A method for modifying the shape of a spheric or toric non-corrective lens blank such that astigmatic and peripheral defects are reduced. The outer convex and inner concave sides of the lens are initially designed according to the Gullstrand Formula. Thereafter, a visual axis of the lens is defined relative to a reference axis of the lens blank. In the preferred toric lens, the visual axis of the lens is offset from the reference axis. Once the visual axis is defined, the inner concave surface of the lens is modified so as to improve optical quality in a visual center surrounding the visual axis.

The instant invention relates to non-corrective (non-prescription) lenses for use as sun lenses or safety lenses.
It is well known in the art that piano (non-corrective) sun lenses and safety lenses have convex and concave optical surfaces that are designed according the Gullstrand formula (See FIGS. 1A and 1B). For a spherical shape lens, the Gullstrand formula allows the designer to calculate the value of the concave side radius knowing the convex side radius, the thickness of the lens and the refractive index of the material. When using the Gullstrand formula for lens design, it is understood that the concave radius and convex radius are constant throughout the arc of the lens, but that the centers of the spheres or circles are slightly offset from one another, the offset being equal to the inner radius plus the thickness of the lens less the external Radius. The offset provides the lens with a shape wherein the lens is slightly thicker at the optical center, tapering to thinner at the outer edges. This thinning shape is obvious from the lenses illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
Such a lens, designed according to the Gullstrand formula gives good results and comfortable vision when the wearer of the eyewear is looking through the optical axis of the lens or in a direction parallel to the optical axis, i.e. generally forward vision looking straight ahead (See FIG. 1A). The optical axis is defined by the line passing through the centers of the two spheres defining both sides of the lenses. However, when the wearer is looking through the periphery of the lens, i.e. either laterally, or upwardly or downwardly, vision suffers from astigmatism, prism or other distortions of the vision.
The Gullstrand formula applies not only to spherical lenses but also to toric lenses (2 curvature radiuses according 2 perpendicular meridians for each side of the lens).
Cylindrical lenses are also considered as particular toric lenses having the vertical meridian with a radius R=∞. The optical aberrations discussed hereinabove are also visible on these lenses as well.
It is also known in the art that the visual axis may be offset from the optical axis as shown in the U.S. Pat. No. to Rayton No. 1,741,536. Such a lens as shown in Rayton generally improves vision in the main visual axis and particularly improves prism deviation. See also FIG. 1B of the drawings which illustrates an offset visual axis in a conventional Gullstrand lens.
In recent years, other developments have also been made in order to improve peripheral vision in both non-corrective and corrective lenses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,435 (to Nike) describes a decentred low minus power lens that is intended to improve peripheral vision. This lens offsets the visual axis from the optical axis as previously known and further provides a low minus power to improve optical quality in the center portions of the lens. U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,166 (to Sola) describes an ophthalmic (corrective) lens with different optical zones that improve peripheral vision and avoid prismatic jump when scanning from one optical zone to another optical zone. U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,547 (to Gentex) describes a one-piece wide-field lens having aspheric and atoric (non-circular) inner and outer surfaces (in the horizontal meridian) that allow for good peripheral vision.
It is thus an object of the present invention to improve peripheral vision and astigmatism generally in the case of spherical and torical lenses which are both used in safety and sunglass lenses. The invention may be applied to spherical, cylindrical or torical shields or any shape that would cover one or both eyes. The invention will describe lens blanks whose designs do not show any optical axis whereas in the prior art, the lenses continue to utilize the optical axis.
The present invention aims to improve peripheral vision in the case of spherical lenses, cylindrical and toric lenses, and as an extension of the invention may be applied to any shape (free form). More specifically, the preferred embodiment of the instant invention provides a unique method for modifying the shape of a non-corrective lens such that astigmatic power is reduced throughout the lens and peripheral vision is improved. When the inventive method is applied, for example, to a torical shape, the method will not modify the general torical shape of the lens, but rather only one or both of the surfaces in such a way that the general Gullstrand shape is not changed.
The inventive method may generally be described as follows:
(I) The convex and concave sides of the lens are initially designed according to the Gullstrand Formula.
(II) Thereafter, a visual center of the lens is defined. The location of the visual center is preferably offset from the optical center of the lens. However, an offset location is not necessarily required according to the invention. Generally speaking, the offset of the visual center is determined by the need of the frame customer. Parameters such as base curve, front face angle of the frame, the size of the glazed lens, the distance between left and right lens frame, and the temple span allow the frame manufacturer cut the lens to locate the visual center in proper position in the frame. Accordingly, the visual center of the lens can be specifically designed for glazing in a particular frame.
In the case of the preferred toric lens blank (approximately Base 10/4.5) as will be described in detail herein, the visual center of the lens is preferably shifted along the X axis (horizontal meridian) between about 10 mm to about 25 mm, and preferably about 17 mm. This defines a visual axis (VA) that is parallel to the optical axis (OA) but offset to one side thereof. An additional vertical offset is also possible within the scope of the invention.
(III) Once the visual center is defined, the inner Gullstrand surface (concave surface) of the lens is modified so as to improve optical quality in the area where the visual center of the lens is defined as well as in other areas of the lens around the visual center. Modification of the inner Gullstrand surface is accomplished by first defining the inner surface as a set of reference points (along z-axis) relative to a reference plane (x-y), and then selectively adjusting the position of those reference points (along the z-axis) relative to the reference plane. In other words, the positions of the reference points (or localized groups of reference points) are shifted (along the z-axis) either towards or away from the x-y reference plane, with the effect of thickening or thinning the lens at those points and thus modifying the optical properties of the lens in those selected areas. By changing the values of these reference points, the inner surface is modified in order to improve optical quality, and particularly astigmatism in the main vision axis, but also in the peripheral area.
Improvement in optical quality is initially predicted and tested using three-dimensional modeling software that simulates the impact of light beams through the lens on the retina. The results of this software modeling identifies areas of the lens which have optical aberrations, and allows the lens surfaces to be modified until the aberrations are minimized or eliminated.
It is important to note that the process of defining the inner surface as a set of reference points (rather than radial values) allows the modified inner surface to be described as NURBS surface within a 3-D CAD (computer aided drafting) system. The localized modifications of the inner lens surface as required to improve optical quality, destroy the normally constant radial dimensions of the inner lens surface, and prevent the modified surface from being described by conventional radial dimensions. In the context of making the lenses in a molding process, this would normally prevent the lens surface from being accurately defined in a 3-D CAD system and would prevent automated milling of a mold surface in a computer aided milling (CAD-CAM) machine. However, by defining the inner surface using a NURBS reference system, the surface can now be accurately described and defined within a 3-D CAD system, and that information transferred to a computer aided milling (CAM) machine to produce the corresponding mold surface.
As a result, the lens or shield according to the invention has no optical center as it is defined by at least one surface that has no radius on any meridian. Instead of being defined by the position of the optical center, the lens according to the invention will be defined by the position of the visual center and the orientation the lens will have on the face of the wearer. The original optical axis (prior to modification) is changed to a Reference Axis (RA) and will be provided to the frame manufacturers in order to help frame manufacturers give the lens the proper orientation for glazing.
In other embodiments of the invention, it is possible to modify both the concave and convex surfaces so as to further improve optical properties while still-maintaining the general spherical, toric or cylindrical shape of the lens.
Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention are:                the provision of a non-corrective lens having improved peripheral vision, and        the provision of a method of defining a non-corrective lens having improved peripheral vision.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Non-corrective lenses with improved peripheral vision


A magnetic shield for a magnetic recording head includes a plurality of ferromagnetic layers, a spacer layer, and a buffer layer, wherein the buffer layer includes Co, Fe, B, or a combination thereof and effectively reduces irregular grain growth within the ferromagnetic layers, the spacer layer includes Ru, and the ferromagnetic layers magnetically couple through each of the buffer layer and the spacer layer.

