The present invention provides a facsimile machine having a larger cover plate capable of serving as a manuscript holder as well as a recording paper tray. A facsimile machine comprises a main body including an operation panel provided at its front end, a manuscript inlet opening provided at its substantially the center, and a recording paper outlet opening provided behind the manuscript inlet opening. A tray serving as a manuscript holder as well as a recording paper tray is hingedly supported at a rear end of the main body so as to be opened or closed between an opened position where the tray extends rearward and obliquely upward and a closed position where the tray covers the upper surface of the main body. And, the tray has a longer length enough to reach the front edge of the main body when it is closed, and is formed with a cutout at its front end so as to expose the operation panel even when the tray is closed. Furthermore, the operation panel includes a plurality of buttons obliquely arrayed with respect to the front edge of the main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information communication apparatus such as a facsimile machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
First of all, in a conventional art, there has been known an information communication apparatus such as a facsimile machine, as shown in FIG. 7, which comprises a manuscript inlet opening 2 provided at central portion of an upper surface of the apparatus main body 1, a recording paper outlet opening 3 provided behind the manuscript inlet hole 2, and a recording paper tray 4 disposed behind the recording paper outlet opening 3 so as to serve as a manuscript holder as well as a recording paper holder. This recording paper tray 4 is an insertion type that is detachably installed on the apparatus main body 1 as occasion demands. Moreover, a reference numeral 5 denotes a manuscript outlet.
However, such a conventional apparatus is not preferable in view of space utility, because the recording paper tray 4 undesirably protrudes rearward and upward from the apparatus main body 1. That is, a space required for installing such a conventional information communication apparatus becomes fairly larger than the occupying space of the apparatus main body 1 itself, because of this reawardly and upwardly extending paper tray 4.
Furthermore, according to the conventional constitution,, the system in the apparatus main body 1 tends to be contaminated by dusts or small particles in the air, since the manuscript inlet opening 2 is always opened to the air. In the worst case, such a contamination may induce function errors in ordinary communication operations of the information communication apparatus.
In order to solve above problem, the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 64-10773 proposes to newly provide a cover plate hingedly supported on the upper portion of the communication apparatus. That is, with this proposed arrangement, the manuscript inlet opening is concealed together with an operation panel located in the periphery of the manuscript inlet opening by closing the cover plate. To the contrary, this cover plate can be used as a manuscript holder by locating it at its opened position.
However, the above proposed apparatus disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application No. SHO 64-10773 is not convenient yet in the following point.
In the proposed apparatus, the cover plate is provided in front of the recording paper outlet opening. Such a structure can merely let the cover plate serve as a manuscript holder, not as a recording paper tray. Furthermore, the cover plate is designed to cover a relatively small area on the upper surface of the apparatus. Therefore, when the cover plate is raised up so as to be used as a manuscript holder, the length of the cover plate is not sufficiently long enough to hold the manuscripts stably. Moreover, other inconvenience is that the cover plate must be opened every time when the operation panel is manipulated for ordinary communication purposes such as a normal telephone call.
Secondly, in the conventional art, there are many information communication apparatus including dialing buttons of push button type. Usually, these dialing buttons consists of twelve push buttons arrayed into four lines each including three buttons; i.e. in a form of a matrix of three rows and four lines. And further, a layout of these dialing buttons is usually designed in such a manner that these rows and lines are disposed in parallel with or normal to the front edge of the apparatus main body.
However, it is found by the inventor of the present application that such a conventional button layout is not so easy to operate, when an operator stands to directly oppose to these dialing buttons.

Matsushita Graphic Communication Systems, Inc.


An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device to fix an image on a recording medium by heating the recording medium, multiple heat storing devices to store heat generated at the fixing device, an electric generating element to generate power by converting the heat into power, and a switch to switch connection and disconnection between the electric generating element and at least one of the multiple heat storing devices.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a non-transitory recording medium.
Description of the Related Art
There is a group of technologies to generate power in an image forming apparatus using extra heat generated in the fixing device therein to fix a toner image, etc. on a recording medium, typically paper.

Apparatus, method, and non-transitory recording medium for power generation using heat in image forming apparatus


A method of acquiring geometry of a specular object is provided. Based on a single-view depth image, the method may include receiving an input of a depth image, estimating a missing depth value based on connectivity with a neighboring value in a local area of the depth image, and correcting the missing depth value. Based on a composite image, the method may include receiving an input of a composite image, calibrating the composite image, detecting an error area in the calibrated composite image, and correcting a missing depth value of the error area.

1. Field
One or more example embodiments of the following disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for acquiring geometry of a specular object based on a depth sensor for various applications, for example, three-dimensional (3D) imaging, creation of contents for 3D displays, creation of 3D broadcast contents, animation effects, 3D games, and virtual or augmented reality.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development of various sensors has led to three-dimensional (3D) imaging technologies playing a vital role in the 3D imaging industry. With the recent introduction of new depth sensing methods and architectures, 3D imaging technologies are being used in various applications based on depth sensor developments.
As a result of these current trends, a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor and a structured light 3D sensor are garnering attention in the market. These sensors have different characteristics and different advantages and disadvantages, and thus are used selectively depending on an application to be used.

Method and apparatus for acquiring geometry of specular object based on depth sensor


A malfunction management unit (MMU) includes advanced diagnostic and set-up capabilities accessed through a display-based user interface. In general, the MMU is capable of displaying (1) monitor status information, wherein the monitor status information includes information relating to the status of at least a portion of the input signals; and (2) diagnostic information, wherein the diagnostic information includes an indication of fault type, and indication of faulty signals, and troubleshooting information associated with said fault type and relevant faulty signals. The diagnostic information includes a textual interpretation of the results of a field check analysis.

A signal monitor is a device used in traffic control assemblies to detect and respond to conflicting or otherwise improper signals. Such improper signals may arise, for example, due to field signal conflicts, a malfunctioning controller, faulty load switches, cabinet mis-wiring, improper supply voltages, and the like.
Given the complexity of modern traffic control equipment, it is often difficult for field operators to diagnose and repair cabinet malfunctions. More particularly, while conventional signal monitor units typically display information related to the fault condition itself (i.e., conflicting traffic signals, etc.), the information presented to the operator is not in a form that allows rapid diagnosis. For example, known systems typically present so much information to the operator that it is difficult to pinpoint the particular cause of failure. Furthermore, known systems do not include effective troubleshooting aids that can assist the operator in diagnosing and resolving the underlying malfunction.

Methods and apparatus for an improved signal monitor


A system is provided for storing data includes storing original data in logical blocks in a first plurality of locations in a data storage system with one and only one logical block of mirrored data early mirrored in the first plurality of locations and storing mirrored data in logical blocks in a second plurality of locations in the data storage system.

In every industry, computers are coming into everyday use. These computers are used to write and read data to large storage devices to store and recall the tremendous volumes of information that are increasingly required by small and large businesses.
Storage devices in all computer systems are susceptible to failures. This is especially true in disc drives where failures can be caused by temperature variations, head crashes, motor failure, controller failure, and changing voltage conditions. Modern computer systems for critical systems, such as airport controllers, require a fault-tolerant data storage system, for protecting data against disk drive failure.
One approach to meeting this need is to provide a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system operated by a disk array controller (controller). RAID technology developed to provide for reliable storage of data on multiple storage devices. RAID allows the combining of two or more storage devices, such as disk drive systems, to create an array of storage devices.
Hardware or software implementation allows the multiple storage devices to be treated as one logical storage device. Data is stored redundantly in various ways to enhance data integrity and availability. RAID sub-systems provide cost-effective solutions for storage strategies. RAID systems are also able to provide improved data transfer rates and throughput of data.
RAID technology provides various ways to use multiple storage devices to increase availability and performance. A number of RAID levels have been defined in which each level provides unique throughput and fault tolerance characteristics. Several RAID levels provide fault tolerance such that if one of the multiple storage devices fails, then access to all data stored on the array is still available. The failed storage device may be replaced or repaired while the array is still usable and accessible as though there had been no failure.
One of the RAID levels is "RAID 0", which uses storage device spanning. Storage device spanning allows multiple storage devices to be logically and serially linked into a single large logical storage device. RAID 0 uses a "data striping" layout in which data is evenly distributed across the physical storage devices to maximize input or output performance. Data striping divides the logical storage device into data sequences called stripes, which are distributed over the storage devices. The layout is such that a sequential read of data on the logical storage device results in parallel reads to the storage devices. RAID 0 provides performance acceleration through data striping. However, RAID 0 does not provide redundancy.
Another of the RAID levels is "RAID 1", which uses data mirroring. With data mirroring, a single logical storage device is created from two physical storage devices. All data written to the logical storage device is written identically to the two storage devices. Thus, a pair of storage devices with identical data is created. If one of the physical storage devices fails, the same data is still accessible from the other physical storage device by using a hot-spare storage device to reestablish the mirror relationship and redundancy while the failed storage device is being replaced or repaired. RAID 1 provides redundancy through mirrored copy of data and better read performance than RAID 0. However, RAID 1 has worse write performance than RAID 0 and an even number of physical storage devices is required. RAID 1 is most particularly useful when performance is more important than capacity and when the device configuration is limited to two storage devices.
"RAID 1 Enhanced" (RAID 1E) combines data mirroring with data striping. Data is striped across each storage device in the array. The first set of stripes is the data stripes while the second set of stripes is the mirror stripes (copies) of the first data stripes that are shifted one storage device. RAID 1E shares the same characteristics of RAID 1 but additionally allows more than two storage devices as part of the storage device array and also allows an odd number of storage devices as part of the storage device array. However, RAID 1E still has worse write performance than RAID 0
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.


