by using a screw bolt 61 threadedly engaged in a threaded hole which is formed in the pipe connecting portion 40 to be inherently used for attaching a pipe joint for connecting a suction pipe to the suction port 40a when the compressor is assembled in an automobile refrigerating system. The body portion 60a of the cap member 60 is provided with a seal ring 62 fitted in an annular groove formed in the outer circumference of the body portion 60, and seals the suction port 40a of the compressor.
The afore-described cap member 50 of the prior art is securely attached to the suction port 40a of the connecting portion 40 by using only the elasticity of the cap member 50 itself, and therefore, during the transportation of the compressor, the cap member 50 might be loosened due to vibration and shocks, and eventually might come out of the suction port 40a. Further, there often occurs that the compressors must be stocked in a warehouse before they are assembled in automobile refrigerating systems for a rather long time. Thus, when the compressors are stocked, they are filled with gas to protect the interior of each compressor from dust and dirt, and corrosion. The gas used for this purpose is either helium gas or nitrogen gas which is filled into the interior of the compressors after the respective compressors are evacuated so that the pressure of the gas is higher than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the high pressure of the gas may cause the loosening of the cap member 50, and allows the cap member 50 to come out of the suction port 40a.
The latter cap member 60 is tightly secured to the connecting portion 40 of the compressor by the screw bolt 61, and accordingly, the cap member 60 can be surely prevented from coming out of the suction port 40a of the compressor. Nevertheless, since the cap member 60 is made of synthetic resin material having a sufficient rigidity, the needle of a syringe used for evacuating the interior of the compressor and filling the gas in the compressor cannot be easily inserted into the interior of the compressor by piercing through the cap member 60.

Sealing plug device for a refrigerant compressor

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A radio communication system includes a network and a user terminal, wherein the network includes a plurality of radio stations and a controller which controls the plurality of radio stations, wherein at least two of the plurality of radio stations communicate with the user terminal, wherein the controller notifies the user terminal of information about resource for interference measurement, wherein the user terminal calculates and reports channel quality information based on the information.