Data storage media density has significantly increased over the last several decades. Thin film recording head technology has advanced to keep up with increasing data storage media density through the advent of technologies such as giant magnetoresistive (GMR), tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR), or perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR). Each of these magnetic recording technologies may incorporate a magnetic shield as a component of the completed magnetic recording head system. As the various recording head technologies target smaller and smaller bit sizes, increased magnetic shield domain stabilization is required to reduce magnetic noise. One method of managing magnetic shield domain stability is to incorporate an anti-ferromagnetic material to bias the shield into a desired magnetic orientation, creating an antiparallel composite shield configuration. In such a configuration, the thin film recording sensor is surrounded by a soft bias material, and a pair of ferromagnetic layers separated by a spacer layer are deposited thereon, such that the upper ferromagnetic layer is magnetically pinned to the lower ferromagnetic layer, but separated by the spacer. In this shield configuration, as the spacer layer thickness is increased, magnetic coupling performance decreases, effectively limiting the spacer thickness. However, at very thin spacer thicknesses, shield stability decreases due to irregular grain growth in the ferromagnetic layers surrounding the spacer. The irregular growth increases with multiple anneals of the shield, and thus shield stability decreases with multiple anneals. This constraint requiring the spacer to be thicker to avoid shield instability, but thinner to maintain a strong antiparallel coupling performance, effectively limits the effectiveness of the currently available magnetic shields.
The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the disclosed technology be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Magnetic shield for magnetic recording head


Rotary dryer having an enclosure surrounding a plurality of elongate blades positioned along an exterior portion of a fluid permeable sidewall. Rotation of the blades within the enclosure induces air to pass through the sidewall to improve drying characteristics of the dryer.

Horizontal centrifuges are commonly used to de-water and dry a variety of materials. Their applications include coal, chemical, food processing, paper mills, drilling reclamation, and sewage treatment plants.
Screen bowl dryers are horizontal centrifuges which incorporate a cylindrical slotted screen to dry solids. Typical screen bowl dryers include a bowl and a helically bladed or screw conveyor. The bowl and conveyor are rotated about a common axis in the same direction but at different speeds to discharge solids which have been separated from a slurry. The solids are discharged through a conical end of the bowl having a reduced diameter. The larger diameter section of the bowl is typically solid and the reduced diameter section is provided by the slotted screen. The slurry is introduced into the solid section of the bowl and solids are centrifugally separated from liquid. Separated solids are conveyed by the screw conveyor across the rotating screen for drying. The dried solids are then discharged.
Because the value of the dried material is dependent upon its dryness, it is desirable to improve drying characteristics of screen bowl dryers. The present invention relates to an improved screen bowl dryer which, in a cost effective manner, lowers the moisture content of the exiting material to increase the value of the material.


A system for delivering a tooth whitening substance to a plurality of adjacent teeth, the delivery system comprising a strip of flexible material having a sufficient flexibility to form a curved shape on a plurality of adjacent teeth and a tooth whitening substance. The strip of material is readily conformable to the teeth surfaces and to interstitial tooth spaces without permanent deformation when the delivery system is placed thereagainst. The tooth whitening substance is applied to the strip of material such that when the delivery system is placed on the surface of the teeth, the substance contacts the surface providing an active onto the surface. The substance also provides adhesive attachment between the strip of material and the surface to hold the delivery system in place for a sufficient amount of time to allow the active to act upon the surface. The method of delivery includes pre-coating the strip of material or having the wearer apply substance to the strip of material and then applying the delivery system to the teeth surfaces.

The most common implement for dental hygiene is the toothbrush. The mechanical action of the toothbrush bristles aids in the removal of food particles, plaque, and the like. The toothbrush is normally used with a toothpaste. Prior to about 1955, a typical toothpaste consisted of a surfactant and an abrasive material. These products were simply intended to augment the mechanical action of the brushing.
In 1955, CREST.RTM. toothpaste with fluoride, a Trademark of The Procter & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, was introduced and the toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste combination proved to be a suitable means to deliver a fluoride treatment to the teeth surfaces. Subsequently, other active ingredients, such as tartar control agents, have been added to toothpaste to provide further dental hygiene benefits. Consumers have also turned their attention to the cosmetic aspects of dental care, such as teeth straightening and whitening.
Given the success of delivering chemicals which provide therapeutic benefits for oral care, it is reasonable to expect similar success in accomplishing the cosmetic benefit via routine brushing. However, people who are serious about whitening their teeth and who have been disappointed by the results of whitening dentifrices, often resort to professional help for whitening their teeth.
Professional teeth whitening programs provided by dentists generally fall into two categories: an in-office bleaching procedure and an outside-the-office bleaching procedure. The in-office procedure involves several visits, each of which begins with the fabrication of a specially fitted rubber dam within the mouth to prevent the bleaching chemicals, typically hydrogen peroxide, from contacting the soft oral tissue. The strength of the peroxide bleach mandates the use of the dam.
The outside-the-office bleaching program differs in that the patient applies the bleaching agent to his or her own teeth using a lower strength chemical over an extended period of time, typically several hours a day for several weeks. The outside-the-office program typically requires an initial fitting in the dentist's office for an appliance which is specific to the particular patient. The appliance is a device that is fabricated to fit precisely onto the patient's teeth and is used to deliver to the patient's teeth a bleaching gel. The patient is responsible for measuring and applying the bleaching agent to the surfaces of the teeth using the appliance as the means for delivery and containment.
Because the appliance is reused, it must be sufficiently robust to endure repeat handling, cleaning, filling, installation, and wearing. Such appliances are relatively rigid in order to maintain fit during repeat use. Typically, a patient uses the device in time periods when social contact can be avoided.
There are now non-professional programs available to persons interested in whitening their teeth using commercial products available at drug stores. The commercial products provide a kit which includes a generic appliance and a container of bleaching gel. The obvious appeal is the lower cost of the program. A major disadvantage of this "one size fits all" appliance is the greater void between the interior walls of the appliance and the teeth versus the professionally fitted appliance. Hence, in order to insure intimate contact of the bleaching gel and the teeth surfaces, more bleaching gel is required. Furthermore, the poorer fit means a greater loss of bleaching gel onto the gums, into the oral cavity, and eventual ingestion. The commercial kits, like the outside-the-office professionally administered program, require the user to clean and to reuse the appliance. Since generic appliances are not fitted to the individual user, they are even more bulky in the mouth than the fitted appliances and thus they restrict social discourse to a greater degree.
One attempt to remedy some of the problems of the commercial kits is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,654, issued to Fontenot on Nov. 19, 1996. Fontenot discloses a prepackaged moldable dental appliance, adapted to fit a wide range of variously sized dental arches, which contains a premeasured amount of medicinal or bleaching agent. In use, the dental appliance is removed from the packaging, aligned in a parallel fashion to the edges of the teeth and pushed over the teeth in the direction of the periodontal tissue until it covers the teeth surfaces.
Another solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,563, issued to Curtis et al. on May 10, 1994. Curtis et al. disclose a putty-like material which is formed by pressing against the teeth. It is held in place by mechanical engagement with undercut surfaces and by friction. The composition encapsulates the active.
Other methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,953, issued to Sintov et al. on Jun. 20, 1995. Sintov et al. discloses a liquid polymer composition for bleaching of the teeth. The liquid polymer composition forms a film after applied to the teeth. Other references which disclose using a film in the oral cavity include U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,243 issued to Schiraldi et al. on Dec. 15, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,835,628, issued to Saffir on May 20, 1958.
What is needed is a low cost commercial delivery system, which has a customized fit for a minimal volume of a tooth whitening substance, and which is in conformable contact with the appropriate tooth surfaces and interstitial tooth spaces for rapid delivery of an active in such substance. In addition a delivery system is needed which does not require extensive user placement manipulation to be certain of good contact. Furthermore, what is needed is a non-bulky active containment means that will permit the wearer to use the system during social discourse without interfering with the wearer's speech or appearance. Also needed is a containment means that will protect the tooth whitening substance from erosion from contact with inner mouth surfaces and saliva.

Delivery system for a tooth whitener using a strip of material having low flexural stiffness


The invention consists a dual section vessel including a first section being a turbine exhaust steam enclosure and a second section being a condensate water vessel accumulation, both sections being connected by a system of water columns. The system of water columns comprising moderate diffusers for retaining turbine exhaust steam velocity without increasing in pressure, towards impact with cold recirculated condensate water. The recirculated warm condensate water from the condensate water vessel flows through a counter current heat exchanger, and as cold condensate water to dispersion pipes connected to the ends of the diffusers. This complete system is arranged for receiving, compressing and condensing the exhaust steam from the turbine last stage. From the collision location the exhaust steam and condensate water continue to flow as xe2x80x9ctwo phase flowxe2x80x9d downward to the xe2x80x9ccondensate water vessel.xe2x80x9d In the water columns the continuous flow produces a lower pressure in the top of the column than the pressure in the bottom. The inclusion of a xe2x80x9ccounter current heat exchangerxe2x80x9d assures a very low difference between the cooling media inlet temperature and the exiting recirculated condensate water, and a correspondingly significant reduction of the turbine exhaust steam temperature.