A system for process shaping in a retail store environment comprises a video generation and processing component, a data source integration and aggregation component for aggregating and integrate information received from various sources, a process sensing component for generating one or more continuous processes, a process aggregator and weighing component for aggregating the one or more continuous processes into a merged weighted process, a proof of problem and value component for determining one or more process variations, a ripple effect analyser for sending one or more nudging messages to the retail store environment, and a gamified feedback algorithm component for communicating a nudging action corresponding to a nudging message, to one or more entities in the retail store environment.

Companies in all business sectors use various forms of business process management to manage and improve corporate performance. Process management methodologies include process management focused on process discovery, process comparison with expected process (meta process) and process shaping by feedback loop/interaction with the environment. The "AS-IS" process defines the current state of the business process in a particular organization. Typically, the analysis goal in putting together the current state process of a business, is to clarify exactly how the business process works today. However, today's "AS-IS" process formulation is simply a "best guess" and a "snapshot in time". The main challenge is the lack of up to date information which makes the existing process management systems blind to the reality of daily business activites. In some enterprise environments, the management teams face the problem of designing, organising, and supervising existing ad-hoc processes mainly due to unpredictable human behaviour.
Indeed, it is difficult to recognize various human actions, and to perform global tracking of the entities and activities that play various roles in the considered environment. Examples of entities include, but are not limited to, employees, products, conveyors, industrial robots. Example of activities include, but are not limited to, operator entering or exiting the scene; picking, dropping, moving, weighting or scanning items; operating a touchscreen display; and paying through a credit card.
In view of the above, there is a need for a system that facilitates designing and shaping processes based on recognition of various human actions and global tracking of various entities.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having impurity doped regions serving as source and drain and a semiconductor device obtained by the application of the same method are disclosed. In the method, a semiconductor substrate having a gate oxide is prepared, and a gate electrode is formed on the gate oxide. A first dielectric film is formed on the semiconductor substrate impurity ions of a first conductive type into the semiconductor substrate while permitting the gate electrode and the first dielectric film formed on the side walls of the gate electrode to serve as self-aligning masks. Then, a second dielectric film to be deposited on the first dielectric film, and an anisotropic etching is effected on at least on the second dielectric film to form on the side walls of the gate electrode spacers having a prescribed profile. Thereafter, impurity ions of a second conductive type are implanted into the semiconductor substrate while permitting the gate electrode and the spacers to serve as self-aligning masks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a novel method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and in particular a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device having source and drain of a lightly-doped drain (LDD) structure. The invention also relates to a semiconductor device per se fabricated by such a method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to an increased requirement towards larger integration of MOS memories in recent years, it has been desired to shorten a gate length or channel length in MOSFET. However, when a channel length is shortened, the intensity of electric field in the channel region increases to generate hot electrons in the vicinity of the drain, which may be entrapped into the gate oxide to cause deterioration of performance, such as variation in threshold voltage. Furthermore, due to the shortening of the channel length, depletion layers extending from the drain and source may reach the place immediately underneath the gate to lower the potential barrier in the channel region. As a result, the threshold voltage may decrease to deteriorate the drain-source pressure resistance. In order to avoid these various undesirable effects, including problems of hot electrons, accompanied with the shortening of channel lengths (hereinafter referred to as "short channel effects" in general), there has been proposed MOSFET of LLD structure which are manufactured by means of a self-aligned pocket implantation technique. This technique involves effecting a selective ion implantation into the regions in the vicinity of the gate which contact the source and drain regions and are constituted by a region of impurity with low concentration and a region of impurity with high concentration adjacent thereto, to thereby form impurity regions (pocket regions) of p-type (or n-type), in order to reduce the intensity of electric field at the source and drain-channel interface and to increase the pressure resistance.
For example, in the case where an n-channel MOSFET is manufactured, a gate oxide 102 is first deposited on a p-type semiconductor substrate 101, and a gate electrode 103 of a polysilicon having a patterning thereon is formed thereon, as schematically shown in FIG. 1(a). Thereafter, while permitting the gate electrode 103 to function as a mask, n-type impurity ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 101 to define n- regions 104 at areas adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 101, and p-type impurity ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 101 to define p.sup.+ regions 105 underneath the n- regions 104.
Subsequently, as depicted in FIG. 1(b), a silicon oxide is deposited by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process on the gate electrode 103 and the gate oxide 102 exposed, and then an anisotropic etching is effected by means of a dry etching process to form spacers 106 at the opposite side walls of the gate electrode 103. Thereafter, by implanting n-type impurities while permitting these spacers 106 and the gate electrode 103 to serve as masks, n+ regions 107 and n regions 108 are formed at areas adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 101. Thus, that portion of each p+ region 105 which is located underneath a respective n- region 104 prevents the depletion layer of the drain and source region from extending to thereby inhibit a drop in threshold voltages.
In the aforementioned process, however, the n- regions 104 are formed by the implantation of n-type impurities and p-type impurities employing the same mask. Consequently, it is difficult to optimally control the impurity concentration in the n- regions 104 underneath the spacers 106, and its stability is poor. Furthermore, in the vicinity of each p+ region 105 underneath a respective n-region 108, there is a significant difference between the n-type impurity concentration and p-type impurity concentration, resulting in deterioration of the pressure resistance and leakage performance thereat.
In order to solve these problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei6-326123, has proposed an improvement in the conventional semiconductor-manufacturing method.
In the manufacturing technique disclosed therein, as shown in FIG. 2(a), a gate oxide 202 is deposited on a semiconductor substrate 201, and a patterned gate electrode 203 including a polysilicon film 203a and a silicon oxide film 203b is formed thereon. Subsequently, while permitting the gate electrode 203 to serve as a mask, n-type impurity ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 201 to define n- reduced concentration impurity regions 204 at areas adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 201. During the implantation, a large angle tilt implantation (LATI) technique is utilized to overlap the n- reduced concentration impurity regions 204 with the gate electrode 203.
Thereafter, as depicted in FIG. 2(b), a silicon oxide is deposited by means of CVD process on the gate electrode 203 and the gate oxide 202 exposed, and then an anisotropic etching is effected by means of a dry etching process to provide spacers 205 at the opposite side walls of the gate electrode 203. Thereafter, by an ion-implantation method which permits these spacers 205 and the gate electrode 203 to serve as masks, n+ high concentration impurity regions 206 are formed at areas adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 201. Further, as depicted in FIG. 2(c), after a polysilicon is deposited by means of CVD process, an etching is effected by means of a dry etching method to define a polysilicon film 207 so as to remain only on the areas where the source and drain regions are formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 2(d), the spacers 205 are selectively removed, and p-type impurity ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate 201 to define p+ pocket regions 208 in the regions immediately underneath the spacer-removed regions.
A MOSFET of a LDD structure having the p+ pocket regions 208 only at the desired portions can thus be obtained. In the foregoing, the impurity concentration for the n- reduced concentration impurity regions 204 immediately above the p+ pocket regions 208 can be easily set by the difference between the impurity concentration of the n-type impurity ions to be first implanted and the impurity concentration of p-type impurity ions to be implanted at the formation of the p+ pocket regions 208. Furthermore, the pressure resistance and leakage performance for the regions situated at the bottom of the n+ high concentration impurity regions 206 will not be deteriorated by the provision of the p+ pocket regions 208.
In the aforesaid manufacturing method of MOS devices, however, the gate electrode 203 is of a multi-layered structure which requires a considerable height. Accordingly, its patterning is difficult. In addition, it is difficult to control the formation and removal of the polysilicon film 207, and upon the selective removal of the spacers 205, the configuration of the gate electrode 203 or the like is influenced. Therefore, the manufacturing process becomes complicated, thereby increasing the cost, deteriorating the yield, and lowering the reliability.