The present invention relates generally to a radio communication system and, more specifically, to techniques of controlling the feedback operation of a user terminal in coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission/reception schemes.
Coordinated multi-point transmission/reception is considered in LTE (Long Term Evolution)-Advanced Release 11(Rel. 11) as a tool to improve the coverage of high data rates, the cell-edge throughput, and also to increase system throughput as described in the Sect. 4 of 3GPP TR 36.819 v11.0.0, Coordinated multi-point operation for LTE physical layer aspects (Release 11) (hereinafter referred to as "NPL 1"). The CoMP schemes, joint transmission (JT), dynamic point selection (DPS), and coordinated scheduling/coordinated beamforming (CS/CB) have been agreed to be supported as described in the Sect. 5.1.3 of NPL1. In case of JT and DPS, data for a user equipment (UE) is available at more than one point in the CoMP cooperating set, which is defined in the Sect. 5.1.4 of NPL1 as a set of (geographically separated) points directly and/or indirectly participating in data transmission to a UE in time-frequency resource. In case of CS/CB, data for a UE is only available at and transmitted from the one point (serving point) but user scheduling/beamforming decisions are made with coordinated among points corresponding to the CoMP cooperating set. It should be noted that the term "point" for coordinated multi-point transmission/reception can be used as a radio station, a transmission/reception unit, remote radio equipment (RRE) or distributed antenna of a base station, Node-B or eNB. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, a point, a radio station, a transmission/reception unit and a cell may be used synonymously.
For JT, multiple transmission points (TPs) are selected for simultaneous data transmission and the interference comes from the points other than the selected TPs. For DPS, only one TP is dynamically selected and the interference comes from the points other than the only selected TP. While, for CB/CS, the serving point is the only TP to transmit data but the strong interference from the neighbor cell is reduced significantly. Therefore, the employment of different CoMP schemes results in variable types of interferences.
It has been decided to standardize a common feedback framework that can support CoMP JT, DPS and CB/CS, as stated in the Sect. 5.2.2 of NPL1. For channel-dependent scheduling to support all the above CoMP schemes, CoMP measurement set is defined in the Sect. 5.1.4 of NPL1 as a set of points about which channel state/statistical information (CSI) related to their link to the UE is measured and/or reported, where the channel quality information (CQI) considering the interference power with muting on different cells in the CoMP measurement set needs to be estimated at UE side and fed back by the UE to the network.
In Rel. 8/9, cell-specific reference signal (CRS) is used for CSI measurement. The interference measurements are left completely unspecified with UE behavior. In Rel. 10, non-zero-power CSI-RS and zero-power CSI-RS have been introduced for CSI measurement of single cell downlink transmission as described in the Sect. 184.108.40.206 of 3GPP TS 36.211 v10.3.0, Physical Channels and Modulation of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) (Release 10) (hereinafter, referred to as "NPL2"). In Rel. 11 CoMP work item (WI), it has been proposed to use multiple non-zero-power CSI-RS over orthogonal resources to measure signals from multiple points in the CoMP measurement set.
Also it has been proposed to specify the interference measurement resources, such as zero-power CSI-RS in R1-114260, Ericsson, ST-Ericsson (hereinafter, referred to as "NPL3") or PDSCH muting resource elements (REs) in R1-114228, Samsung (hereinafter, referred to as "NPL4"), to measure part of the intra- and inter-CoMP cluster interferences by configuring variable muting patterns for the points in the CoMP measurement set.
According to the Sect. 6.3.2 of 3GPP TS 36.331 v10.3.0, Radio resource control (RRC) and Protocol specification of Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) (Release 10) (hereinafter, referred to as "NPL5"), the serving point semi-statically informs the UE of only the resource location, i.e., the resource element (RE) index and subframe index, of non-zero-power CSI-RS and zero-power CSI-RS as the information element of CSI-RS-Config by radio resource control (RRC) signaling. For multi-point signal power measurement by using multiple non-zero-power CSI-RSs, the additional information, such as the cell identity (ID) of each cell in the CoMP measurement set, may also be needed for UE detection, when non-zero-power CSI-RSs are generated by using cell-specific scrambling sequences as stated in R1-114318, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nokia (hereinafter, referred to as "NPL6"), where the physical cell ID is used to generate the initialization value of the cell-specific scrambling sequence, as defined in the Sect.6.8.2 of NPL2.
In order to explain problems to be solved by the present invention, a simple example for a system with the employment of CoMP is given in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, it is assumed that a UE is served by Cell1 and a CoMP measurement set is composed of the serving cell (Cell1) and cooperating cells (Cell2 and Cell3). The Cell1, Cell2 and Cell3 are managed by a central control unit (CCU) through backhaul links BL1, BL2 and BL3, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 2A, the CCU configures orthogonal non-zero-power CSI reference signals CSI-RS1, CSI-RS2 and CSI-RS3 for Cell1, Cell2 and Cell3, respectively. Moreover, the zero-power CSI-reference signals ZP-CSI-RSa, ZP-CSI-RSb, ZP-CSI-RSc and ZP-CSI-RSd are also configured to measure the interference with muting on different cells, where the muting patterns on different zero-power CSI-RS resources are indicated by Ma, Mb, Mc and Md, respectively. In the muting pattern Ma, the signal power of Cell1 and Cell2 are muted; in the muting pattern Mb, the signal power of Cell1 and Cell3 are muted; and in the muting pattern Mc, the signal power of Cell2 and Cell3 are muted; in case of Md, the signal power of Cell1˜3 is muted. When the signal power of a Cell is muted, the interference from that Cell can be eliminated from consideration about interference at UE. Accordingly, in the muting pattern Md, the interferences within the CoMP measurement set are all excluded.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the UE is informed of configuration information of CSI-RS1, CSI-RS2 and CSI-RS3 including their resource positions defined by RE index and subfame index as well as the corresponding cell ID. Based on the configuration information, the UE can measure the signal power per cell: S1, S2 and S3. Furthermore, with the knowledge of the resource positions of zero-power (ZP)-CSI-RSa, ZP-CSI-RSb, ZP-CSI-RSc and ZP-CSI-RSd, the UE can calculate the interference power Ia, Ib, Ic, Id according to the muting patterns Ma, Mb, Mc and Md by measuring and averaging the received power at the informed positions of ZP-CSI-RSs as follows:                Muting pattern Ma: Ia=average(0+0+S3+N)        Muting pattern Mb: Ib=average(0+S2+0+N)        Muting pattern Mc: Ic=average(S1+0+0+N)        Muting pattern Md: Id=average(0+0+0+N)where N represents the interferences from outside the CoMP measurement set plus the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN).
Thereafter, the per-CSI-RS-resource CQI considering muted interferences for CoMP can be calculated at the UE as shown in FIG. 2(C).
Since the network informs the UE of only the RE positions of CSI-RSs, the UE cannot know which cell's signal is counted for CQI calculation and therefore uses all interferences to calculate CQI as shown in FIG. 2C. For example, the signal power S1 for Cell1 measured at the UE is not muted in the muting pattern Mc and therefore the calculation Ic=aver(S1+N) does not reflect actual interference at the resource of CSI-RS1.
However, since the UE is informed of only the RE positions of CSI-RSs, the calculation Ic=average(S1+N) is assumed to be counted, resulting in a wrong CQI, such as S1/Ic. Similar case would happen if S2/Ib=S2/average(S2+N) and S3/Ia=S3/average(S3+N) are measured and reported as shown in FIG. 2(C). The calculation and feedback of a wrong CQI may result in useless power consumption and unnecessary feedback overhead.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and system which allow efficient measurement and feedback of CQI for CoMP scheduling.