The present invention is related generally to compression and condensation of turbine exhaust steam, and particularly to reducing the temperature difference between the inlet of a cooling medium (e.g., sea water or fresh water) in a counter current heat exchanger and the temperature of the turbine exhaust steam. The invention is a new xe2x80x9ccondenser systemxe2x80x9d which will replace conventional condensers normally utilized in power plants.
A steam turbine is a well-known device for converting a heated gas (in this case steam) into either mechanical or electrical energy, depending upon the driven device. In the heat/power cycle of the turbine, steam enters the turbine at elevated pressure and temperature, and the inherent heat energy of the steam is converted into rotational energy.
The generally accepted heat/power cycle for central power station units requires the turbine discharge exhaust pressure to be as low as possiblexe2x80x94i.e. high vacuum. The high vacuum is intended to maximize the removal of available energy per unit mass of steam, thereby maximizing the thermodynamic efficiency from the steam turbine.
A condenser, generally a shell and tube heat exchanger, is located at the steam exit of the turbine to condense the turbine discharge steam flow for its reuse as a condensate in the heat power cycle. The cooling medium, either sea or fresh water, passes through the tubes while the exiting steam condenses within the condenser shell on the exterior surface of the tubes, ultimately falling to the bottom of the condenser for reuse in the heat power cycle.
In the current power plant state-of-the-art, large power station units are equipped with two identical low pressure double flow turbines which operate in parallel. In effect, the low pressure steam flow is divided into four parallel flows exiting four last-stage turbines, at approximately 300 m/sec.
Prior art low pressure turbine exhaust shell designs are generally inefficient, since the existing designs produce an excessive pressure drop in the exhaust steam flow, caused by obstructions in the steam path in combination with a lack of proper steam ducting to the condenser which creates undesirable swirling and a decrease in system efficiency.
The present invention provides a system for compression and condensation of turbine exhaust steam in combination with a counter current heat exchanger using sea water or fresh water or air as the cooling medium, which increases the power output of the steam turbine.
The system causes an increase in vacuum at the turbine exhaust, which in turn produces an incremental increase in the rotational energy extracted from the low pressure section of the turbines, due to a reduction in the temperature difference between the inlet of the cooling medium and the temperature of the exhaust steam, making the system very efficient.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a steam turbine exhaust system comprising a dual section vessel including a first section being a turbine exhaust steam enclosure and a second section being a condensate water vessel, both sections being connected by a system of water columns.
The system of water columns comprising moderate diffusers for retaining turbine steam velocity without increase in pressure, towards impact with the water columns, and an integral condensate recirculation connection having one end immersed in the condensate water vessel for collecting warm condensate water and transporting to a counter current heat exchanger.
Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a counter current heat exchanger is provided through which the recirculated condensate water is cooled and recirculated.
The heat exchanger controlling the temperature of the condensate, so that the condensate exit temperature being within a small temperature difference to a cooling medium through the heat exchanger, then returning the condensate at the reduced temperature for distributing through water dispersion pipes connected to the ends of the diffusers.
At the colliding location, between exhaust steam and condensate water, the exhaust steam continues to flow as xe2x80x9ctwo phase flow,xe2x80x9d where the steam being compressed and simultaneously condensed produces an incrementally lower exhaust steam temperature and higher vacuum at the exhaust of the last stage turbine. This vacuum being incrementally higher than the condensate water vessel vacuum due to a rise in condensate temperature during its downward flow in the water columns.
Still, further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, ends of the diffusers are immersed sufficiently in the condensate water so that a majority of a height of the water columns is in the ends of the diffusers, and the ends of the diffusers are arranged for receiving, compressing and condensing the exhaust steam from the last turbine stage, colliding with a cold condensate.
Preferably temperatures are generally uniform on top portion of the water columns.
Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the diffusers are sufficiently moderate so as to maintain an almost constant steam velocity until the exhaust steam is close to impact with the water columns. After the turbine neck, the diffusers are preferably enveloped up to the condensate water vessel.
A steam turbine exhaust system, wherein at least one of the said water columns downstream of one of said diffusers having integral connection for recirculating cold condensate, said water columns being inmmersed in the lower portion of said condensate water vessel.
Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a second such steam turbine exhaust system is provided, wherein turbine exhaust steam exits from the first steam turbine exhaust system, collides with recirculated condensate water, flows to the second steam turbine exhaust system and collides with water columns of the second steam turbine exhaust system which results in double compression with a corresponding increase in condensate temperature.

Compression and condensation of turbine exhaust steam


An audio processing apparatus including: an obtaining unit configured to obtain audio signals; and a processor configured to process the audio signals, wherein if it is not determined that the audio signals contain an abnormal value, the processor calculates a next sample value based on a predetermined number of sample values of the audio signals obtained by the obtaining unit, and wherein if it is determined that the audio signals contain an abnormal value, the processor uses the calculated next sample value so as to calculate a further next sample value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio processing apparatus, an audio processing method and an imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent digitalization of imaging apparatuses such as cameras, various sensors are incorporated in imaging apparatuses. Examples of such sensors include a microphone for detecting audio, a shake detection sensor for detecting a shake, a focus detection sensor for detecting the distance to a subject, and the like. These sensors are required to obtain stable detection signals.
Meanwhile, with imaging apparatuses such as cameras, there are cases where it is not possible to properly obtain sensor signals for a certain period of time due to adjustment of an optical system. For example, there are cases where audio from a subject cannot be properly obtained due to sound generated during the diaphragm closing operation. As described above, if sensor signals are not properly obtained, it leads to a decline in performance of the imaging apparatus and a decline in quality of captured information. In order to solve these problems, various signal processing circuits and imaging apparatuses have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-295400 discloses an imaging apparatus that removes noise from audio signals by using a reference sensor and an adaptive filter. Also, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-053802 discloses a method for processing audio signals in which an audio pitch near a brief noise is detected and a predictive signal is properly generated.
However, the conventional techniques described above are problematic in that a component is required for performing appropriate processing in the case where a situation occurs briefly in which only inappropriate signals are obtained, or the load is intensively transmitted at a specific timing. For example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 03-295400 requires a sensor for obtaining the reference signal of the adaptive filter. Also, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-053802 requires detection of the pitch and generation of the predictive signal at the occurrence of a noise, resulting in concentration of a computational load.

Audio processing apparatus, audio processing method and imaging apparatus


A printable recording media comprising a supporting base substrate and a coating layer that contains a fixative agent and a binder system including a combination of water soluble binder and water dispersible binder. Also, described herein, is a method for making said printable recording media.

Inkjet printing is a non-impact printing method in which an electronic signal controls and directs droplets or a stream of ink that can be deposited on a variety of substrates. Current inkjet printing technology involves forcing the ink drops through small nozzles by thermal ejection, piezoelectric pressure or oscillation, onto the surface of a media. This technology has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper, for many reasons, including low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording and multi-color recording. Inkjet web printing is a technology that is specifically well adapted for commercial and industrial printing.
It has rapidly become apparent that the image quality of printed images using such printing technology is strongly dependent on the construction of the recording media used. Consequently, improved recording media, often specifically designed, have been developed. However, while many developments have been made, it has often created challenges to find effective printable recording media. Accordingly, investigations continue into developing such media substrates.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention disclosed herein is directed to nitric acid regeneration fuel cell systems that comprise: an anode; a cathode confronting and spaced apart from the anode; an anolyte flowstream configured to flowingly contact the anode, wherein the anolyte flowstream includes a fuel, preferably methanol, for reacting at the anode; a catholyte flowstream configured to flowingly contact the cathode, wherein the catholyte flowstream includes nitric acid for reacting at the cathode to thereby yield cathode reaction products that include nitric oxide and water in a catholyte effluent flowstream; and a hydrogen peroxide flowstream configured to contact and react hydrogen peroxide with the nitric oxide of the catholyte effluent flowstream at a hydrogen peroxide oxidation zone to thereby yield a regenerated nitric acid flowstream. The regenerated nitric acid flowstream is preferably reused in the catholyte flowstream.