In a network communication system enabling copying and mutual reflection of definition information among a plurality of systems interconnected over a backbone network, each of the plurality of systems has a host control unit for transferring definition information for communication with other system and manipulating received definition information, and a database for storing manipulated definition information. The host control unit includes an element for acquiring predefined network definition information for use in communication intended for copying, an element for copying definition information from a distributor-side system for distributing definition information, an element for referencing the copied definition information so as to specify a connection form of a communication resource governed by said distributor-side system, and an element for using the acquired network definition information to set communication path information concerning the distributor-side system in the copied definition information according to the specified connection form of a communication resource. Definition information manipulated by these elements is stored in the distributor-side system. Communication with the distributor-side system is effected based on the definition information. This configuration enables one system to share network definition information with other systems and permits reduction of a load of system management resulting from modification of definition information. The above network operation mode can apply to any network constructed to have a network topology of a LAN, WAN, or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network communication system enabling sharing of definition information with other systems. More particularly, this invention is concerned with an art for enabling one of a plurality of systems interconnected over any network, such as a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), to share network definition information with other systems and for permitting a reduction in system management load resulting from modification of definition information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in a network (for example, LAN) system, a plurality of host systems or equivalent systems (which will be referred to merely as systems) are interconnected. Herein, inter-system communication requires network definition information concerning a communication resource governed by each individual system (terminal or application program managed directly by each system, which will be referred to as self-system definition information) as well as network definition information concerning a communication resource governed by a partner system (terminal or application program managed directly by a partner system, which will be referred to as other-system definition information). In short, during communication, both systems have self-system definition information and other-system definition information concerning a partner system.
The other-system definition information is definition information resulting from a sort of mapping. Specifically, self-system definition information retained by a partner system is copied so that other-system definition information need not be created.
In a conventional known network communication system based on copied information, network definition information is usually created by defining a communication resource governed by a partner system with a network viewed by another system.
In the foregoing conventional network communication system, network definition information is defined with a network viewed by a particular system. Definition information concerning a communication resource governed by a partner system is therefore seen varying, depending on the location of the communication resource governed by the partner system, by that particular system.
An example of varying information is communication path information. Communication path information included in definition information copied from a partner system is defined with a network viewed by a distributor-side system (partner system) of the copied information but not defined with the network viewed by a copier-side system. The communication path information can therefore not be used as it is.
According to the conventional network communication system in which definition information is merely copied from a distributor-side system, the operation mode based on the communication system can apply only to a simple LAN system.

Network communication system where each system shares definition information with each other


A tool organizer is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the tool organizer comprises a frame and a plurality of wheels attached to the frame. The tool organizer also includes a tool storage structure supported by the frame. The tool storage structure comprising a plurality of storage panels, each storage panel comprises at least one tool fastener and associated tool indicia for securing and identifying a specific tool. The plurality of storage panels are movable with respect to one another between a closed configuration and an open configuration. A modular tool organizer, a tool set transportation system, a tool bag and a method for inspecting a set of tools stored within a tool organizer are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable tool boxes, chests, containers and organizers for storing, transporting and organizing sets of tools. Specifically, the present invention relates to a wheeled tool organizer having vertical tool supports which may be disposed in an open or closed configuration, facilitating a visual inspection of all tools when disposed in the open configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable tool boxes and tool cabinets are well known for storing and transporting tool sets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,005 describes a portable tool truck invented by George Norton. The ′005 device comprises a plastic body with a compartment formed in the front face of the body adapted to retain tools therein, and two doors mounted on either side of the body. The doors pivot in opposite directions into an overlapping arrangement that seals off the compartment formed by the face of the body. While the invention of Norton is adequate for retaining and transporting tools, it does not facilitate taking a visual inventory of all of the tools retained therein. Further, the invention of Norton fails to provide a specific place for each tool of a tool set.


A toner supply device for use in an image forming apparatus is constructed such that a length of the extruding portion 24A of the L-shaped blade 24 is determined to 2 mm or less and a distance of the gap Y is determined to 3 mm or more, the gap Y being formed between the contact portion 19A and an intersection point where an imaginary straight line passing a rotating center of the toner supply roller 20 and the contact portion 19A intersects the surface of the toner supply roller 20 namely, between the lower surface of the extruding portion 24A and the outer peripheral surface of the toner supply roller 20. With this structure, a toner supply path G is formed linearly around the toner supply roller 20 and the developing roller 19 without making a large detour in the developing roller 19 side, so that the flow of toner can be made smooth in the toner supply path G, preventing toner clogging therein. Accordingly, toner can smoothly be supplied from the toner supply roller 20 to the developing roller 19 and the resultant image excellent in quality can be obtained for a long period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner supply device for use in an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, etc., for developing an electrostatic latent image by supplying toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on an outer peripheral surface of a photosensitive drum and transferring the image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum onto a sheet, and particularly to a toner supply device for use in an image forming apparatus, capable of smoothly supplying toner supplied from toner storing part through a toner supply roller to a developing roller without causing clogging with toner in a toner supply path formed around the toner supply roller and the developing roller resulting in obtaining the image with excellent quality for a long period.
2. Description of Related Art
Regarding conventional toner supply devices for use in image forming apparatuses such as laser printers, etc., there have been proposed various types of the devices. In general, such a toner supply device is constructed of a toner storing member including a toner cartridge, a toner supply roller for supplying toner from the toner storing member, and a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum by supplying the toner provided from the toner supply roller onto the image. One embodiment of the toner supply device will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing schematically a main construction of the toner supply device in the prior art.
In FIG. 7, the toner supply device has a toner cartridge 100 which accommodates therein toner and is provided with an opening for toner supply at an almost center in its width direction. This toner cartridge 100 is provided therein with an agitator 103 for agitating toner to supply same into a developing chamber 102 side through a toner supply port 101. A frame F of the developing unit is provided with an opening for toner supply positioned corresponding to the toner supply opening of the toner cartridge 100. Those openings of the toner cartridge 100 and the frame F form the toner supply port 101 in combination with each other.
Below inside the developing chamber 102 constructed of an upper frame F1 and a lower frame F2 of the frame F, a toner supply roller 104 is arranged rotatably in a lower frame F2 side, for supplying the toner supplied through the toner supply port 101 to a developing roller 105.
On an internal wall of the upper frame F1, above the developing roller 105, a blade 107 is fixedly secured with a fixing element 106, whereby regulating a thickness of toner layer formed on the surface of the developing roller 105. This developing roller 105 is also arranged in contact with a photosensitive drum 108. On the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 108 is formed an electrostatic latent image by an image exposure device not shown which performs a scanning operation with a laser beam in accordance with image data. The developing roller 105 supplies toner on the electrostatic latent image formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 108 to develop the image. The image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 108 is then transferred onto a sheet fed from a sheet feeder not shown, forming a resultant image (a visual image) on the sheet.
In the toner supply device in the prior art, meanwhile, a toner supply path 109 indicated by an arrow E in FIG. 7 is formed around the toner supply roller 104 and the developing roller 105, along which the toner supplied from the toner cartridge 100 through the toner supply port 101 is allowed to flow into the developing chamber 102. In detail the toner supply path 109 is formed so as to extend from the toner supply port 101, above the toner supply roller 104, and make a detour along the lower surface of an extruding portion 107A of the blade 107, and finally upward in the developing chamber 102. The extruding portion 107A is formed extruding from a contact portion of the blade 107 in contact with an outer surface of the developing roller 105.
Here, to well supply toner along the toner supply path 109, it is important to make a determination as to the length of the extruding portion 107A of the blade 107, which is the length from the contact portion to the tip end portion of the extruding portion 107A, and also the gap formed between the lower surface of the extruding portion 107A and an outer peripheral surface of the toner supply roller 104. Specifically, if the length of the extruding portion 107A is too long, it allows the toner supply path 109 to make a detour largely toward the developing roller 105, preventing a smooth flow of the toner, and thereby causing clogging in the toner supply path 109 with toner. If the gap between the lower surface of the extruding portion 107A and the toner supply roller 104 is too small, similarly, it prevents the toner from smoothly flowing along the toner supply path 109, causing clogging therein with toner.
Under such a situation, most of conventional toner supply devices are constructed to have the extruding portion 107A determined to 2 mm or more in length and the gap determined to 3 mm or less between the lower surface of the extruding portion 107A and the toner supply roller 104. Accordingly, it is extremely likely to prevent the toner from smoothly flowing on the toner supply path 109 formed around the toner supply roller 104 and the developing roller 105, and thereby cause clogging in the toner supply path 109 with the toner. Due to such the toner clogging, it becomes hard to smoothly supply toner from the toner supply roller to the developing roller, which would prevent the forming for a long time of the resulting image excellent in quality.

