An Error Correcting Code (ECC) conversion facility includes a first interface for receiving input data protected in accordance with a first ECC, and first and second processing paths, each connected to the first interface. First and second decoders are incorporated into respective first and second processing paths. Each of these decoders serves to extract clear data from input data protected in accordance with the first ECC. The first processing path also includes a decoder that can protect clear data in accordance with a second ECC. The output of the system is then connected to both the first and second processing paths, and produces output data protected in accordance with the second ECC. A first portion of this output data comprises data received from the first processing path, and a second portion of the output data comprises data received from the second processing path.

The pervasive use of computers in modern day society places stringent requirements on their reliability. One area where this is especially important is in the storage, manipulation and transmission of financial and other commercially significant information. For example, it is vital for the integrity of the banking system, which maintains most of its records on-line, that spurious errors do not creep into these records.
It is not realistic to build computing systems in which, prima facie, mistakes never occur. For example, memory devices and other components are normally exposed to random hits from cosmic rays, or natural background radioactivity. Such events can cause a physical change in the relevant device that will result in a change in its logical binary state, possibly leading to an erroneous data value being stored or otherwise processed. Another potential vulnerability is to lightning, which may cause a power surge, or some other form of electromagnetic interference. Likewise, data communications can be corrupted by extraneous noise.
In order to guard against such circumstances, it is routine for systems to incorporate error detection and/or correction schemes. The underlying concept here is to add redundancy to the data, in order to allow internal consistency to be verified. A break in this internal consistency will then reveal the presence of an error. In some schemes, the presence of an error can be detected, but not rectified, while other schemes allow for the automatic correction of certain errors. In accordance with standard terminology, we will refer to Error Correcting Codes (ECCs) to cover systems that perform error detection and/or error correction (i.e. an ECC may only detect errors, not necessarily correct them).
As a further point of terminology, the use of ECCs is particularly common in relation to the transmission and storage of data, but can also be utilised during other forms of data manipulation as well. We will use the term (data) processing herein to encompass all such forms of data manipulation, storage and transmission where ECCs may be employed.
A simple example of an ECC is the well-known parity bit. Thus if our data word (or block) has N bits, then the number of Is in the word is counted, and the parity bit is set so that in total (i.e. including the parity bit) there is an odd number of 1s. This leads to an augmented data (code) word of N+1 bits, comprising the original N-bit data word, plus the additional parity bit. If a single bit of the augmented N+1 bits is then corrupted somehow, so as to have the opposite polarity, this error can be detected, since the parity bit will no longer be correct. This is true irrespective of whether it is the original data word or the parity bit itself that is corrupted. (It is also known to use a parity scheme with even parity; i.e. the parity bit is selected so that the number of Is in the augmented data word is even).
If we define the distance between two code words as the number of bit positions in which they differ, then use of a parity bit ensures that there is a minimum distance of two, i.e. all code words differ by at least two bits. This is because if we start with two data words that are identical apart from a single bit position, then they must also differ in their parity bit as well, hence the minimum distance of two. A consequence of this is that the use of a solitary parity bit allows single bit errors to be detected, since the change of a single bit cannot lead to another valid code word, given that there is a minimum distance of two. On the other hand, if there is a double bit error (i.e. two bits change value), then this cannot normally be detected, since this will transform one valid code word into another potentially valid code word.
In addition, having a minimum distance of two implies that a single bit error, although detected, cannot be generally be rectified. This is because the corrupted code word is now exactly intermediate (at least) two valid code words; hence there is no unique correction value. Looking at this another way, the use of a single parity bit does not allow us to identify the location of a detected error. (It will be appreciated that with binary data, once the location of a single bit error has been determined, there is only one possibility for the correction—i.e. to flip the relevant bit).
It is known that in order to be able to correct single bit errors, the number of parity bits can be increased. One such scheme involves 3 parity bits for a 4-bit word (b3b2b1b0). If one parity bit corresponds to b3b2b1, one parity bit to b3b1b0, and one parity bit to b2b1b0, a single bit failure anywhere in the augmented code word (of 7=4+3 bits) can be uniquely identified in terms of its location. This is feasible because there are 8 (=23) possible outcomes of the three parity tests, and only seven possible locations of the error. The bit value at the identified location can then be reversed in order to restore the original data value. Another way of looking at this code is that it can be shown that there is a minimum distance of 3 between valid code words in this scheme. Consequently, any single bit error can always be corrected back to the closest code word. Alternatively, the code can be used to ensure that any two-bit error is detected, since such a two-bit error cannot lead to a valid code word (however, with this approach, the ability to correct single bit errors is sacrificed).