A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that consists essentially of two opposing electrodes, an anode and a cathode, ionically connected together via an interposing electrolyte. Unlike a battery, fuel cell reactants are supplied externally rather than internally. Fuel cells operate by converting fuels, such as hydrogen or a hydrocarbon (e.g., methanol), to electrical power through an electrochemical process rather than by combustion. It does so by harnessing the electrons released from controlled oxidation-reduction reactions occurring on the surface of a catalyst. A fuel cell can produce electricity continuously so long as proper reactants are supplied from an outside source.
With respect to state-of-the-art fuel cell systems generally, several different configurations and structures have been contemplated. In this regard, existing fuel cell systems are typically classified based on one or more criteria, such as, for example: (1) the type of fuel and/or oxidant used by the system, (2) the type of electrolyte used in the electrode stack assembly, (3) the steady-state operating temperature of the electrode stack assembly, and (4) whether the fuel is processed outside (external reforming) or inside (internal reforming) the electrode stack assembly. In general, however, it is perhaps most customary to classify existing fuel cell systems by the type of electrolyte (i.e., ion conducting media) employed within the electrode stack assembly. Accordingly, most state-of-the-art fuel cell systems have been classified into one of the following known groups:                1. Phosphoric acid fuel cells (e.g., phosphoric acid electrolyte);        2. Alkaline fuel cells (e.g., KOH electrolyte);        3. Molten carbonate fuel cells (e.g., Li2CO3/K2CO3 electrolyte);        4. Solid oxide fuel cells (e.g., yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte);        5. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (e.g., NAFION electrolyte).
Unfortunately, existing state-of-the-art fuel cell systems are not entirely satisfactory for the production of small-scale portable direct feed fuel cell systems, in part, because of problems associated with achieving a small form factor while maintaining a relatively high power density. In addition, existing fuel cell technology has not addressed many of the concomitant problems associated with closed circulating microfluidic liquid feed fuel cell systems adapted for use with portable electronic devices. More specifically, and at the present time, there has been very little in way of research and development directed toward nitric acid regeneration fuel cell systems having a recirculating nitric acid catholyte flowstream. Previous known fuel cell systems that have contemplated the use and regeneration of a nitric acid catholyte flowstream include, for example, those systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,261,717, U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,274, U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,735, U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,227, U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,225, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,250. Most all of these systems, however, use a nitric acid catholyte flowstream that is regenerated with oxygen gas from the air; and as such, these fuel cell systems are not optimal for working within a closed recirculating microfluidic liquid feed fuel cell system adapted for use with a portable electronic device.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for new and improved nitric acid regeneration fuel cell systems. More specifically, there is a need for nitric acid regeneration fuel cell systems having a recirculating nitric acid catholyte flowstream that is regenerated with a secondary oxidant flowstream, and that incorporates microfluidic and microelectromechanical systems ("MEMS") technologies so as to achieve a high power density within a small form factor. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.

Nitric acid regeneration fuel cell systems


A communication control system includes an attendance confirmation accepting unit that accepts confirmation of attendance according to an operation of an attendee to an information processing apparatus located at a conference room, a random number processor that generates a random number in case of accepting the confirmation of attendance and stores connection authentication information based on the random number in a memory, the connection authentication information being used for authenticating exchange of information with a terminal operated by the attendee at the conference, a print controller that transfers an output command for printing an image having the generated random number to an image forming apparatus, and a wireless connection controller that receives authentication information input by the terminal based on the random number via wireless communication at the conference room and authenticates the exchange of information with the terminal based on the connection authentication information stored in the memory.

Technical Field
The present invention relates to a communication control system, a communication control apparatus, and a communication control method.
Background Art
Recently, information can be exchanged within limited areas using close-range wireless communication technologies such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Near Field Communication (NFC). In those technologies, various methods that can allow to exchange information among limited terminals only have been proposed. For example, a technology that forms a network in which information can be exchanged among terminals to which a same keyword is input has been proposed.

Communication control system, communication control apparatus, and communication control method


Access time is improved in a automated library system having sequentially stored data on a recording tape medium. A multiplicity of copies of the data is stored on different tape cartridges. The copies and the original are stored in different areas of the library. Each data segment stored on the tape media copy is stored in different areas of the media length from the original. The multiple copies are created and deleted independent of any user control. The usage of the original and any copies determine the number of copies and their residence times. The library manager selects the tape cartridge that can be retrieved in the shortest response time using the location of the original and the copies, the location on each cartridge of the data requested, the drive and library robot picker availability and the respective queues.

In data processing installations, host processors generally have a relatively large plurality of peripheral data storage devices for storing data to be used in connection with host processor operations. Each host processor generally executes programs that allocate portions of the data storage space of the respective peripheral data storage device to various computer processes within the host processor. When the data processing environment grows to have an extremely large number of addressable data storage volumes which are mounted on a data storage unit, such as a magnetic or optical library system, the utilization of such data storage space and the accessing of such data storage space becomes extremely complicated. Libraries are often used in a hierarchical storage system with the volatile memory units, such as integrated circuit storage devices, being at the top of the hierarchy and the library systems being at the bottom.
Often times, duplicate copies of the same data are stored in different levels of the hierarchy in order to promote the rapid access of data by the host central processing units. The use of cache memories, for instance, permits the rapid access of often-used data by placing the most recently accessed data and the data in the immediate area to the most recently accessed data into the cache memory. This copy of the data stored in a lower level of the hierarchy, such as in a direct access storage device, or a magnetic tape storage device, or in a library system, is copied into a faster access memory store. The duplication of the data in different memory locations is often used for the protection of the data in the event one of the storage areas fails. Generally though, the duplication of the data in the different levels of the storage areas in the hierarchy is for the rapid access to the data in what could be inordinate periods of time for data retrieval which could complicate the retrieval of data and the operation of the entire data processing system.
Some applications of data processing systems require the storing and retrieving of such large amounts of information that many storage devices are required. In these applications, the user typically requires a hierarchy of storage that includes some combination of main memory and one or more types of peripheral storage devices. The goal of the hierarchy is to obtain moderately priced, high capacity storage while maintaining high speed access to the stored information. Hierarchical storage typically allows information to be transferred between main memory and one or more of the peripheral storage devices or between one or more peripheral storage devices and one or more other peripheral storage devices. Further storage is provided by maintaining libraries of data storage media, such as tapes, magnetic disks, or optical disks that can be mounted onto the existing peripheral devices.
In the retrieval of data from the lowest level in the hierarchy, the library system, the delay grows to seconds rather than fractions of seconds. When the data processing environment grows to have an extremely large number of addressable data storage volumes, which are mountable in a library storage unit, the utilization of such data storage space and the accessing of such data storage space becomes extremely complicated. Improvements to the retrieval of the stored data can result in the saving of much time.
Data storage in data processing environments typically is viewed as a hierarchy of storage levels. The first, or fastest, level is the level that communicates directly with the host processors in the data processing environment. The lower levels of the hierarchy, which may be up to six, seven or eight levels, add increasingly large data storage capacities, but have increasingly longer access times. The lower levels of the storage hierarchy are often characterized by a plurality of individually addressable data storage devices stored in library systems. It is desired to utilize these various addressable storage devices in an optimal manner for enhancing the overall operation of the data processing environment and, particularly, the data storage hierarchy.
In a library environment, a single section of data stored on a single media casing, whether cartridge or cassette or disk unit, is mountable and demountable from a drive unit. Even in an automated library, the access time to one volume of data is measured in seconds; hence, it is a relatively long time with respect to the time base of a data processing environment. Accordingly, it is desirous to minimize the time required for access to a single media unit of data. It is likewise desirous to increase the efficiency of the retrieval of data stored in the volumes for operating the data storage hierarchy and, hence, the data processing system in a more efficient manner.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an enhanced library storage subsystem and a method of operating the enhanced library storage subsystem.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a management of media units in a library system and the storage of data in each media unit in a manner which enhances the retrieval of data from the library system.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method of operating a library system that improves the response time for retrieving data information stored in cartridges in the library system.