Toner supply device for use in image forming apparatus


A mounting structure for cables for a boat propulsion unit that enables easy insertion of cables into a pass-through hole, as well as highly reliable water-sealing is provided in a bottom cowling of the boat propulsion unit. The cables are inserted in through-holes in a rubber grommet by opening up a slit in the rubber grommet, and then inserting the rubber grommet in a pass-through hole in the port section. The rubber grommet is fit into the pass-through hole in the pressurized condition to water-seal the pass-through hole. The pass-through hole is molded integrally with the bottom cowling. A retaining plate is wrapped around the rubber grommet to prevent the slit from opening up, and the grommet is accommodated in the pass-through hole together with the retainer plate. Then, the retainer plate is fastened to the port section by mounting bolts. Thus, the rubber grommet is fixed within the pass-through hole, and provides water-sealing by filling the gap around the cables within the pass-through hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mounting structure for the cables of a boat propulsion unit to guide the cables from the boat into an engine hood via a pass-through hole provided in the engine hood, and to provide water-sealing for the pass-through hole in a port section via a rubber grommet.
2. Description of the Related Art
This type of mounting structure for the cables of the boat propulsion unit is disclosed in JP-Y2-Hei6-45437, JP-B-3695165, and JP-A-2004-338464, for example. JP-Y2-Hei6-45437 discloses a structure in which a mounting plate and an under cover of an engine hood are separated, and a rubber grommet with cables running therethrough is sandwiched between the mounting plate and the under cover. In JP-B-3695165, a separate pass-through port is provided by connecting a port section provided in a front panel and a port section provided in a side cover. JP-A-2004-338464, FIG. 3, discloses a structure in which an engine bottom cover is divided into three pieces, split covers on the right and the left, and a cable-guide cover provided with a cylindrical portion for guiding the cables. The cables are disposed in a through hole provided in the sealing member by opening up a slit in a sealing member within the engine cover, and the sealing member is fitted into a tapered hole (pass-through hole) provided in the cylindrical portion.
However, the conventional water-sealing structure disclosed in JP-Y2-Hei6-45437 and JP-B-3695165 is not desirable because, as the port section for guiding the cables is divided, there is a possibility of water seepage from a gap at the parting line in the port section. The gap at the parting line can be water-sealed to prevent such water seepage, but it is not desirable because the complicated joint structure for water-sealing the parting line area of the engine hood will increase production cost.
In a water-sealing structure shown in FIG. 3 of JP-A-2004-338464, a port section for guiding the cables to the inside is not divided. However, the section including the port section is constructed separately from the cover element of the engine hood, and water seepage may occur at the parting line of the cover. Thus, this structure is also not desirable.

Structure for mounting cables for boat propulsion unit


The present applicant has discovered that an optical filter can be made by etching away part of the cladding of a depressed-cladding fiber. The etching produces a section of fiber having a double peak in the index profile. In a low index medium such as air, the remaining cladding portion guides radiation at certain wavelengths. This radiation is extracted from the radiation in the fiber core.

Optical fibers are key components in modern telecommunications systems. An optical fiber is a thin strand of glass capable of transmitting an optical signal containing a large amount of information over long distances. In essence, it is a small diameter waveguide characterized by a core with a first index of refraction surrounded by a cladding having a second (lower) index of refraction. Light rays which impinge upon the fiber core at an angle less than a critical acceptance angle undergo total internal reflection within the core. These rays are guided along the axis of the fiber with minimum attenuation. Typical optical fibers are made of high purity silica with minor concentrations of dopants to control the index of refraction.
Optical fiber filters are highly useful in multiwavelength fiber communications systems. In such systems an optical fiber simultaneously carries many different communications channels in light of respectively different wavelengths. In the use of such systems it is frequently required to add channels onto the fiber and to selectively remove channels from the fiber. Optical filters are frequently used to assist such addition and removal.
While there are a variety of methods for making optical fiber filters, most such methods require especially doped fibers and expensive equipment such as ultraviolet lasers. The most popular technique involves fabricating fibers doped to exhibit ultraviolet light photosensitivity and exposing the fiber at periodic regions along its length to high intensity ultraviolet light. This exposure produces optical index perturbations which, in short periods, can operate as reflective Bragg gratings and, in long periods, can operate as mode conversion filters. There remains a need for simpler, less expensive method for making optical fiber filters.


A device for purification of water sink is provided to remove radioactive substances in a water sink of nuclear facilities. The device for purification of water sink of the present invention relates to a detachable structure for repeating process, changing the height of the device according to the water level, and moving the device. The device is filled with filter agent or adsorbent in each basket assemblies and put into a water sink for purification process. After purification process of water sink, the highly contaminated waste filter agent or waste adsorbent within the basket assemblies is easy to be removed from the device for drying. The number of basket assemblies is able to be reduced in accordance with the water level drop for draining fluid from the water sink at lower level water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for purifying a water sink provided to eliminate radioactive substances from a water sink.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional device for purifying a water sink is mounted in a certain space for shielding radioactive substances, yet purification materials of the conventional device attach highly polluted substances, the operating space is limited, and radioactive contamination incurs easily.
Furthermore, a conventional method for purifying a water sink has the following disadvantages:
The device for purifying water sink is fixed without being moved, occupies operating space, and cannot adjust its height according to using requirement.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

Jiaan Village, Longtan District, Taoyuan

Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy Council


A bat (10) comprises a near portion (20) and a far portion (80) joined by a weld (90). Near portion (20) generally comprises a fiber/resin composite portion (30) including a proximal end (32), a distal end (40), and a grip portion (36) therebetween, and a metal joining ring (50) including a proximal portion (54) including interlocking joining means (55), such as through bores (56) or contours (57), mechanically joining proximal portion (54) of ring (50) to distal end (40) of composite portion (30), and a distal portion (58). Far portion (80) includes a proximal portion (82) joined, such as by weld (90), to ring (50), a distal portion (87), and a barrel portion (86) therebetween.

This invention relates in general to a sporting bat, such as a baseball bat, and more specifically involves a bat having a fiber/resin composite handle and a metal hitting barrel, such as of aluminum, and a method of manufacture.
Conventional bats are predominately either made entirely of wood or of aluminum. Wooden bats break more easily and wear out faster than aluminum bats. Aluminum bats are harder-hitting and longer-lasting than wooden bats, but transmit more shock to the batter such that a batter""s hands and arms can be numbed.
Bats of other materials and multiple materials have been proposed to overcome the shortcomings of traditional bats, but, for various reasons, none have replaced the traditional bats. Bats of multiple materials tend to be more difficult to produce and, thus, are more expensive. Also, there is often an engineering problem and a production problem with joining dissimilar materials.
Therefore, it is desirable to produce a bat that overcomes the shortcomings of conventional bats, is durable, and is still easy to produce.

Bat having fiber/resin handle and metal hitting member and method of making


A water production unit is provided that uses a desiccant wheel for extracting water from an air loop. A portion of the air loop is heated using exhaust from, for example, a vehicle to regenerate the desiccant wheel.

This invention relates to a water production unit that uses engine exhaust heat or electrical power to provide the motive energy to recover water from ambient air.
There are many environments in which an engine is used where water is desired but not readily available. For example, during military campaigns water is typically brought to remote or arid regions where water is not readily available. Water must be brought along a supply line to troops, where military vehicles are often present, which is dangerous and costly. One by-product of a combustion engine is waste heat in the form of high temperature exhaust. This waste heat can be used to drive a process to recover water from ambient air. Electrical power can be used when the engine is off and waste heat is not available.
A water recovery system has been proposed to recover water from ambient air using a vehicle's exhaust heat. The propose system is suggested as an adjunct for stationary and vehicle, turbine or internal combustion engine power plants. However, any system employed in a military or similar vehicle must be highly efficient to justify the system. Further, it is desirable to have the ability to collect water under a broad range of environmental conditions, even in the arid conditions of a desert.

Water-from-air system using desiccant wheel and exhaust


This invention disclosed a system and method for resource based virtual communities. Any resources that can be shared or used by multiple people, including Internet resources, software or other resources can be the basis for the community, whose members are users of the resource. Web resources include web sites, web pages, news groups or discussion forums. Other types of resources include software products, bulletin boards, games or other products. The community composes of the current resource users such as web page readers, bulletin board posters, game players, software users. Whenever a person accesses or uses the resource, the user is automatically joined as part of the community. At the same time they are using the resource, they can access all services provide by the community, such as talking with other members, collaborating with others, publishing comments, or even adding new community services.