A method for stopping an engine within a desired crankshaft angular range is disclosed. In one example, the method may take no control actions if it is determined that the engine will stop within the desired crankshaft angular range. However, if it is determined that the engine may stop outside of the desired crankshaft angular range, expansion combustion may be initiated in a cylinder so that the engine stops in a desired crankshaft angular range.

An internal combustion engine may be stopped from rotating via ceasing to deliver fuel to engine cylinders. Once fuel delivery is stopped, the engine may combust fuel and air mixtures that are within the engine. The engine may continue to rotate briefly after remaining air-fuel mixtures within the cylinders have been combusted. The engine speed may decline as torque from combusting air-fuel mixtures within the engine ceases to be generated. The crankshaft angle at which the engine is stopped may be a function of many variables including but not limited to engine speed at time of engine stop request, engine temperature, valve timing, and throttle opening amount. The engine may have a natural tendency to stop at two positions:                1) at a crankshaft angle near where the volume of one cylinder that is on a compression stroke is nearly equal to the volume of one cylinder that is on an expansion stroke, or        2) when one cylinder is at top dead center.There are certain engine stopping position that are more favorable to engine starting; these positions vary with the details of the engine (number of cylinders, valve timing, . . . ). The required cranking torque from a starter motor or clutch will be lower when the engine stops at specific crankshaft angles. Injecting fuel and igniting in a cylinder on the expansion stroke (e.g., 'Expansion Combustion') varies in reliability and the ability to provide meaningful cranking work when the engine is stopped with some cylinder in a range of positions on its exhaust stroke. However, from time to time, the engine may also stop at a crankshaft angle where it may be more difficult to crank the engine or provide useful work from Expansion Combustion. Especially for 4 and 6 cylinder engines, the first stopping position is greatly preferred and the second stopping position is to be avoided. If the engine were to consistently stop at the crankshaft angle where it is easier to crank, then the starter motor's torque capacity may be reduced while ability to crank the engine is preserved. As a result, engine system cost may be reduced while engine cranking functionality may be preserved.
The inventors herein have recognized the above-mentioned tendency of the engine to sometimes stop at undesirable positions and have developed a method for operating an engine, comprising: injecting a fuel to a cylinder that is on an expansion stroke, the fuel injected in response to an engine stop request, engine speed being greater than a first threshold speed and less than a second threshold speed, and fuel injection to the engine being ceased.
By injecting fuel to a cylinder that is on an expansion stroke and that is a latest or most recent cylinder entering its expansion stroke, it may be possible to provide the technical result of reducing engine cranking torque so that an engine may be reliably started with a starter motor having a lower torque capacity. In particular, the engine may be rotated to a crankshaft angle where it may be easier to crank. Further, the engine may be restarted via expansion combustion in a cylinder that is adjacent to the cylinder that received fuel in its expansion stroke just before the engine stopped rotating to reduce engine cranking time.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach may allow a smaller starter motor to start an engine. In addition, the approach may make engine starting more reliable or more consistent.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and system for stopping an internal combustion engine