Method and apparatus for reducing response time in automated library data retrieval systems

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides a method for detecting the start of a dive for a portable electronic device (1) comprising a pressure sensor (5) for measuring the value of the ambient pressure (P) as well as electronic circuits (2) for processing the pressure measurement results comprising a time base (4) and at least one memory zone (7, 8). The detection method updates the reference pressure value (Pref) on the basis of ambient pressure (P) measurements, this value being used to detect the start of a dive. In certain particular conditions, the method according to the present invention suspects the start of a dive, and backs up the value (Psauv) of the reference pressure (Pref) stored before updating. If the start of a dive is confirmed after having been suspected, the reference pressure value (Pref) stored is replaced by the backed up value (Psauv) upon activation of the dive mode.

Methods for detecting the start of a dive using various physical principles are known from the prior art.
EP Patent No. 0 689 109 granted in the name of CITIZEN WATCH CO. LTD on 16 Dec. 1998, discloses a method of this type and a portable electronic device for implementing the same. In particular, this device is provided with specific means arranged for detecting an entry into contact of the device with water, and a pressure sensor, arranged for measuring the ambient pressure value. According to this patent, the pressure sensor is powered, in a first operating mode, so as to carry out an atmospheric pressure measurement approximately once an hour in order to store the value thereby obtained as the reference pressure value. Moreover, the specific water detection means, which can for example take the form of ohmic contacts arranged on the case of the device, are permanently or periodically powered.
The ohmic contacts thus fulfil a main switch function for the circuits dedicated to the operating mode relating to diving, particularly for the pressure sensor. In fact, when the presence of water is detected at the ohmic contacts, the powering frequency of the pressure sensor is modified such that the ambient pressure measurements are carried out with a period of the order of a second, in an operating mode called the preparation mode. These measurements allow the pressure variation value between the last measured value and the last stored reference pressure value to be calculated, the variation value then being compared to a predefined pressure value constituting a dive mode trigger threshold. When the pressure variation passes the trigger threshold, the dive mode is activated. In the opposite case, the sensor it still powered for several minutes in order to monitor the evolution of the ambient pressure. Once this time period has passed, the preparation mode is deactivated and the pressure sensor is again powered with a period of the order of an hour.
Such a detection method for example enables a distinction to be made between a situation in which the person wearing the device wets the latter by washing his hands and a situation actually corresponding to the start of a dive. In this latter case, the pressure measurements carried out by the pressure sensor enable the start of a dive to be validated after activation of the preparation mode, insofar as the device first experiences contact with water before its surrounding or ambient pressure increases.
However, this type of device has a significant drawback from the point of view of its construction, residing in the need to provide specific means for detecting the presence of water around its case. In the aforecited case of thus use of ohmic contacts, it is in fact imperative to provide specific means for guaranteeing the water resistance of the case of the device in the region of such contacts, which may involve significant consequences as regards the manufacturing cost of the device. Consequently, the method described hereinbefore has a similar drawback because it is based on the implementation of specific means for detecting the presence of water.
Other methods and devices are known from the prior art which do not implement such specific means for detecting the presence of water and which exploit ambient pressure measurements to detect the start of a dive.
In particular, such devices are known in which a pressure sensor is periodically powered to measure the ambient pressure value, the results of these measurements being stored. These devices are arranged such that every time there is a new ambient pressure measurement, the variation value between this last measurement and the preceding one is calculated and compared to a value defining a trigger threshold. Once the trigger threshold has been passed, the dive mode is activated, the penultimate measured pressure value being typically stored as the reference pressure, i.e. it is supposed to correspond to the surface pressure of the body of water in which the dive is being carried out.
This type of device has, however, a drawback because the precision of the detection of the start of a dive is entirely based on the value retained for the trigger threshold.
Thus, if the value retained for this threshold is too low, the device is exposed to a risk of the dive mode being inadvertently triggered. By way of example, if the person wearing such a device descends a mountain road at a sustained pace, the device is capable of mistaking the corresponding increase in pressure for entry into water. On the other hand, if the value retained for the threshold is too high, precision as to the trigger is liable to be poor if the wearer remains in the water in proximity to the surface for some time before the start of a dive. In such a case, it may also happen that the stored reference pressure value is not correct since it was measured in the water, at a lower depth than that corresponding to the trigger threshold. Such an error can, depending upon its amplitude, have dangerous consequences for the health of the person wearing the device, particularly from the point of view of data relating to any decompression stop onto which the error would be carried over.

Method for detecting the start of a dive for a dive computer


Measures for configuring a network aggregation device in a network. First routing data for a plurality of internet protocol (IP) flows configured on at least one edge device of a service provider network is identified. The edge device is located towards the service provider network from the network aggregation device. At least one utility metric for at least one IP flow in the identified plurality of IP flows is calculated. The at least one utility metric is calculated at least in part on the basis of one or more destination IP addresses associated with the at least one IP flow. A subset of IP flows from the identified plurality of IP flows is selected at least in part on the basis of the calculated at least one utility metric. Second routing data for the selected subset of IP flows is configured on the network aggregation device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to device configuration. In particular, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to configuring a network aggregation device in a network.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Aggregation devices are in widespread use in networks such as service provider networks. The role of a network aggregation device is essentially that of a multiplexer. In one direction into the service provider network (sometimes referred to as the 'north' direction), a network aggregation device combines traffic from several interfaces onto a single, higher-capacity interface, which reduces the number of physical ports occupied on a device located towards the service provider network such as a service provider network edge device (which is usually relatively expensive). In the opposite direction out of the service provider network (sometimes referred to as the 'south' direction), a network aggregation device demultiplexes traffic onto the correct outgoing interface, for example based on some form of encapsulation such as virtual local area network (VLAN) tag or multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) label. The multiplex/demultiplex rules are very basic, involving only the interface numbers and tags/labels as match criteria. Complex IP forwarding rules are implemented on the service provider network edge device.
A downside is that when one subscriber network edge device needs to send traffic via another subscriber network edge device, the packets get forwarded all the way to the service provider network edge device, where an internet protocol (IP) routing decision is made, then the packet is forwarded back through the network aggregation device to the other subscriber network edge device. This traffic forwarding pattern is sometimes referred to as 'tromboning' and should be avoided where possible.


A communication system comprising at least one ubiquitous sensor for generating awareness data relating to a user, a context engine for receiving and processing the awareness data to determine the user's current context for the purpose of event handling, a policy engine for receiving and relating at least one pertinent evidential indicator of the relevance, urgency or importance of an incoming event from a caller to the user's current context and in response selecting a preferred event handling feature, and a delivery agent for executing the preferred event handling feature.