With the fast development of Internet at the end of last century, web has gradually becomes the mainstream for people to access information. Billions of people are using all different ways to go online such as by dial-up modem, DSL, T1, or cable modem. Various devices connecting to the Internet range from server computers, desktop PCs to mobile and embedded devices. Internet is now accessible almost anywhere, at anytime.
With the widespread of Internet and e-business, millions of companies and organizations have set up their own web servers and make it accessible to the public. There are also many search engines such as Yahoo, MSN or Google for the general public to search for information. Most contents in the Internet are HTML pages and accessed through HTTP protocols.
The majority usage of those web servers, including many online stores, is to provide one-way information from service providers to users, either casual readers or customers. Sometimes, servers interact with clients by means of survey forms, comments, discussion groups, category and production selection, and online payments. Those are two way communications between servers and clients; however, there are few web services that can provide interactions or collaborations among the users themselves.
Outside web servers, in the Internet, there are many other ways of for user interactions such as traditional bulletin board, the Usenet, on line chat (IRC) or even on line games. Recently instant messaging also joins this category. These services are typically dedicated to user interaction. Some are non-real time, some are real time. For example, online forums, bulletin boards or discussion groups allow users to share information, ask questions and get helps by posting threads. On-line chats, IRC or instant messengers allow instant communications among peoples.
A recent trend of those interaction services is to take the form of web sites by hosting them into web servers so people can use those services with a browser. Such as web chat, web discussion, collaboration service, or online communities. With those services, people can interact with other people when they browsed into those particular web servers such as some web portals.
However, there are still big gaps between the web and the users. Which is: the majority web users who access information in the Internet cannot interact with each other. There are no universal solutions to connect the community of users who access the majority information in the Internet.
From user's perspective, traditional web browsing or surfing the web is a solitary experience. The user digs into the web and searches for information, then the web site returns information. There is little or none interaction to other users who also accesses the same information. Even users can communicate to each other through online chat, instant messenger, these tools or services are segregated from the main web sites where the users are browsing. Communication between users is completely independent of users' browsing experience.
While there are several approaches to integrate chatting into web pages, no one can fully resolve the following problems. For example, there is no correlation between the information being accessed and the people who access the information; it is hard to connect those users even when they are making the same activities. Some web sites provide ways for users to review news or movies, send comments on some topics, enter discussion groups or forums from web pages, start online chat applets from within web pages, or even run instant messenger with a click of mouse. However, people are still forced to switch from one program to another or go change from one web page to another while they are browsing and chatting at the same time.
This invention, which changes people's navigation paradigm, is aiming at those inefficiencies in a way that try to resolve all those problems. It gives user the ability to communicate with others seamlessly when they are accessing information or using software. For example, interest matching, getting helps, finding reviews, or conducting any community activities that are not supported.
This invention originates to my other patent titled "Global sideband service distributed computing method" (U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,462) in 1998, users of one shared resource are organized in a cooperative way. They share some similarity if we view that providing dynamic information about the web page as a sideband service in addition to the main browsing service.
Later in 2000, when I started to provide software being used directly in the web, there is need to provide customer support for many users since many people do not know where to get help. Sharing the knowledge between users became my first idea. Traditional way of providing a discussion forum does not work well as people are lazy enough or un-reluctant to search for help, what they want is immediate feedback and helps. So came across the idea of letting people who are using the same software to form communities and can help each other, with the help of an extra software module. This is also another type of resource based virtual communities.


A reclining vehicle seat hinge assembly includes a first housing, a second housing having a plurality of teeth, a primary cam member having a pair of primary camming surfaces, and a secondary cam having a plurality of camming surfaces and driveable by the primary cam. Each of a pair of primary pawls is configured to be driven into an engaged position by a primary camming surface of the primary cam and into a disengaged position by a corresponding camming surface of the secondary cam. Each of a pair of secondary pawls has the same construction as the primary pawls and is configured to be driven into engaged and disengaged positions by corresponding camming surfaces of the secondary cam.

Reclining vehicle seat hinge assemblies are well known in the art, and typically include pawls with a plurality of teeth that releasably engage a circular set of teeth in a housing attached to the seat. Upon movement of a lever, the pawl teeth are released from engagement with the housing teeth, allowing the user to pivot the seat back to a desired position. When the desired position is reached, the lever is released and the pawl teeth engage the housing teeth, locking the seat back at the desired position. Many known reclining vehicle seat hinge assemblies include a pair of pawls with teeth that engage the housing teeth. Such assemblies with just a pair of pawls must have a substantial thickness in order to provide the strength required to absorb the impact forces that result when the vehicle is involved in a collision.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,585 to Cilliere et al. discloses a vehicle seat hinge assembly having a first pair of pawls, or locking slugs, that engage housing teeth and act to lock the seat back in the desired position. A second pair of blocking slugs with side surfaces having dihedral angles is positioned such that they allow some play in the circumferential direction. In normal use, the blocking slugs produce no effect. Upon an impact, the blocking slugs deform the guides along which they travel so as to pivot and wedge into an interfering fit with the teeth of the housing, helping to absorb the impact forces. Cilliere is limiting in that its four pawl construction is quite complex, which leads to increased manufacturing costs. Further, Cilliere's inertially operated mechanism requires the shape of the blocking slugs and associated components to be manufactured to close tolerances in order to operate in the designed manner, further contributing to increased manufacturing costs and complexity of design.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reclining vehicle seat hinge assembly that reduces or overcomes some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known devices. Particular objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments.


An apparatus includes a processor, first and second request-controllers, and a buffer. The processor divides a data-transfer request into transfer-requests including first and second transfer-requests. When, within a memory, an end-address of readout data based on the first transfer-request is adjacent to a head-address of readout data based on the second transfer-request, the processor sets end-adjacency information in the first transfer-request and sets head-adjacency information in the second transfer-request. Then, the first request-controller sets first adjacency information in a first readout-request for a readout end-address of the first transfer-request. The second request-controller sets second adjacency information in a second readout-request for a readout head-address of the second transfer-request. In response to the first readout-request, the buffer retains data read out from the memory, and outputs the data to the first request-controller. In response to the second readout-request, the buffer outputs the retained data to the second request-controller.

There is known a direct memory access (DMA)transfer control device including a configuration for DMA-transferring, via a bus having a bus width of a plurality of bytes, continuous data stored in a transfer source to a transfer destination based on control of external control means (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-4340). Transfer-parameter setting means respectively acquires a transfer source start address and a transfer destination start address of the transfer destination of the continuous data stored in the transfer source and a data size of the continuous data from the external control means and sets the transfer source start address, the transfer destination start address, and the data size. Data shift means sequentially reads out, based on the transfer source start address set by the transfer-parameter setting means, the continuous data stored in the transfer destination while data-shifting the continuous data to match an alignment boundary for the bus width and stores the continuous data. The data shift means sequentially reads out, based on the transfer destination start address set by the transfer-parameter setting means, the stored continuous data while data-shifting the continuous data to match the alignment boundary for the bus width and stores the continuous data in the transfer destination.
There is known a data-transfer control device that performs data transfer between two types of memories having different access units (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-222460). The data-transfer control device sequentially reads out data having any data length with any address of a supply-side memory of data as a start address and sequentially writes the data having the any data length with any address of a storage-side memory of the data as a start address.

Data transfer device, arithmetic processing device, and data transfer method


A geo-coded database stores advertiser records which include location information. Received search requests are matched with database records based on location information in the search requests and the record location information. In this manner, a user can search for information on a local basis and receive only the most relevant local search results.