Of course, the ability to detect an error, and especially to correct an error, comes at the cost of increased redundancy. Thus in the 3-bit parity scheme, only 4/7 of the code word is real data, with the rest of the code word being occupied by the parity protection. This then requires a corresponding increase in bandwidth to transmit the same amount of underlying data (or additional capacity for storage, and so on). It will be appreciated that in contrast, a single parity bit scheme has an efficiency of N/N+1, where N (the length of the original data word before parity) can nominally be selected to give an arbitrarily high efficiency. Note however, that if N is made too large, the risk of an undetectable two-bit error increases, thereby undermining the whole effectiveness of the parity scheme.
The use of one or more parity bits can be generalised into the set of linear block binary codes, where a data word having k bits is encoded or mapped into a code word having n bits (n>k). This is known as an (n, k) code. A range of useful mappings has been mathematically derived on the basis of vector algebra and group theory. These include cyclic redundancy codes (CRCs), which provide a set of cyclically related code words. For a given set of data, the CRC is determined using a generator polynomial having certain mathematical properties. The correctness of the processed data can subsequently be confirmed by dividing the processed data by the same generator polynomial to calculate the (so-called) syndromes. A zero value for a syndrome indicates no errors, while a non-zero value implies a particular error or errors, depending on the specific non-zero value obtained. One advantage of CRCs is that the encoding/decoding can be performed by relatively simple digital electronics, hence their attraction in computing. Further details about CRC codes are widely available in the literature, see for example "Data Communications, Computer Networks and Open Systems" by Fred Halsall, 1995, Addison Wesley (ISBN 0-201-42293-X) (see especially section 3.4).
One important known set of CRCs is the Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) family of codes, which employs a particular type of generator polynomial. These codes are especially useful for correcting multiple errors. Related to the BCH codes are the Reed-Solomon (RS) codes, which can be used with non-binary data.
Note that a linear block code is regarded as systematic if the code word is formed by simply appending the ECC bits to the original data word (as with a parity bit). The advantage of this is clearly that the data can be quickly accessed, without having to perform any formal decoding; rather this would only be required to perform error correction/detection. In contrast, for a non-systematic scheme, no such simple decomposition of a code word into the data word and ECC bits is possible; rather the original data word can only be recovered by a full decoding operation. Note that many generator polynomials have both a systematic and non-systematic form.
In linear block codes, each code word is independent of all other code words, and so they can be individually decoded. (In fact, sometimes such codes are employed at a hierarchical level, such as one parity word per line of data, and then another parity word covering the whole page of data, including the per line parity words). However, in another important known form of coding, the value of a code word depends not only on the current input data word, but also on the previous data input(s). This type of coding, which maintains history or state information, is generally referred to as convolution coding, and can be implemented in a straightforward manner by the use of electronic feedback circuits. Convolutional coding systems, modelled for example as Markov processes, are particularly used in data transmissions, where the data to be encoded naturally forms a sequence. An advantage of convolutional systems is that they offer particularly good robustness against noise, although the decoding techniques, which are typically based on maximum likelihood, can be rather complex. Further details about convolutional coding (and also linear block coding) can be found in "Error Correcting Coding Theory" by Man Young Rhee, McGraw-Hill, 1989 (ISBN 0-07-052061-5).
It will be appreciated therefore that there is a very wide range of known ECCs, and that the choice of a particular ECC for any given set of circumstances will depend upon (and usually be a trade-off between) a number of factors. Thus relevant issues in selecting an ECC include the loss of capacity due to increased redundancy, the amount of computational complexity and time that is available for encoding/decoding, the susceptibility of the system to errors in the first place, the most likely type of errors (random bits, bursts of consecutive bits, etc.), the nature of the processing (clearly convolutional codes are only available for sequential data processing), and the relevant importance of error detection vis-à-vis error correction (for example, in a communications network, it is often possible to request a re-transmission of erroneous data, rather than having to try to correct it).