Inexpensive connectivity provided by the Internet, along with wireless devices and the emergence of ubiquitous sensors is creating the conditions for a generation of new services based on an 'always-connected' feature model. In this model users are always reachable by means of portable wireless appliances without limitation due to time or location. Conversely, users are also always able to reach useful collaborators and information. These capabilities call into question a number of assumptions that underlie traditional prior art call processing models. Many features of prior art call processing models make implicit assumptions about system and user behavior that are used to handle calls to a busy or not-present user. In the 'always-connected' feature model, the 'not-present' assumption is invalidated.
Traditional models of call processing fall into two distinct categories. The older model utilizes centralized call processing in which a call is created as a single entity in a single place. In such prior art systems, 'busy' meant that a telephone set was off-hook and therefore the telephone switch control could not communicate with it.
In the newer Intelligent Network (IN) SS7 (signaling system 7) model, the call results from the cooperation of two distinct entities (call-halves) which cooperate by means of message passing and negotiation over a digital backbone using ISUP protocol. Feature logic is centralized in offices referred to as SCPs (service control points). Features operating in the local offices (SSPs or service signaling points) may have trigger points in their code for referring operation to an SCP to obtain proper behavior.
The distributed call-halve model allows for call processing to be physically distributed. With call state sharing, the assumptions regarding 'busy' status have been modified giving rise to features such as 'call waiting' and 'camp on'. A call process separate from the equipment used to make call connection has allowed for communication with the user on an existing call, and user notification of a call queue awaiting his/her attention.
Both of these call-processing models share the characteristic of a centralized definition of features. Indeed, in the instantiation of the Intelligent Network (IN), this was considered to be a primary benefit of the distributed model (i.e. new features can be defined and provisioned centrally in the IN). This has resulted in the benefit of creating a faster time to market for new features and greater stability in the network as features need to be designed only once to run on switching systems purchased from any manufacturer. Network stability has also been enhanced since features have been designed by teams of experienced designers with a view to avoiding 'bugs' resulting form interactions of multiple feature designs. Most useful features are specific to and have knowledge of the current user context. IN services therefore have great difficulty with customized and personalized services, which are the services of most utility. As a result the IN and its successor the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) have not been able to achieve what had been hoped.
The Internet has created an emphasis on a new set of non-functional requirements that have been difficult to achieve using the above-described existing models of call processing. Centralized feature definitions make it difficult to create customized services tailored to particular enterprises in the public network and to create services personalized to the needs of specific users in enterprise networks, which are hallmarks of Internet applications.
More recently, the SIP and CPL protocols have been developed by IETF to provide user defined call handling (see Sinnreich, H; Johnston, A. B., Internet Communication Using SIP, Wiley, 2001 pp 104-108, and The Internet Draft by Schulzrinne, H.; Rosenberg, J.; SIP Caller Preferences and Callee Capabilities, draft-ieff-sip-callerprefs-05.txt available at: http://www.softarmor.com/sipwg/drafts/draft-ieff-sipcallerprefs-05.txt). In these models call disposition is not controlled by a centralized set of standard features designed in a lab environment by expert developers. Rather, the user specifies a set of personal features that can be tailored to closely match the needs of the user's activities within an enterprise environment. These personal features can be cognizant of the identity of the user's collaborators, the nature of the work being done, the user's calendar and so on.
Within SIP, a user may register several Contact addresses with the proxy server that is serving him/her. The user may specify in the SIP INVITE message the types of connections he/she will accept. This is done by specifying the characteristics of the end point (or User Agent) in the ACCEPT-CONTACT and REJECT-CONTACT headers that the user prefers to either accept or reject, respectively. These headers can specify specific end-points in terms of their URLs as being preferred for acceptance or rejection.
The ability to identify specific end points that are preferred for rejection or acceptance indicates a new level of features that are being enabled by SIP. The caller preferences in SIP may specify specific characteristics of the physical device at the end point, which provides an easily understood application of this protocol to conventional telephony.
However, there is no adequate explanation in the SIP drafts of how conflict between called party and caller preferences may be identified and resolved. The CPL specification (Lennox, J.; Schulzrinne, H.; Call Processing Language Framework and Requirements, IETF RFC2824, http://www.ieff.org/internet-drafts/draft-ieff-iptel-cpl-06.txt) mentions that certain caller preferences may be ignored in making a decision. However no guidance is given as to whether such a capability is acceptable or even useful. In short the currently specified SIP call handling procedures are inadequate for call handling in realistic call processing situations.
Thus, SIP and CPL do not provide an effective architecture for handling user preferences in the execution of features and especially in the handling of conflicts between preferences. Consequently, doubts have been expressed concerning the scalability and evolvability of such protocols to realistically sized systems using Internet technology.
Accordingly, the inventor has recognized the desirability of extending the IETF model, understanding the features that it enables and developing practical technological solutions to issues in implementation of these features.

Architecture and implementation for control of context aware call processing with local feature definition


An apparatus in an instrument panel of a vehicle includes a first accessory control unit disposed in the instrument panel and a second accessory control unit disposed in the instrument panel. The second accessory control unit is juxtaposed with the first accessory control unit. A moveable switch panel is deployable in a first position covering at least a portion of the first accessory control unit and is deployable in a second position covering at least a portion of the second accessory control unit. The movable switch panel includes a plurality of manually actuable switch elements adaptable in response to being deployed in the first or second position to provide a first set of switch functions while in the second position and a second set of switch functions while in the first position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a moveable switch panel for activating vehicle accessories, and more particularly, to a moveable switch panel utilizing common switch elements that are reconfigurable for dual functionality based on the position of the moveable switch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle accessory input controls typically consist of a plurality of buttons, knobs, or menu driven display screens located on an instrument panel within the passenger compartment of a vehicle for controlling accessories such as multimedia, navigation, and climate control systems. Often the center console area of the instrument panel is cluttered with a large number single push button switches to control as many of the vehicle accessory functions as possible. Numerous amounts of switches are often aesthetically displeasing to a user. The more switches required to provide the ever increasing accessory functionality, the smaller the size each switch becomes in order to package them in the available space. Generally a user desires larger size switches in an uncluttered center console area.
Reconfigurable display units have been utilized to overcome the cluttered appearance of the center console area. Reconfigurable display units utilize either display screens or touch screens with menu driven options. The number of switches can be greatly decreased with the utilization of only a few switches to control the menu driven options. However, complicated menu structures are cumbersome to use because the user is required to transition through several menu screens in order to get to the desired function. Simple operation is desired to avoid a distraction to the driver operating the vehicle accessories.


A diverting valve for a fire hydrant which has a valve body (20) defining four orifices (28) to which adapter (42) are connected to accept hoses that are directed to a fire and a pumping apparatus. A cylindrical diverter (50) is rotatably disposed within the body and contains a pair of opposed hollow cavities (54) providing a flowpath between adjacent orifices. A lid (84) encloses the valve and a handle (98) affixed upon a stem (52) of the diverter permits manual rotation. The valve is made of lightweight material and the handle is ergonomically shaped.

Ever since man discovered fire he has realized the potential danger that fires constantly present, in addition to the obvious benefits that fires provide. Throughout history fires have been the cause of some of the most destructive and deadly catastrophes that have ever occurred. From the days of the Roman empire, when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and molten ash flowed into and over the city of Pompeii, destroying much of the city, to the great fire of San Francisco in the early 1900's, fire has been proven to be an indiscriminate and very capable destroyer.
Due to fire's constant danger, almost every city in the United States, and most developed countries, provide some sort of firefighting service. Larger cities have fully functioning fire departments, while smaller cities often recruit volunteers to serve as firefighters when the need arises. Also, many specialized tools and various equipment has been designed to assist in fighting fires. One example of this equipment are the specialized valves used to provide water to firemen when they are attempting to extinguish a blaze.
Previously, a few types of four way valves have been used to provide an effective means for fighting fires by permitting a hose to be quickly attached to a fire hydrant and then ultimately through a pumping apparatus. In the past this approach has been limited to a combination of butterfly valves and flapper or swinging check valves. This prior art has been complicated and difficult to understand and restricts flow by the very nature of the type of valve used. Various valves of the low pressure differential type have been developed and are in use to minimize the pressure drop through the valve such as large orifice ball valves and the like.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,464,064 Weingarten 7 November 1995 4,373,543 Brown, et al 15 February 1983 4,303,093 Swingler 1 December 1981 3,871,614 Hughes, et al 18 March 1975 3,648,970 Hartmann, et al 14 March 1972 2,836,197 Johnson 27 May 1958 1,937,597 Schmidt 5 December 1933 1,750,927 Diez 18 March ______________________________________ 1930
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,064, titled Valve Particularly Useful in Fire Extinguishing Systems, invented by Zvi Weingarten, relates to a valve including a valve member having: a predetermined surface area on its inlet side exposed to the inlet pressure to produce a force for moving the valve member to an open position; a larger surface area on its opposite, control side exposed to the inlet pressure produces a larger force moving the valve member to a closed position; a passageway through the valve member; a restrictor orifice in the passageway; and a one-way valve in the passageway permits fluid flow only from the inlet side to the control side of the valve member, thus preventing unintentional opening of the valve member in the event of a drop in the inlet pressure followed by the resumption of the inlet pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,543, titled Fire Resistant Seat for Flow Control Valve, invented by Robert J. Brown, et al discloses a flow control valve with a valve closure element provided having at least one annular resilient seat member and an annular flexible metal seat member positioned adjacent to it. The flexible metal seat is held in position by heat resistant gaskets biased against the resilient seat member. Upon the failure of the resilient seat to seal because of melting or deterioration caused by exposure to heat, the flexible metal seat member springs into position providing a fire and heat resistant metal-to-metal seal with the valve closure element.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,614, titled Four Way Hydrant Valve, issued to Robert T. Hughes, et al teaches a combined type of valve for controlling water to a fire hose utilizing a main valve chamber with a butterfly valve having an inlet and an outlet for 41/2 in ID fire hose. A separate conduit has an inlet and an outlet for 21/2 in ID hose with a intermediate opening communicating with the chamber upstream of the butterfly valve. A check valve closes the opening when the pressure at the inlet of the separate conduit exceeds the pressure in the main valve chamber. This prior art requires manual changeover after the pumper has been started therefore producing a higher pressure than available at the fire hydrant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,970 of Hartmann, et al entitled Handle Assembly for a Rotatable Ball Valve discloses a handle assembly with a notched latch plate locking the handle to the housing as a detent element. The latch pin includes several notches for specific valve positions corresponding to selected valve settings.
Johnson's U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,197 titled Zone-Controlled Heating System utilizes a flat swinging valve member for diverting heating fluid to a specific portion of a heating system in a proportioned manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,937,597 issued to Schmidt titled, Valve, is for a diverting valve using exhaust gas as the fluid and an opposed pair of spring loaded swinging valve members controlling the flowpath.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,750,927 of Diez titled Fire Hose Connector Head teaches a manually operated valve that permits flow through a flapper valve to a firefighter's hose. When a pumper is connected to the valve, the flow may be directed to the pump and the higher pressure discharge stream is introduced to the back side of the flap valve maintaining closure as long as the pressure is higher on the pump side.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates reference may be made to the patent issued to Swindler in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,093.