Aspects of the disclosure relate to enhanced tracking of processed events. A computing platform may receive event processing identifiers corresponding to a particular event. Using the event processing identifiers, the computing platform may generate event linkage information corresponding to the particular event, and may store the event processing identifiers along with the event linkage information. The computing platform may receive a request to access event lifecycle information corresponding to the particular event. Using the event linkage information, the computing platform may identify a plurality of event processing systems performed actions associated with the particular event. The computing platform may request and receive, from each of the plurality of event processing systems, system-specific event lifecycle information corresponding to the particular event. The computing platform may send an event lifecycle interface and one or more commands directing an administrator computing device to display the event lifecycle interface.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to management and review of event processing. In particular, one or more aspects of the disclosure relate to computing platforms that provide enhanced tracking throughout an event processing lifecycle.
In some cases, enterprise organizations may use different systems to manage each stage of an event processing lifecycle. For example, each of the different systems may be responsible for performing a unique task or set of tasks that, once completed by each system, may result in processing of a particular event. In some instances, however, information and/or identifiers provided by these different systems might not be linked together. Accordingly, enterprise organizations and/or other individuals may experience difficulties trying to access event lifecycle information, across the different systems, corresponding to a previously processed event.

Information linkage platform for enhanced tracking of processed events


A transmission system is accessible to association information that associates, for each one of one or more sessions, terminal identification information for identifying each one of a plurality of transmission terminals that are currently participating in the session, with reservation identification information for identifying reservation of communication on which the session is based. The transmission system obtains reservation identification information associated with the counterpart transmission terminal using the association information and counterpart terminal identification information. The transmission system determines whether reservation identification information associated with the request transmission terminal matches the reservation identification information associated with the counterpart transmission terminal to generate a determination result. Based on the determination result, a request for starting communication with the counterpart transmission terminal is accepted or rejected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus, system, and method of managing transmission or reception of data between or among a plurality of transmission terminals, and a transmission management program stored in a non-transitory recording medium.
2. Background
With the need for reducing costs or times associated with business trips, more companies are moving towards data transmission systems provided with teleconference or videoconference ("conference") capabilities. The transmission systems allow transmission of contents data such as image data and/or sound data among a plurality of transmission terminals that are remotely located from one another to facilitate communication among the plurality of transmission terminals through a communication network such as the Internet.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-109922-A (Registration No. 4292544) describes a videoconference management system in which a management server manages when to start or when to end a conference based on scheduled information.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-199845-A describes a transmission system, in which a management system starts communication between a request terminal and a counterpart terminal based on a request for starting communication with the counterpart terminal that is received from the request terminal.

Apparatus, system, and method of managing data transmission, and recording medium storing transmission management program


A broadcast receiver and method of providing a preferred channel thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving a program of the preferred channel (52) set by a user among a plurality of broadcast channels, transforming an image of the received program of the preferred channel into a reduced image (54) and storing the reduced image per the preferred channel. Accordingly, when a turn-on mode of the broadcast receiver is switched to a turn-off mode (56) of the broadcast receiver, when a turn-off mode (56) of the broadcast receiver is switched to a turn-on mode of the broadcast receiver, or when a display of a preferred channel is requested in a turned-on mode, a per preferred channel reduced image is displayed as OSD (60) on a currently viewed image. So, a user is facilitated to recognize and select a program received on the preferred channel without blocking the currently viewed image.

Generally, the rapid developments of digital broadcasting enable a broadcast of high image and audio qualities to be viewed via satellite, terrestrial, or cable. Compared to analog broadcasting provided by the general analog television, digital broadcasting is capable of providing various additional services as well as high video and audio qualities. Moreover, owing to the expansions of the audio/video compression technique and the transmission/compression technique, digital broadcasting has broadcast channels more than that of analog broadcasting.
Meanwhile, it takes a considerable time for a user to search a number of channels for a specific one. To reduce the search time, a method of providing a preferred channel according to a related art is schematically explained with reference to FIG. 1 as follows.
First of all, a user registers to store a specific channel preferred by the user. A preferred channel list 30, which has been set by the user in a manner of manipulating a preferred channel key of a user interface unit (not shown in the drawing), is provided to a screen 20 of a TV 10, as shown in FIG. 1, while the user is watching the TV 10. So, the user is facilitated to select a preferred channel via the preferred channel list 30.
However, the related art preferred channel providing method provides the preferred channel list containing preferred channel numbers only to user. So, since the user is unable to know what kind of program is currently provided on a corresponding channel, it is troublesome for the user to switch a current channel to the corresponding channel.

Broadcast receiver and method of providing preferred channel thereof