In addition, there may be additional influences on the choice of ECC, beyond pure error detection/correction. For example, it may be desirable for the output signal to have approximately equal numbers of zeros and ones in order to prevent a dc bias, or to avoid a long run of either zeroes or ones, in order to minimise the risk of losing synchronisation. Similarly, an ECC can be designed to ensure that each code word has a consistent number of runs of ones in order to provide a form of self-clocking (this is often true in particular of bar codes).
A complex computer system may in fact employ a number of different ECCs in various parts of the system. The advantage of this is that it allows the ECC used in each location to be optimised according to the particular circumstances, as discussed above. However, this then requires the system to perform the necessary conversions between the different ECCs. For example, data transmitted over a bus to a network interface card may utilise one form of ECC, while another form of ECC is then employed for transmissions out over the network itself. Indeed, the interface card manufacturer may have no option but to perform such an ECC conversion in these circumstances, in that the network and bus protocols may be defined by separate standards that each requires its own particular ECC.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system for performing ECC conversion, in which incoming data encoded in accordance with a first ECC (ECC1) is received and decoded by unit 210. This unit then outputs the data to encode unit 230, which recodes the data for onward transmission as code words (i.e. data plus a second ECC, namely ECC2). Of course, decode unit 210 will also process the incoming data to retrieve the ECC portions, in order to verify that the incoming data has been correctly received. It then sends the result of this ECC decoding to a control unit 220. The result typically indicates whether: (a) there was no error in the received data; (b) an error was detected in the received data, but the ECC has allowed the error to be successfully corrected; or (c) an error was detected using the ECC, but this error cannot be corrected. One way of implementing this is to have two binary lines from the decode unit 210 to the control unit 220, a first indicating the presence/absence of a correctable error, a second indicating the presence/absence of an uncorrectable error.
Once the control unit has received the error signal from decode unit 210, it can then generate an appropriate signal to send to encode unit 230. For example, if there is no error in the received data, or if the error has been corrected, then an enable signal can be supplied to the encode unit. On the other hand, no such enable signal (or a disable signal) is supplied if the decode unit 210 detected an uncorrectable error.
The control unit 220 may be designed to report or further investigate the presence of the error in the received data, even if this has been corrected. In addition, control unit 220 may in some implementations be omitted altogether, with decode unit 210 outputting the results of its ECC check directly to encode unit 230, where this can be used as the basis for an enable or disable signal. It will be appreciated of course that the control signals, however achieved, must be maintained in synchronism with the transfer of the corresponding data between decode unit 210 and encode unit 230.
Given that ECC operations are involved in a very wide range of system activities, it is important that they do not become a bottleneck. Thus decode unit 210 and encode unit 230 are generally implemented in hardware in order to ensure a sufficiently high processing speed and throughput. This ties in with the fact that ECC activities are normally performed at a very low level, as defined for example in multi-layer network communications models.
Note also that decode unit 210 and encode unit 230 are nearly always provided as separate circuits that perform discrete decode and then encode operations. Thus it is not generally realistic to try to perform an overall conversion directly from one ECC into another. One reason for this is the wide range of possible ECCs, so that it would be very difficult to cater for every single potential conversion requirement. Perhaps more importantly, most ECCs have been especially selected and designed so that encoding and/or decoding are a highly efficient operations that can be easily implemented by digital electronics. In contrast, a direct conversion operation from one ECC into another ECC is likely to be far more complex and problematic. In other words, it is normally much faster and simpler to perform a decode followed by a separate encode, rather than to attempt a conversion from one ECC format directly into another ECC format.
Unfortunately however, there is a risk associated with the use of separate decode and encode facilities, in that it is possible for data to become corrupted in transit between the two. It will be appreciated that at this stage there is no ECC associated with the data, and so such corruption cannot be detected (and certainly not corrected). Consequently, the corrupted data will then be encoded by unit 230 as if it were the correct data, and subsequently passed onto other system components for further processing, thereby spreading the error.
In fact, this vulnerability extends generally to the output side of decode unit 210 (once ECC1 has been removed from the incoming data), as well as to the input side of encode unit 230 (prior to addition of ECC2 to the outgoing data). Thus any error introduced into the data between these two points, whether through device malfunction, some extraneous event, such as a cosmic ray, or any other source, may subsequently propagate throughout the system as apparently legitimate, but actually erroneous, data. It will be appreciated that this is a most undesirable possibility, and can potentially undermine all the care taken with ECCs in the remaining portion of the system.