The present invention is drawn to biological control of plant pathogens (e.g. either preharvest or postharvest diseases) on agricultural commodities (such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, grains, nuts, seeds and silage) by use of at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the biological control of plant diseases (e.g. either pre-harvest or postharvest diseases) in agricultural commodities such as fruit. More particularly, this invention relates to: (1) methods for biologically controlling plant diseases (such as post harvest rots) on agricultural commodities using either, (a) at least one calcium salt and at least one microorganism which is an antagonist to plant pathogens, or (b) at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens but is not antibiotic; (2) compositions useful in such methods, and; (3) manufactures produced by such methods.
2. Description of Prior Art
Postharvest diseases of fruit cause 15 to 25% losses yearly in the fruit industry worldwide. Fungicides, the major weapon in combatting these diseases, are often ineffective and pose hazards to humans and the environment. Therefore, a critical need exists for new methods to control postharvest diseases without posing such hazards to humans or the environment.
Recently, it has been shown that the postharvest treatment of fruit with antagonistic microorganisms is an effective approach to the control of postharvest rots. Remarkable success was shown in the control of brown rot in peaches caused by Monilinia fructicola (Wint.) Honey with Bacillus subtilis. Pusey et al. [Plant Dis. 86:753-756 (1986)]. De Matos was able to reduce mold incidence from 35% to 8% when a species of Trichoderma was inoculated with Penicillium digitatum into lemon peel. De Matos, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Riverdale, (1983). Singh and Deverall demonstrated biocontrol with bacterial antagonists to the citrus pathogens Alternaria citri Pierce, Geotrichum candidum link. ex Pers., and P. digitatum. Singh et al. [Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 83:487-490 (1983)]. Dipping wounded citrus fruit in suspensions of bacterial cells, particularly a strain of Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenber) Cohn, delayed decay by the three rot pathogens.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to processes for inhibiting plant pathogen development on an agricultural commodity comprising: applying (in the context of the present invention, xe2x80x9capplyingxe2x80x9d is intended to be limited to the intentional and willful dispensing of the microorganism(s) onto the agricultural commodity, as opposed to the natural occurrence of a microorganism on an agricultural commodity) to an agricultural commodity at least one microorganism, the at least one microorganism being an antagonist against plant pathogens but not being antibiotic, wherein the at least one microorganism is applied in an amount effective to inhibit plant pathogen development on the agricultural commodity. The most striking and novel aspect of this invention is the use of microorganisms which. do not produce antibiotics to control the diseases of agricultural commodities. This method is of importance to the consumer because it avoids the potential adverse effects of antibiotics in the food supply, such as the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens.
A second aspect of the present invention relates to processes for inhibiting plant pathogen development on an agricultural commodity comprising: applying to the agricultural commodity at least one calcium salt and at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens (and preferably not antibiotic); wherein the at least one calcium salt and the at least one microorganism are applied to the agricultural commodity in an amount effective to inhibit plant pathogen development on said agricultural commodity.
A third aspect of the instant invention pertains to compositions which maybe utilized in carrying out the aforementioned processes. Such compositions include:
A composition comprising a mixture of, (1) at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens but is not antibiotic and, (2) a carrier for said at least one microorganism selected from the group consisting of a gel, gum, wax, oil, talc, starch and mixtures thereof;
A composition comprising a mixture of, at least one microorganism and a carrier for said at least one microorganism, wherein at least 99% by count of said at least one microorganism is antagonistic against plant pathogens but is not antibiotic; and/or,
A composition comprising a mixture of, at least one calcium salt and at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens, and preferably is not antibiotic (preferably such a composition may: (a) consist essentially of the at least one calcium salt and the at least one microorganism, and/or; (b) have at least 99% by count of microorganisms therein be antagonistic to plant pathogens, and/or; (c) have at least 99% by count of microorganisms therein be nonantibiotic).
A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to manufactures which may include:
A manufacture comprising an agricultural commodity having thereon a concentration of at least about 105 colony forming units per square centimeter of at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens but is not antibiotic;
A manufacture comprising an agricultural commodity having microorganisms thereon, wherein the majority of said microorganisms are at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens but is not antibiotic;
A manufacture comprising an agricultural commodity having thereon a calcium salt and at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens (and preferably is not antibiotic) in a concentration of at least about 105 colony forming units per square centimeter; and/or
A manufacture comprising an agricultural commodity having a calcium salt and microorganisms thereon, wherein the majority of microorganisms on said agricultural commodity are at least one microorganism which is an antagonist against plant pathogens.
A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a biologically pure culture of an isolate of Hanseniaspora uvarum having the identifying characteristics of isolate NRRL Y-18527.
The aforementioned microorganism(s) may for example be selected from the group consisting of: fungi (e.g. yeast), bacteria, viruses and mixtures thereof.
In regard to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, we have discovered new strains of yeast that are highly effective in controlling a variety of plant (e.g. fruit-rot) pathogens which affect a wide variety of agricultural commodities. Three isolates of the new strains have been deposited with the culture collection at The Northern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Ill. 61604, under the acquisition numbers NRRL Y-18313, NRRL Y-18314 and NRRL Y-18527. NRRL Y-18314 has been identified as Pichia quilliermondii and NRRL Y-18527 has been identified as Hanseniaspora uvarum (Nidlaus) Shehata, Mrak et Phaff. The deposited materials have been accepted for deposit under the Budanest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the purposes of patent procedure. Further, (1) said depository affords permanence of the deposits and ready accessibility thereto by the public if a patent is granted, (2) the materials have been deposited under conditions that assure that access to the materials will be available during the pendency of the patent application to one determined by the Comissioner of Patents and Trademarks to be entitled thereto under 37 CFR 1.14 and 35 USC 122. All restrictions on the availability of progenies of the strain to the public will be irrevocably removed upon the granting of the patent.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel biological control agents which pose no risk to the consumer and are highly effective in controlling a variety of plant pathogens causing preharvest and postharvest diseases on a variety of agricultural commodities (e.g. fruits).
It is also an object of the invention to provide a method of biologically controlling plant diseases (e.g. postharvest diseases) on agricultural commodities (e.g. fruits) which does not require the use of fungicidal treatments.
In a preferred embodiment of our invention, agricultural commodities are subjected to an aqueous suspension comprising an isolate of yeast having the identifying characteristics of an isolate selected from the group consisting of: NRRL Y-18313, NRRL Y-18314, NRRL Y-18527 and mixtures thereof. In effect, the organisms multiply and occupy the surfaces of wounded fruit, thereby preventing infection by plant (e.g. fruit-rot) pathogens.

Inhibiting plant pathogens with an antagonistic microorganism(s)

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


A method of fabricating poly crystalline silicon type thin film transistor is disclosed. In the method, before the step of re-crystallization of amorphous silicon to form polycrystalline silicon active pattern, a step for injecting predetermined amount of oxygen atom into the surface part of the amorphous silicon layer. By this addition of step, the surface part of the silicon layer is to be oxidized and the crystal defect in the interface between the gate insulating layer and poly crystalline silicon layer can be cured and the mobility of charge carrier can be improved in the channel of the thin film transistor.