The present invention relates generally to information retrieval systems, and more particularly to an information retrieval system and method employing spatially selective features.
Although location is a fundamental, unifying principle humans use to organize their "spatial awareness" of the world, the Internet has failed to deliver high performance spatial search and retrieval capabilities.
Traditional means of finding local content have included reading the local newspapers, searching telephone yellow page directories, listening to the radio, spotting billboards, and seeing local TV announcements or advertising. On the Internet today, some local content can be found using 'yellow page' listing services, city content sites, local portals and ISPs.
However, these services offer limited geographic scope and focus mainly on large metropolitan areas. While all of these content sites provide elements of useful information, what is needed is a method to provide a continuum of data across the entire world, and across all categories. As well, it would be advantageous to enable average users to add local content to these databases.
Quickly and easily finding local content on the Internet today is a laborious, convoluted, and inconsistent experience. Internet users are typically required to provide specific Zip code, or other positional information to conduct a search for local content.
Furthermore, in order to find any specific local content, the user has been required to enter a known geographic, postal, or street address to commence a search. This inhibits a user in performing 'real-world' searches where one might not know an address or postal code. A system for finding local content at any point within an international geographic extent has not been possible.
Current Internet mapping and local search capabilities are limited to static data, and are restricted to a delimited geographic area, such as a country, and do not provide an optimal geo-location search range for each record. Typically, searches on the Internet are performed by selecting a predetermined classification of information by sub-category(s). The problem is that the resulting size of the search catalogues often requires time-consuming scanning by users through a myriad of categories and/or a large amount of irrelevant results.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have, for many years, provided tools to generate, manipulate, and manage spatial data. Government agencies and commercial data vendors use GIS extensively to create and maintain map data used by location services. Vendors provide street-centerline data sets that include address and street name data, which are essential to geo-coding and routing applications. Location services that incorporate GIS tools enable a wide range of spatial transactions that can be delivered in meaningful ways.
Some commercially available database management systems (DBMS) currently include basic spatial data management capabilities, providing limited support to location services. DBMS's specialize in the storage and management of all types of data including geographic data, and are optimized to- store and retrieve data. Although many GIS's rely on DBMS's for this purpose, they are not competitive in terms of performance; flexibility, and scalability without direct access to a robust GIS at their foundation.
Distributing geographic information via the Internet enables real-time display and integration of data from around the world. A natural extension of a traditional desktop GIS, Internet mapping and associated applications have been popularized by various sites that deliver maps to the end user via a browser. However to date, mapping on the Internet has been mainly a cartographic exercise, with minimal capability for true information searching and adding of new content.
Computer desktop mapping systems use the map paradigm to organize data and user interaction. The focus of such systems is the creation of maps, with the map linked to a database containing related information. However, most desktop mapping systems have limited data management, spatial analysis, or customization capabilities.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems have evolved to create designs, and buildings plans. CAD systems require that components with fixed characteristics be assembled to create the whole structure. These systems feature few rules to specify how components can, or should be, assembled and include very, limited analytical capabilities. Although some CAD systems have been extended to support maps, they typically have limited utility for managing and analyzing large geographic databases.
Remote sensing is the art and science of making measurements of the earth using sensors such as GPS receivers, or cameras fitted to aircraft or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and data streams and include specialized capabilities for manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing those images.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an improved information retrieval system and method.

Information retrieval system and method employing spatially selective features


An item of luggage having a first and a second luggage part. The first and the second luggage parts each have an outer side and an inner side, and having at least one hinge. The first and the second luggage parts are connected to one another via the at least one hinge and can be pivoted in relation to one another by the hinge. The hinge has a first and a second hinge part, and these are connected to one another in an articulated manner. The first hinge part is connected to the first luggage part and the second hinge part is connected to the second luggage part.

Items of luggage of the previously known type, particularly suitcases, comprise a first and a second luggage-piece portion, wherein the first and second luggage-piece portions each have an outer side and an inner side. Further, at least one hinge is provided via which the first and the second luggage-piece portion are connected to each other and are pivotable relative to each other. Said hinge often comprises a first and a second hinge portion which are articulated to each other, wherein the first hinge portion is connected to a first luggage-piece portion and the second hinge portion is connected to the second luggage-piece portion.
In items of luggage of the previously known type, there often occurs the problem that the items of luggage, when transported while stacked onto each other, may happen to be damaged by scratches.


A film cooling structure includes a wall surface which faces a gas-flow passage for high-temperature gas. One or more than one pair of jetting holes are formed on the wall surface so as to respectively jet cooling media into the gas-flow passage. The pair of jetting holes respectively have jetting directions in which the cooling media are jetted from the pair of jetting holes into the gas-flow passage. The jetting directions of the pair of jetting holes are respectively set so as to respectively form swirls in directions in which the cooling media are mutually pressed against the wall surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film cooling structure in which jetting holes are formed on a wall surface, which faces a passage of high-temperature gas, of such as moving blades, static blades, and an inner cylinder of a combustor of a gas turbine. A cooling medium jetted from the jetting holes flows along the wall surface so that the wall surface is cooled by the cooling medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, on the wall surface of such as the moving blade of the gas turbine, many jetting holes pointing in the same direction are formed. By a film flow of a cooling medium like air jetted from these jetting holes, the wall surface aforementioned exposing to high-temperature gas is cooled. JP-A 4-124405 shows in FIG. 3 thereof this kind of configuration.
However, conventionally, the cooling medium jetted from the jetting holes into the passage of high-temperature gas is easily separated from the wall surface, so that the film efficiency indicating the cooling efficiency on the wall surface is low. Generally, the film efficiency is about 0.2 to 0.4. Here, the film efficiency is ηf,ad=(Tg−Tf)/(Tg−Tc), where Tg indicates a gas temperature, Tf a surface temperature of the wall surface, and Tc a temperature of the cooling medium on the wall surface.


A server receives metadata associated with an advertisement in a transport signal stream from an encoder, the metadata identifying a specified frame of the transport signal stream corresponding to a point in time of the advertisement. The server instructs an encoder, by a server, to insert a marker into the specified frame of the transport signal stream, the marker identifying the point in time of the advertisement. The server receives data from a smart appliance. The server detects the marker in the data. The server identifies the marker as the specified frame of the transport signal stream played by the smart appliance. The server maps the marker to the identified point in time of the advertisement.