Method and apparatus for performing error correction code (ECC) conversion


A slot bearing assembly for a member moveable relative to a slot such as a carrier for a slotted rodless cylinder in which the slot bearing is allowed to float relative to the moveable carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a slot bearing and more particularly to a floating slot bearing for providing a bearing surface between the slot walls and a carrier or other member moveable in the slot. The invention has particular application to rodless cylinders of the type having an elongated slot and a force transfer carrier bracket extending through the slot and moveable along the slot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various devices and apparatus exist in which a force or motion transmitting member extends through and is moveable along an elongated slot formed in a substrate or tubular member. One such device is a slotted type rodless pressure cylinder having a force or motion transmitting carrier bracket extending through the slot for transmitting the force or motion of an internal piston to an external workpiece. During this force or motion transfer, loads are imposed on the carrier bracket, the piston and the cylinder. Where the loads are balanced, the piston acts as the primary bearing, thus transferring the forces to the cylinder bore and cylinder wall. In conditions where the loads result in torsion or torque forces on the carrier, however, forces are created between portions of the carrier extending through the slot and the side edges of the slot. In these situations, slot bearings positioned between the carrier and the side edges of the slot are the primary bearing means.
In devices such as rodless cylinders described above which contain slot bearings, it is common for manufactures to securely attach or affix the slot bearings to the carrier in the region of the slot. Common methods for accomplishing this attachment include the use of pins, adhesives, machined recesses or grooves. These attachment techniques not only increase carrier manufacture time, but also, in many cases, weaken the structure of the carrier bracket itself. This is particularly true where portions of the carrier bracket need to be removed to form recesses, grooves or screw holes, to attach the slot bearings.
A device is also known in which holes are formed through the web of the carrier to receive corresponding pins integrally formed with bearing members. Although limited rotational movement of the bearing members relative to the web is permitted abut their respective pins, the formation of the holes increases manufacturing time and tends to weaken the strength of the web.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a slot bearing assembly and construction which minimizes the manufacturing cost and which also preserves the strength and integrity of the component parts, and in particular the carrier bracket.


A permanent stud wall structure having improved sound transmission loss comprising two substantially parallel rows of spaced apart vertically extending support members secured at their ends to a base and header respectively by appropriate means and defining a stud cavity; said vertically extending support members being located in each of said rows such that there is a corresponding support member in the other row that is in substantially the same plane running perpendicular to said rows; one or more horizontally extending relatively rigid support members extending between one or more corresponding vertically extending support members and being secured to said vertically extending support members by appropriate securing means; said horizontally extending members including a vibration isolator means to reduce the transmission of sound between opposite ends thereof; and one or more layers of a covering material secured to the outwardly facing surfaces of one or more of said vertically extending support members such that said covering material extends in a plane that is substantially parallel to said rows of spaced apart vertically extending support members.

Conventional permanent wall systems utilized in building structures often consist of a stud frame typically made of wood or steel upon both sides of which an appropriate facing or covering--plaster, dry wall, gypsum board or other material--is vertically mounted. Wood stud frames are commonly utilized for residential and light commercial construction, while steel stud frames are frequently employed in commercial applications requiring greater strength, fire rating, or other attributes which steel imparts to the structure. Wood is susceptible to water and insect damage, rotting and fire. In fact, in many locations the use of wood stud framing is prohibited for some applications by building codes for safety reasons.
In applications where conventional wood or steel stud framing is employed, somewhat improved resistance to sound transmission ( increased sound transmission loss) can be achieved by incorporating an appropriate insulation material in the stud cavity. The stud cavity being defined herein as encompassing the total air space between and surrounding the stud framing once an appropriate facing or covering is mounted thereto.
For certain applications the use of conventional stud framing incorporating insulation within the wall cavity does not adequately reduce the transmission of sound through the wall because the framing itself permits the transmission of sound and vibrations through the wall. Accordingly, there is a need for a wall system utilizing steel or wood stud framing and having a substantially improved sound transmission loss. Such a system would be particularly useful in situations in which the use of steel is required or called for and where it is desirable to minimize the transmission of sound, noise or vibration from one room into an adjacent room, for example in a multiplex movie theater complex in which patrons in adjacent theaters separated only by a wall are watching different movies.
During the past few decades many multiplex movie theater complexes have been constructed throughout North America. These complexes often contain six, eight or more discrete screening rooms frequently separated by only a wall. These complexes have virtually replaced the traditional American movie house which often had only one large screening area. Frequently, the wall systems utilized in multiplex theaters have limited sound transmission loss thereby enabling the patrons watching a movie to hear the movie being shown in an adjacent room.
Another application for which such a system would be beneficial is a conference center in which various programs are taking place in adjacent rooms at the same time. Hotels, motels, apartment complexes and office buildings would also benefit if such a system were employed. Other uses or applications for such a wall system will be readily apparent to those interested in reducing the transmission of sound between rooms or areas separated by a wall.
Wall systems incorporating the use of either wood or steel stud framing will benefit from the use of the subject invention, although the invention is particularly beneficial in construction which utilizes steel framing.