Thin film transistor used in LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) can be divided into two types, amorphous silicon type and polycrystalline silicon type, by material structure of silicon thin film.
In considering that the glass substrate used in LCD panel cannot sustain the flat state in high temperature process, the amorphous silicon type thin film transistor is more favorable for LCD fabrication because the amorphous silicon thin film can be formed by a low temperature process, like a CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) process under the temperature of 400° C.
But, in amorphous silicon, the mobility of charge carrier is lower than that in polycrystalline silicon. And the rapid operation of transistor is needed for integrated circuits used in driving LCD. Thus, the integrated circuits cannot be formed on the amorphous silicon thin film of which the active region of pixel transistor of LCD is made. And thus, the integrated circuits should be prepared independently and attached to the peripheral part of LCD panel to drive the pixel transistors of LCD.
On the other hand, in the polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, the mobility of charge carrier is far higher than the mobility of charge carrier in an amorphous silicon type thin film transistor. Thus, the transistor formed on the polycrystalline silicon thin film can be adapted in an integrated circuit for driving LCD. And that means the integrated circuit for driving LCD can be formed on the polycrystalline silicon thin film formed on a substrate of LCD panel. Resultantly, in the LCD of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, power consumption of LCD and expense of fabricating LCD can be lowered.
But, in case of adapting polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, the additional process of laser beam scanning to crystallize the primal amorphous silicon film formed by low temperature CVD is needed. And, the fact that driving integrated circuit generally has both p type channel transistor and n type channel transistor makes the process of forming transistors of driving integrated circuit and the process of forming LCD more complicated.
Polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor can also be compared with mono crystalline silicon type transistor which is formed on mono crystal silicon wafer. In comparison with mono crystalline silicon, the polycrystalline silicon has much more grain surface and thus has much more defects like dangling bonds. Accordingly, in a polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, the interface between polycrystalline silicon and gate oxide has much more crystal defects. These defects decrease the average mobility of charge carrier in the channel of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor by capturing the charge carrier when the source/drain current flows. Thus, the defects lower the speed of operation in the transistor. To improve the speed of operation of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor and to improve the quality of LCD, the decrease of the mobility of charge carrier in polycrystalline silicon should be avoided.
The crystal defect occurs at the point of destroyed crystal bond. In the region of crystal defect, the regularity of crystal is destroyed and some electrons of the atoms of defected area are released from the covalent bond of crystal and remain alone. Therefore, on the surface of crystal grain and in the interface between the crystal and other materials, there are a lot of single electrons having a strong tendency of making bond with electrons of other atoms or free electrons as charge carriers to be pair. Thus, in the channel region of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, a considerable amount of charge carrier electrons is to be captured during the operation of the transistor and that lowers the conductivity of channel and the speed of operation of the transistor.
To get rid of the charge carrier trap, the crystal defect, of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor, the method of containing hydrogen in the polycrystalline silicon is used. The method of containing hydrogen in amorphous silicon and crystallizing amorphous silicon is also used. By these method, the hydrogen atom donate the electron it possesses and makes covalent bond with single state electron of silicon atom in the defect point and the defect point can be cured. And the field effective mobility can be recovered.
But, the silicon-hydrogen bond made in these method of containing hydrogen in the polycrystalline or amorphous silicon has low bond energy. So, the bond can be easily dissolved and the hydrogen is volatilized in a process of high temperature like laser scanning which is for amorphous silicon crystallization and is done at the temperature about 300° C. Furthermore, as the time pass, the number of silicon-hydrogen bond decrease and the occurrence of charge carrier electron capturing increase in the transistor. This is caused by the fact that the heat generated during the operation of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor stimulate the hydrogen atoms to have the tendency of being volatilized. And this naturally lowers the reliability of integrated circuit device having the polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor. Above-mentioned weakness of polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor is well described in the following thesis.
(I. W. Wu, W. B. Jackoson, T. Y. Huang, A. G. Lewis and A. Ciang, "Mechanism of device degradation in n- and p-channel TFTs by electrical stressing", IEEE Electron Device Lett, vol. 12,p. 181,April 1991: I. W. Wu, W. B. Jackoson, T. Y. Huang, A. G. Lewis and A. Ciang, "Passivation kinetics of two types of defects in polysilicon TFT by plasma hydrogenation", IEEE Electron Device Lett, vol. 11,p. 167,April 1990)

Low temperature polycrystalline silicon type thin film transistor and a method of the thin film transistor fabrication


A micropump having a diaphragm portion, a valve portion of an intake-side check valve, and a valve portion of a discharge-side check valve formed in a single elastic-member sheet. A piezoelectric actuator is attached onto a back surface of the diaphragm portion. The elastic-member sheet is sandwiched between a first case member and a second case member, the elastic-member sheet providing sealing between both case members. A vibration chamber is defined between the elastic-member sheet and the first case member, the vibration chamber housing the piezoelectric actuator. A pump chamber is defined between the elastic-member sheet and the second case member.

Micropumps are used as cooling pumps for small electronic devices like notebook computers, or fuel transportation pumps for fuel cells. A micropump is a pump using a piezoelectric actuator which undergoes bending deformation in a bending mode by application of a voltage. The micropump has a relatively simple structure, with a reduced thickness as compared with the thickness of a pump using a motor as a drive source, and with low power consumption.
Patent Document 1 discloses a micropump in which a pump chamber is formed in a pump body, a piezoelectric actuator is attached onto a back surface (upper surface) of a diaphragm defining a top wall of the pump chamber, and an intake-side check valve and a discharge-side check valve are arranged directly below the pump chamber. This micropump has a structure, in which the pump chamber is located directly above the check valves, and the diaphragm and the piezoelectric actuator are arranged on the pump chamber. Hence, the thickness of the micropump is increased, thereby being disadvantageous in the reduction in thickness.
Patent Document 2 discloses a micropump in which a diaphragm defining a pump chamber, an intake-side check valve, and a discharge-side check valve are arranged in a plane. This micropump can be reduced in thickness as compared with the thickness of the micropump disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, since the diaphragm, and valve portions of the intake-side check valve and discharge-side check valve are formed of separate members. Hence, the number of components is increased, and the manufacturing cost is increased. In particular, when the check valves have umbrella structures having shaft portions and hood portions, the structures are complicated, resulting in the manufacturing cost being further increased.
Patent Document 3 discloses a diaphragm pump in which a valve portion of a check valve and a diaphragm portion are integrally formed. With this diaphragm pump, a coupling rod mounted to a motor via an eccentric shaft is coupled to a boss protruding from a back surface of the diaphragm portion. Also, ribs are provided between the valve portion and the diaphragm portion and at a peripheral edge, so as to prevent air from leaking. The valve portion and the diaphragm portion are formed of a single elastic member; however, it is necessary to mold the ribs and the boss in three dimensions, resulting in the cost being increased, and the thickness being increased. Further, since the drive source of the diaphragm portion is the motor, the thickness of the pump is large, and power consumption is high. Thus, the pump cannot be applied to a small electronic device.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-214349    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-337068    Patent Document 3: Japanese Examined Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. 61-36787


In various embodiments, methods and systems for transferring data using a storage medium are provided. A storage medium may be shipped by a customer to a datacenter such that the data on the storage medium is copied to a storage associated with the datacenter or data in the storage is copied to the storage medium. The datacenter may support a cloud computing infrastructure that provides a storage account to the customer that is associated with the data copied from or copied to the storage medium. The storage medium further corresponds to a data transfer manifest that includes at least in part data mapping between storage service infrastructure and data in the storage medium. It is contemplated that embodiments of the present invention may further be implemented with data transfer service components that support a client component, storage service component, and a data transfer management component.

Transferring data between computing infrastructures can facilitate different types of on premise projects including the replacement and upgrade of storage, data consolidation, server maintenance, and datacenter relocation. Network-based data transfer, such as over the internet, may present certain restrictions and limitations to data transfer. Available bandwidth, customer link to the internet, and the speed to upload and download data over the internet can be limiting factors. Internet service providers may also retain control of network traffic making data transfer expensive and/or slow. Physically moving storage media, in order to transfer data, may help improve a data transfer project in situations where uploading over the Internet is prohibitively expensive, time consuming, or not feasible due to the available bandwidth. However, conventional methods for circumventing network-based data transfer fail to provide integrated management, security, data mapping, and data validation in data transfer services.