Traditionally, programming of broadcast and cable television and radio, including content (i.e., the video or audio program) and (the placement of) ads in a video or audio signal stream, has followed a linear model. Programming may be linear in the sense that a program begins and is streamed and in progress when a user chooses to view entertainment content. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional linear or video-on-demand (VOD) model for advertisement placement. Entertainment content 2, when processed as a digital data stream over a cable network, may be divided into a number of time intervals. The time intervals 4 include time reserved for a viewed program (content), such as "Golden Girls." The intervals 6, 8, 9 represent sections of time reserved for advertisements or "avails." These "avails" may be viewed as advertisement placement opportunities. As used herein, a "placement opportunity" was traditional called an avail and is sometimes referred to as a slot (spots into slots). A placement opportunity (PO) is a construct that represents an opportunity to insert an advertisement or entertainment content, and defines the rules for that opportunity, such as its duration, interactivity, ownership, and technical constraints.
As used herein, the term "binding" refers to an identification of signals and content within a placement opportunity (PO). PO's are frequently created for broad amounts of content that are not yet published (i.e., any show on TNT network in the evening). When the show airs and a signal is detected, the signal is bound to the relevant PO's for that show.
As used herein, the term "impression" refers to a showing of an advertisement to a single viewer. For example, if a 30 second spot is placed in 50,000 video-on-demand (VOD) streams and it is known that 30,000 of the streams actually played the ad, then 30,000 impressions of that advertisement have been generated.
As used herein, a "status notification" may be, but is not limited to, an HTTP call from a VOD server with a unique ID that was created when a decision was delivered.
As used herein, the term "break" refers to one or more spaces in a stream between entertainment content. For example, a group of 4 consecutive 30 second spots between 2 segments of "Two and a Half Men" may be considered as a single break. One or more advertisements may fill a break. As used herein, the term advertisement may refer to a one advertisement or a plurality of advertisements collectively inserted or insertable into an individual break.
As used herein, an estimated starting location of a break in a signal stream is referred to as a signal point. In the context of advertisement placement, these signal points may be referred to as advertisement signal points.
In non-linear systems, such as Video-on-Demand (VOD), the intervals 6, 8, 9 may take on new meanings. The interval 6 is called a pre-roll, i.e., the space in a video that occurs immediately after a user clicks to start a VOD video. The interval 9 is known as a post-roll, i.e., the space after all of the VOD video segments have finished playing. The intervals 8 may be mid-rolls, i.e., mini-breaks in the middle of a VOD video, or may be interstitials, i.e., pod-like locations between consecutive VOD video segments. VOD advertisement placement opportunities may appear based on space, time, content, and user context and may be highly non-linear (i.e., the user chooses to initiate the playing of content and in response, the content starts). All of the intervals 6, 8, 9 in such play lists are ripe for the insertion of advertisements, i.e., advertisement placement opportunities.
FIG. 2 depicts a configuration of a conventional Internet-based cable television infrastructure 200 for performing advertising placement decisions in signal streams. On TV, the advertising network was formerly the national network, the cable network, or the cable operator. However, unlike the Internet, where browsers access/display content and then are separately "referred" to a shared advertisement network, the Internet-based cable television infrastructure 200 selects and assembles both the advertisement and the content together and delivers the combined result to customers' "smart appliances" 202a-202n (e.g., Internet ready televisions, radios, smartphones, tablets, PCs, etc.).
Recently, smart appliances 202a-202n, such as Internet-ready televisions, have become capable of receiving content from Internet streaming services, such as Netflix movies, Pandora streaming radio, etc., over WiFi or direct Ethernet connections. When a user clicks on an icon for an "app" that appears on the television set corresponding to one of these services, the content is streamed to the smart appliance 202a-202n from a content delivery network (CDN) 204 directly to the application running in the smart appliance 202a-202n without the need for a set top box.
A set top box may be configured to decode an analog representation of two states of a digital signal, as is known in the art, that is continuously streamed and pushed to the set top box through a broadcast facility over a coaxial or fiber optic cable and the set top box tunes to that channel and displays the content. When a user watches Internet-delivered program content, a browser within the smart appliance 202a-202n fetching video in predetermined time chunks—generally two, sometimes three, sometimes ten second chunks. The fetched chunks of video are seamlessly stitched together dynamically in the application software of the smart appliance 202a-202n and then displayed so as to appear as a smooth video on the smart appliance 202a-202n.
A Multiple System/Service Operator (MSO—a cable TV organization that owns more than one cable system and may prove broadband Internet service) may wish to rebroadcast video streams on smart appliances. Unfortunately, every connected device, including smart appliances, needs to obtain video in the format that it can consume. Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, etc., have very specific and incompatible formats. To overcome this problem, each of these companies has constructed facilities called content delivery networks (CDN) 204 where a "set top box" for each channel is configured to receive broadcasts from satellites.
A signal stream received by a "set top box" from upstream devices 206 is fed to an encoder 208 to transform the signal stream to a transport signal stream of one or more bit rates and/or formats and a packager 210 to fragment the transport signal stream into the predetermined (e.g., 2 second) segments of data. The encoder 208 may convert the signal stream to one or more of a plurality of formats (e.g., H264, MPEG2, MPEG4, etc.) and resolutions (e.g., standard definition at 640p, or high definition at, for example 720p, 1080i, 1080p, etc.). A distinct transport signal stream may be provided to the packager 210 in each of the plurality of formats and resolutions. The packager 210 may divide the transport signal streams into segments representing intervals of time or "chunks" of video, audio, etc. (e.g., between 2 and about 10 second intervals) according to a standard format associated with a specific vendor (e.g., Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, etc.). These segments are then stored at the CDN 204 on server farms located physically close to where the content is to be delivered.
To identify a particular channel data stream or "session", including times when a program has ended and before the next program begins, i.e., a placement opportunity, a cue-tone is inserted in the channel data stream a predetermined time before the next program begins. The cue-tone may be an instance of an SCTE-35 packet.
An observer 210, which may be the transcoder 208, informs placement opportunity information service (POIS) 211 of the arrival of the cue tone for subsequent placement of one or more advertisements into the channel data stream by an advertisement service (ADS) 214. If the ADS 214 is known to the POIS 211, then the POIS 211 notifies the ADS 214 of the cue tone notification. The advertisement service 214, in turn, is waiting for the subsequent arrival of requests from a CDN 204 to place advertisements into breaks (i.e. one or more of the segments) in the channel data stream (session).
MSOs, national networks, and local networks prefer to know whether an advertisement has been played and watched by a subscriber. More particularly, advertisers may be compensated by the MSOs and networks based on the proportion of an advertisement that has been watched by a subscriber. Compensation has been traditionally based on the number of quartiles of an advertisement that has been watched: 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, to 100%. Equipment manufacturers have traditionally provided this feature on one of two ways: by building intelligence into each smart appliance (e.g., 202a), or by building intelligence into a reporting network, e.g., a cloud computing network, while not altering exiting smart appliances 202a-202n. Both techniques may employ what is known as a manifest file. As used herein, a manifest file, a manifest, or a session manifest, refers to a listing or index of what is contained in each of the segments of a session maintained by the CDN 204. More particularly, the session manifest may include a list of URLs which point to each of the segments and notes the type of segment: content or advertisement.
When intelligence is built into a smart appliance (e.g., 202a), the smart appliance 202a may (1) maintain a copy of the session manifest, (2) perform the function of splicing an advertisement into a placement opportunity that was formerly performed by the ADS 214, (3) mark the session manifest for each segment played, and (4) report a proportion of a session (e.g., the number of segments) played to the MSO or network.
MSOs and networks, however, may prefer to employ any manufacturer's smart appliance (e.g., 202a). Both the MSOs and the networks have been moving toward providing their own viewing experience by providing only applications "apps" to a subscriber's equipment without altering the equipment.
When intelligence is built into the network, corresponding reporting networks may need to maintain a separate manifest for each viewer session. Still further, the reporting network needs to test and operate their reporting hardware and software with a multiplicity of transport signal stream encoding formats and resolutions, vendor packaging standards, and vendor-specific smart appliance software and hardware. Maintaining a manifest for each viewer, according to each encoding format and resolution, packaging format, and vendor-specific smart appliance software and hardware may require processing power on the order of hundreds of thousands of threads of execution, translating to a need to maintain and operate a large number of multi-threaded computers. Moreover, even if a thread indicates that an advertisement was downloaded, it does not mean that the advertisement was played. The advertisement may be buffered and flushed before viewing.
Ideally, MSOs and networks prefer to have flexibility in working with players and reporting networks of any type.
Accordingly, what would be desirable, but has not yet been provided, is a method and system for accurately reporting a percentage of each advertisement viewed by a subscriber during a viewing session without significantly modifying existing smart appliances or reporting networks.


A node device is provided. The node device includes forming a jamming signal generation unit configured to generate a jamming signal for a target signal which is transmitted from a base station to an intended receiving device supposed to receive the signal and an unintended receiving device not supposed to receive the signal, a beamforming vector determination unit configured to determine a beamforming vector of the jamming signal based on an amplitude of a received power of the jamming signal at the intended receiving device, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the jamming signal based on the determined beamforming vector.

Unlike wired communications systems, wireless communications systems transmit radio signals in a broadcasting manner. Thus, in a mobile radio communications network with multiuser settings, there always exists a risk of wiretapping by internal users who share the same resources. Conventionally, in establishing security of the wireless communications systems in a network layer, a wiretapper is allowed to receive a transmitted data. Accordingly, if the wiretapper devotes some time to analyzing codes of the received data, leakage of confidential or personal information may occur anytime. Thus, in a modern society where security issue is getting more important, there has been a demand for a technology that enables blocking reception of transmitted data by a wiretapper.
Meanwhile, in establishing security of the wireless communications system in a physical layer, by blocking a wiretapper on a network from receiving information transmitted from a user, no data to be restored or analyzed may be provided to the wiretapper. To this end, there has been a demand for a method for establishing security of the network in the physical layer of the wireless communications system.

Apparatus and method for transmitting jamming signal

KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


The method and apparatus for inspecting parts generally includes three main components: an indexer assembly, a clamp assembly, and a camera system. The indexer assembly is configured to rotate parts individually into proximity to the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly is configured to clamp the part and move the part into proximity to the camera system. The clamp assembly may be comprised of a first portion and a second portion which are independently moveable with respect to one another. The camera system is configured to scan the part as the clamp assembly moves the part past and create an image thereof. The camera system is further configured to analyze the image to inspect the part.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to inspecting manufactured parts for defects or undesirable qualities. More particularly, the present invention relates to mechanically moving a part past a camera for automated inspection of the part. Specifically, the present invention relates to clamping a part to be inspected between a first portion and a second portion of a clamp and thereafter moving the part via the clamp past a line scan camera to inspect the part.
2. Background Information
Common everyday parts such as off-the-shelf screws, bolts, and other fasteners are relatively inexpensive and easily located. These off-the-shelf parts are purposely relatively low quality as these parts are used in home improvement projects, woodworking, or other common activities where quality isn't a major concern. Conversely, when these parts such as custom made screws or bolts are used in mission critical systems such as in the aerospace field, every part needs to be exact and pass rigorous testing and inspection. Failure of the mission critical part due to a flaw in the material or shape may be catastrophic. Often these mission critical parts are made in a low production run of a specific size part to fit a specific need. Inasmuch as the size and shape of these mission critical parts are always changing to fit the production run, inspecting each part is primarily done one part at a time by manually reviewing the part with the naked eye or a microscope. This is very time consuming and expensive, increasing the cost of each part to the end purchaser. Thus, there exists a tremendous need in the art to automate the scanning of mission critical parts and provide an apparatus and method for automatically inspecting parts in bulk.