Wall structure having enhanced sound transmission loss


An image processing apparatus connected to a display device to be mounted on the head of a user acquires panoramic image data representing a captured image around the user and generates background image data representing the panoramic image data projected onto a projection plane having a predetermined shape that is virtually disposed around the position of a user's viewpoint in a virtual space. The image processing apparatus synthesizes model image data generated on the basis of predetermined three-dimensional model data with the background image data, thereby generating synthesized image data, and outputs a visual field image of the user generated on the basis of the synthesized image data to the display device.

There is an image display system, such as an HMD (Head Mount Display), to be mounted on the head of the user for presenting left- and right-eye images respectively to the left and right eyes of the user for stereoscopic vision. In order for such an image display system to display a panoramic image such as a so-called entire celestial sphere image, the image display system generates a projected image where a panoramic image is projected onto a virtual sphere with a user's viewpoint at its center. The image display system then displays on a display device an image within the projected image that falls in the range of the user's visual field. When the user moves its head to move the range of its visual field, the user is able to see an image within the panoramic image which lies in the direction of the user's visual field.

Image display system, image display device, control method therefor, and program


New 3,3'-dithiobis(propionic acids) and esters thereof with immunomodulating effect, processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and methods of their pharmacological use.

N-Acetyl-L-cysteine is a compound widely used for treating chronic obstructive airway diseases/chronic bronchitis (for further references see Multicentre Study Group. Long-term oral acetylcysteine in chronic bronchitis. A double-blind controlled study. Eur. J. Respir. Dis. 1980, 61 (suppl. 111), 93-108; Boman, G., Backer, U., Larsson, S., Melander, B., and Wahlander, L. Oral acetylcysteine reduces exacerbation rate in chronic bronchitis. Report of a trial organized by the Swedish Society for Pulmonary Disease. Eur. J. Respir. Dis. 1983, 64, 405-415; and British Thoracic Society Research Committee. Oral N-acetylcysteine and exacerbation rates in patients with chronic bronchitis and severe airway obstruction. Thorax 1985, 40, 832-835). The mechanism of action of the compound is not disclosed; its effect has been attributed to mucolytic properties (see Multicentre Study Group. Long-term oral acetylcysteine in chronic bronchitis. A double-blind controlled study. Eur. J. Respir. Dis. 1980, 61 (suppl. 111), 93-108; Boman, G., Backer, U., Larsson, S., Melander, B., and Wahlander, L. Oral acetylcysteine reduces exacerbation rate in chronic bronchitis. Report of a trial organized by the Swedish Society for Pulmonary Disease. Eur. J. Respir. Dis. 1983, 64, 405-415; and British Thoracic Society Research Committee. Oral N-acetylcysteine and exacerbation rates in patients with chronic bronchitis and severe airway obstruction. Thorax 1985, 40, 832-835), antioxidant properties (see Aruoma, O. I., Halliwell, B., Hoey, B. M., and Butler, J. Free Radical Biol. Med. 1989, 6, 593-597), and also immunomodulating properties (see Bergstrand, H., Bjornson, A., Eklund, A., Hernbrand, R., Eklund, A., Larsson, K., Linden M., and Nilsson, A. Stimuli-induced superoxide radical generation in vitro by human alveolar macrophages from smokers: Modulation by N-Acetylcysteine treatment in vivo. J. Free Radicals Biol. & Med. 2, 1986, 119-127).
Also known is N,N'-diacetyl-L-cystine. This compound has previously shortly been described in the patent literature as well as in the scientific literature (U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,016; EP 300100; U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,239; U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,965; DE 2326444; Wilson, I. D., and Nicholson, J. K. Analysis of thiols and disulfides in Sulphur-containing drugs and related organic compounds. Chemistry, Biochemistry and Toxicology (ed L. A. Damani) Vol. 2A. Analytical, biochemical and toxicological aspects of sulphur xenobiochemistry. Ellis Horwood Series in Biochemical Pharmacology (Halstred Press: a division of John Wiley & Sons) Chichester 1989, p. 45; and Sjodin, K., Nilsson, E., Hallberg, A., and Tunek, A. Metabolism of N-Acetyl-L-cysteine. Some structural requirements for the deacetylation and consequences for the oral bioavailability. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1989, 38, 3981-3985). In U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,016 the compound is claimed to be effective for topical treatment of dermal inflammations which are induced and propagated by leukotrienes. However, nothing has been reported or generally known regarding its pharmacological and/or therapeutic properties with respect to immunological systems and inflammatory diseases of the lung such as chronic bronchitis.
Previously, immunostimulating properties have been reported for simple disulfides such as hydroxyethyldisulfide (HEDS, see: St. Georgiev, V. New synthetic immunomodulating agents. Trends in Pharmacological Science 1988, 446-51).

3,3'-dithiobis (propionic acids) and esters thereof


A method and apparatus for managing Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in a primary mobile device are provided. The method includes establishing a device management session with a service provider; receiving an Internet connection-sharing criterion from the service provider; and checking the Internet connection-sharing criterion upon receiving an Internet connection sharing request from a peer mobile device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for managing ICS in mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is a method for sharing a single Internet connection on one computer device between other computer devices on the same Local Area Network (LAN). ICS allows several computing devices to share the Internet connection with one primary computing device. If several computing devices are connected to one primary computing device, and the primary computing device has an Internet connection, then all of the other computing devices connected to the primary computing device can easily use the Internet connection offered. This sharing mechanism allows other computing devices to avoid subscribing to an Internet service individually since the other computing devices will be able to use the primary computing device's Internet connection.
Further, Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in mobile technology allows Mobile Equipments (MEs), without any subscription to General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) or a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) service, to access the Internet services over a BlueTooth (BT) or a Wi-Fi connection. Existing mobile technology offers ICS to peer mobile devices to access the Internet from one primary mobile device that has subscribed to the Internet using GPRS/HSPA. Peer mobile devices access the Internet service through the primary mobile device using any wireless communication means such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and on the like.
Although the ICS has offered advantages to connection sharing, it has several drawbacks. The service providers do not have control of the number of peer mobile devices that access the Internet through the primary mobile device that has made an Internet service contact with the service provider. For example, a Mobile Equipment (the primary ME) is subscribed to an operator's unlimited data plan over a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network. When the primary ME is connected to multiple other MEs (peer MEs) over BlueTooth Personal Area Network (BT PAN) profile, the peer MEs, although not being subscribed to any Internet service provided by a service provider, are able to access the Internet services using Internet connection shared by primary ME. Thus, peer MEs are able to use online services using the unlimited data plan of the primary ME. However, this is an undesirable usage from the service provider/operator's point of view. ICS is a desirable feature, but when the number of peer MEs sharing the Internet connection exceeds a certain limit, it increases the load on operators' network infrastructure. The operators are unable to control the Internet sharing and load on the operator network. Further, the service providers have no control as to the amount of data that the peer mobile device can use through the primary mobile device.
Thus, there is a need for a method for enabling a service provider to control the number of peer MEs and amount of data that the peer ME can use through the primary mobile device.

Method and apparatus for managing internet connection sharing


A process cartridge includes a developing cartridge and a drum cartridge. The developing cartridge includes: a casing; a developing roller rotatable about a developing axis extending in a first direction; and a development-side IC chip having a development-side electrical contact surface. The drum cartridge includes: a drum frame; a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in the first direction; a drum-side IC chip having a drum-side electrical contact surface; and a lock lever configured to lock the developing cartridge to the drum frame. The development-side electrical contact surface and the drum-side electrical contact surface are positioned opposite to the lock lever with respect to the casing in the first direction in a state where the developing cartridge is attached to the drum frame.

There has been known a process cartridge including a developing cartridge and a drum cartridge. The developing cartridge includes an IC chip having an electrical contact surface, a developing roller rotatable about a developing axis extending in a first direction, and a casing configured to accommodate therein toner. The drum cartridge includes an IC chip having an electrical contact surface, a photosensitive drum rotatable about a drum axis extending in the first direction, a drum frame, and a lock lever configured to lock the developing cartridge to the drum frame.
The electrical contact surface of the developing cartridge is positioned at one end portion of the casing in the first direction. The electrical contact surface of the drum cartridge is positioned at one end portion or another end portion of the drum frame in the first direction. Further, the lock lever is positioned at the one end portion of the drum frame in the first direction.

Process cartridge configured of developing cartridge including electrical contact surface, and drum cartridge including electrical contact surface and lock lever


Provided are a heat treatment apparatus for carbonaceous grains and a method therefor allowing drifts and internal clogging in a direct energizing furnace to not occur, allowing heat treatment of the carbonaceous grains to be continued uniformly at high temperatures for a prolonged period of time, and allowing productivity and workability to be improved. A conductive tubular structure 14 is electrically connected to an upper part of a lower electrode 13 in a manner of surrounding an upper electrode 12. The rate of change between the specific electrical resistivity of grains when grains are lightly filled and the specific electrical resistivity of grains when the grains are tap filled is defined (1-tap filling/lightly filling)×100, and the rate of change is equal to less than 70%.