Method and apparatus for inspecting parts


Disclosed herein are methods for suppressing an immune response in a subject, treating a neoplasm in a subject, or treating a fibroproliferative vascular disease in a subject, that includes administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a 2-(4-piperazinyl)-substituted 4H-1-benzopyran-4-one compound, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, having the structure of

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) phosphorylate phosphinositides at the 3-hydroxyl. These enzymes generate second messengers (for example, PIP3) and act as transducers downstream of tyrosine kinase receptors and G-protein coupled receptors. The PI3Ks are involved in a large number of fundamental processes including apoptosis, proliferation, cell motility, and adhesion. (see Walker et al., Molec. Cell 6:909-919, 2000). Thus, several PI3K inhibitors have been developed.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a 289 kDa serine threonine kinase that is also known as FKBP-12 target-1 (RAFT-1) and FKBP-12 rapamycin associated protein. There are several conserved domains of mTOR, including a serine-threonine kinase domain. T cell models suggest that IL-2 and other factors promote mTOR activation and subsequently promote cell growth by inducing new protein synthesis. mTOR is known to contribute to the activation of P70 S6 kinases, which in turn catalyze phosphorylation of S6, a 40S ribosomal protein required for activating polysomes to drive protein synthesis and mRNA translation. In addition, mTOR activates the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E. Thus, mTOR plays a role in regulating protein synthesis and the cell cycle. It is believed that mTOR acts as a checkpoint by sensing cell status and regulating cell progress through the G1-S phase. Various known effector pathways upstream and downstream of mTOR are used to regulate mTOR activities. Thus, compounds that inactivate MTOR by binding to mTOR can be used to regulate cell cycle function, and thereby cell growth. As mTOR specifically functions in lymphocytes, inhibition of mTOR can also be used to alter signaling in T and B cells (see Kirken and Want, Transplantation Proc. 35:227S-230S, 2003).
Known mTOR inhibitors include LY294002 (2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one) and rapamycin. Rapamycin is used in immunosuppression, chemotherapeutic protocols, and in the prevention of post-angioplasty coronary restenosis. LY294002 blocks PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of protein kinase B. Rapamycin has significant adverse effects, including hypercholesterolemia, drug-induced pheumonitis, renal toxicity, hypertension, and increasing the predisposition to opportunistic infections.
Undesired cell proliferation is a component of many disease processes. For example, undesired cell growth can lead to the formation of either benign or malignant tumors. According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. If the spread is not controlled, it can result in death. Although cancer is often referred to as a single condition, it actually consists of more than 100 different diseases. These diseases are characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Cancer can arise in many sites and behave differently depending on its organ of origin. There is a continued search for agents of use in the treatment of the different types of cancer.
Undesired cell growth is also a component of restenosis, the recurrence of stenosis or artery stricture after corrective surgery. Restenosis occurs after coronary artery bypass (CAB), endarterectomy, heart transplantation, and particularly after angioplasty, atherectomy, laser ablation or stenting. Restenosis is the result of injury to the blood vessel wall during the lumen opening procedure. In some patients, the injury initiates a repair response that is characterized by smooth muscle cell proliferation referred to as "hyperplasia" in the region traumatized by the angioplasty. This proliferation of smooth muscle cells re-narrows the lumen that was opened by the angioplasty within a few weeks to a few months, thereby necessitating a repeat angioplasty or other procedure to alleviate the restenosis.
In an immune response, T and or B cells proliferate in response to a stimulus viewed as "exogenous" by the immune system. Although generally immune responses are beneficial, there are situations where a decreased immune response is desired. For example, in autoimmune disorders, the cells of the immune system incorrectly identify a self component as exogenous and proliferate in response to the self component. Inflammatory responses can be deleterious, as can immune responses against a transplanted organ.
There is clearly a need to develop agents that can reduce undesired cellular proliferation. These agents include agents that induce immunosuppression, chemotherapeutics, and agents for the treatment of restenosis.

Methods for suppressing an immune response or treating a proliferative disorder

Abstract: wherein the presence of each of R1 and R2 is optional and R1 and R2 are each independently selected from alkyl, substituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, substituted heterocycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, or amino.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


A device for and method of fixing vertically installed cargo pressure tanks (2), particularly the type used for sea transport of pressurised petroleum products, wherein at least two cargo pressure tanks (2) constitute a liftable cassette (1), the tanks (2) of which preferably are placed in the upright position on a cassette lifting frame (4) and are interconnected by means of a guide frame (6).

This invention regards a device for and a method of fixing and lifting vertically installed pressure tanks in ships. In particular, it regards vertically installed pressure tanks, in which two or more pressure tanks are arranged in a cassette, and in which the cassette is arranged to be lifted out of and into the ship's cargo hold.
Sea transport of gaseous petroleum products essentially has taken place by means of the so-called Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) method. The method comprises cooling of gas to a liquid state, whereupon the gas may be transported in ship tanks at atmospheric pressure. The method requires costly equipment both at the shipment and receiving locations. As the gas must be cooled to a relatively low temperature, up to a fifth of the gas is used to operate the cooling and heating processes. Consuming this amount of energy solely in transport-related processes is expensive and also environmentally questionable.
Several other ship-based solutions have been proposed, in which the gas is pressurised and/or cooled in order to achieve a gas density that is practical for the purpose. Such solutions have gained little practical use, but a solution in which a large number of vertical tubular pressure tanks are placed in the cargo hold of a ship, has attracted considerable attention. The method is termed PNG—Pressurised Natural Gas. According to such a method, the gas is compressed at the shipment location to an overpressure of a couple of hundred bars, and the gas then is filled onto the pressure tanks located on the ship. The cooling is limited to a simple and inexpensive removal of the gas compression heat, so as to leave the transport temperature near ambient temperature.
By installing relatively long cargo pressure tanks vertically in cassettes, it is possible to better exploit the material properties of the cargo pressure tanks, whereby the net weight of the cargo pressure tanks relative to the loading capacity of the ship may be reduced.

Device for and a method of fixing and lifting vertically installed cargo pressure tanks in ships


A rotatable strap arrangement for a load carrier of a transporting vehicle. The load carrier includes an elongate tray with a rotation mechanism coupled thereto, the rotation mechanism permitting rotation relative to the elongate tray. The rotatable strap arrangement has a strap coupled to the rotation mechanism, the strap operable for securing an object to the elongate tray. The rotatable strap arrangement further includes a strap receiving mechanism coupled to the rotation mechanism, the strap receiving mechanism operable for receiving the strap.

Conventional load carriers, such as bicycle carriers, kayak/canoe carriers, ski carriers, snowboard carriers, luggage carriers, and the like, typically include at least one securing device. The securing device can be a strap, buckle, fastener, mount, clamp, and the like. For example, a conventional roof-top bicycle carrier includes one or more elongate wheel trays that extend along the length of a vehicle. Typically, these wheel trays are detachable and can be mounted on either side of the vehicle. The wheel trays are attached to the roof of the vehicle utilizing one or more lateral attachment mechanisms or cross bars of a rack system that extend across the width of the vehicle. Typically, the securing devices are fixedly or movably attached to the wheel trays and are operable for holding a bicycle in place on the roof of the vehicle, optionally in an upright position. The securing devices can include, for example, fork supports, frame clamps, and wheel straps. A wheel strap assembly, which typically includes a strap portion and a buckle portion, can be utilized to secure the rear wheel of a bicycle to one of the wheel trays. Accordingly, the wheel strap assembly is preferably offset from center with respect to the given wheel tray. The buckle portion of the wheel strap assembly typically faces outwardly toward the driver-side of the vehicle for a driver-side mounted wheel tray and outwardly toward the passenger-side of the vehicle for a passenger-side mounted wheel tray, such that an operator is provided adequate access to the buckle portion of the wheel strap assembly.
A problem arises, however, when a given wheel tray is moved from one side of the vehicle to another, such as from the driver-side of the vehicle to the passenger-side of the vehicle merely by sliding the tray across the vehicle on the cross bars. This problem is illustrated between FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIG. 1, a wheel tray 10 is initially positioned on the driver-side 12 of a vehicle 14. A wheel strap assembly 16 is utilized to secure the rear wheel of a bicycle (not shown) to the wheel tray 10. The buckle portion 18 of the wheel strap assembly 16 faces outwardly toward the driver-side 12 of the vehicle 14. If the tray 10 is completely detached from the rack and positioned on the opposite side of the vehicle with the buckle 18 of the strap assembly 16 facing outwardly, then the bicycle must be oriented in the opposite direction; that is, with the back of the bicycle facing toward the forward direction of travel. Typically, because operators prefer the bicycle to have the same orientation as the vehicle 14, this situation is undesirable. One approach to solving this problem is to make the wheel strap assembly 24 symmetrical, at least with respect to the connective mechanism to the wheel tray. In this traditional configuration, the wheel strap assembly 24 is intended to be removed and reinstalled in an opposite orientation to secure the rear wheel of the bicycle to the wheel tray 26.
Referring to FIG. 2, another approach to solving this problem is to make the wheel tray 10 slidable across the width 28 of the vehicle 14, typically on the cross bars or members of the carrying a rack system. This approach, however, results in the buckle portion 30 of the wheel strap assembly 24 being in a position such that the operator has inadequate access to the buckle portion 30 of the wheel strap assembly 24. If the wheel strap assembly 24 is made to be detachable and moveable, binding parts, scratched paint, and the like can result during execution of the process.
Thus, what is needed is a relatively simple wheel strap assembly that provides an operator adequate access to the wheel strap operating assembly regardless of the installed configuration of the wheel strap; that is, whether the wheel strap is positioned on the driver-side of the vehicle or on the passenger-side of the vehicle.

Rotatable strap assembly for a load carrier