Physical characteristics of carbonaceous grains such as anthracite, petroleum coke, carbonaceous granulated bodies, and mixed granulated bodies of metal oxides and carbon significantly change depending on a heating treatment temperature. Therefore, when carbonaceous grains are used as raw materials for an electrode, raw materials for a carbonaceous refractories, electronic materials, battery materials, or the like, uniform heating treatment is required. In addition, even when a mixture of metal oxides and carbon is subjected to reduction through heat treatment and various types of metal carbides are obtained, uniform heat treatment is indispensable for reliably achieving intended reaction.
In the related art, a method, in which carbonaceous grains such as anthracite are fed into a vertical electric furnace and are directly energized so that the carbonaceous grains are continuously subjected to heating treatment at a temperature ranging approximately from 1,500° C. to 2,000° C., is widely used as an electrical roasting technology. In addition, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of uniformly performing continuous graphitization at approximately 3,000° C.

Heat treatment apparatus for carbonaceous grains and method therefor


A detection circuit in a magnetic recording and playback apparatus which uses partial response and the maximum likelihood method, in which neither the size of the detection circuit nor the power consumption increase when the partial response order n increases. In this detection circuit, in the circuit that detects a signal read out from a head, either a plurality of equalizers for different target equalization waveforms, or a single variable target equalizer is provided. A detector for the waveform output from an equalizer is connected in series with the detector. A plurality of combinations, each formed by an equalizer and a detector, is connected in parallel to the output of a filter, the outputs of the combinations of equalizers and detectors being input to a switching circuit, which is controlled by a switching control means. The switching control means controls the switching circuit so that just one of the combinations of equalizer and detectors is selected as the detector output. If a variable target equalizer, which is capable of generating two or more different types of equalization waveforms, is used as the equalizer, it is possible to reduce the number of equalizers to one.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detecting circuit for a playback signal in a magnetic recording system which uses partial response, and more particularly to a detecting circuit which detects a playback signal which is played back from a head of a magnetic disk apparatus which uses partial response.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in magnetic disk apparatuses, partial response and detecting circuits using the ML (maximum likelihood) detection method have come into practical use in detecting a read signal from a head.
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a prior art magnetic disk apparatus. A plurality of annular tracks are formed on a magnetic disk 1, and data is written onto these tracks. A head 2 writes data onto these tracks, and reads out data from the tracks. This head 2 is positioned over the magnetic disk 1 by means of a servo circuit 90. The head 2 is connected to a head IC 91, which has a write circuit and an amplifier which amplifies the read-out signal. This IC 91 has connected to it a read/write circuit 92, which handles track information, zone information, and head information. The operation of the servo circuit 90 and read/write circuit 92 is controlled by a control circuit 93.
FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the detecting circuit used in a magnetic disk apparatus of the past. A signal which is recorded onto the magnetic disk 1 is read out by a head 2. The thus read-out signal is passed through an amplifier 3 and a low-pass filter 4, is equalized by an equalizer 5, and is then sent to a detector 6. In the magnetic disk apparatus, partial response and the PRML systems which are coming into practical use, are configured in the same manner.
The most typical system is the PR4ML (partial response class 4) system. If the data bit period delay is expressed as D, the magnetic recording system can be treated as 1xe2x88x92D (step response of 1). Also, because 1+D is used as an equalizer, the equalized output becomes 1xe2x88x92D2, this being treatable as the class 4 partial response. In addition, a maximum likelihood detector (generally based on the Viterbi detector) is used, the 1xe2x88x92D2 signal is used to detect data.
However, strictly speaking, because of excessive inter-symbol interference, the step response in magnetic recording (an isolated waveform which is the playback by a head of a single magnetization reversal) is not 1. For this reason, an equalizer is used to remove this excessive inter-symbol interference.
It is known that the performance of PRML differs depending upon the partial response class (equalized waveform). For this reason, the inventors of the present invention have already demonstrated a method of performing optimum equalized detection, in the form of a xe2x80x9cViterbi Decoding Control Systemxe2x80x9d (Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-221464) and xe2x80x9cViterbi Decoding System Including Variable-Order Equalizerxe2x80x9d (U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,385). In this system, a single equalizer switches the partial response class (the order n in (1xe2x88x92D) (1+D)n), in response to which the Viterbi detector reference (assumed value) is switched.
However, the size of the Viterbi detector circuit in a maximum likelihood detection system which also uses partial response is an exponentially increasing function of the above-described partial response order n. Therefore, in the system proposed by the inventors of the present invention, because it is necessary to design the detecting circuit for the maximum value of this order n, problems exist with regard to an increase in circuit size and power consumption.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a detecting circuit in a magnetic recording and playback apparatus which uses partial response and the maximum likelihood detection method, the use of which is accompanied by an increase in neither the size nor the power consumption of the circuit in the magnetic recording and playback apparatus, so that the size of the apparatus is not increased even if the partial response order n increases.
To achieve the above-noted object, the present invention is applied to a magnetic recording and playback apparatus in which data, which is recorded on a magnetic recording medium by a head, is read out, this apparatus having an amplifier circuit, a low-pass filter, an equalizer, and a detector for the purpose of detecting the data from the thus read-out signal.
In the detecting circuit of the first aspect of the present invention, after the amplifier circuit and low-pass filter, a plurality of series-connected equalizers and detectors are provided, these being followed by a switching control means. The equalizers are provided for differing equalization target waveforms. The detectors are connected in series with each of the equalizers in accordance with an equalized waveform therefrom and each detector forms a set with an equalizer. These equalizer-detector sets are connected in parallel to the output of the low-pass filter. The switching control means is connected to the outputs of the detectors of the equalizer-detector sets and selects the output of one of these equalizer-detector sets as the detected data. Only the data which is selected by the switching control means is output as the detected output of the detecting circuit of the first aspect of the present invention.
The second aspect of the present invention has an equalizer disposed after an amplifier circuit and a low-pass filter, a plurality of detectors which are connected in parallel to this equalizer, and a switching control means which selects one of the detected data which is output from one of the plurality of detectors. The switching control means selects just one output of detected data from the plurality of detectors as the detected output.
The detecting circuit of the third aspect of the present invention is applied in an apparatus in which the frequency response of the signal read out by the head is expressed as R, and in which the frequency response of the equalization target waveform of order n is G(f)*Hi(f) (where i=1, 2, 3, . . . , n). Therefore, in the detecting circuit of the third aspect, the equalizers are divided into one pre-equalizer and a plurality of n post-equalizers. The pre-equalizer is configured so as to have a response of G(f)/R(f), and the post-equalizers are characterized to have responses of Hi(f) (where i=1, 2, 3, . . . , n). A detector is connected to the output of each of the post-equalizers, these forming post-equalizer-detector sets. These post-equalizer-detector sets are connected in parallel to the output of the pre-equalizer. The output of each of the post-equalizer-detector sets is connected to a switching control means, which selects just one of the detector outputs as the detector output.
In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of equalizers and detectors are provided in parallel to suit a variety of equalization target waveforms, these being switched in accordance with the equalization target waveform. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to limit the size of the circuit of each equalizer and detector to the minimum required for the equalization target waveform. As a result, with the present invention, even if the partial response order n increases, no increase is caused in the size of the detecting circuit.
Each of the equalizers and detectors is provided independently. For this reason, by stopping the operation of unneeded circuits which are not selected by the switching control means, it is possible to limit the increase in power consumption.
In the present invention, because it is possible to perform optimum equalization and detection with respect to the normalized recording density on the magnetic disk, it is possible to decrease the required S/N ratio. In addition, with the present invention, for a given S/N ratio it is possible to increase the recording density.

Detecting circuit for read signal from magnetic recording system using partial response


A method for detecting data of an uneven surface of an object includes the following steps: illuminating at least one of stripes and a grid on the uneven surface using at least one light source; detecting, without a touching contact, light reflected from the uneven surface at a plurality of discrete locations so as to create a partial image of the uneven surface at each of the plurality of discrete locations; selectively analyzing each of the partial images; and combining at least portions of the partial images into an overall image of the uneven surface.

The acquisition of biometric data is required for many applications. In particular, for the identification of persons and for control of authorization, the accurate and as forgery-proof as possible acquisition of this data is required. Because of their manifold advantages, touchless methods are often used thereby.
On this, a set of possibilities is described in the prior art.
According to European Patent Document EP 0 194 783 B1, a device for detection of data of uneven surfaces is known, where a transparent plate exhibits two opposing surfaces, wherein an uneven surface having recesses and protrusions, which is to be detected, is pressed against one of the even surfaces, comprising a light source for illumination of the uneven surface at the contact section through the transparent plate and an optical element for guidance of the light, which is scattered by the uneven surface, to the light detector.
The light source is arranged in such a way that it illuminates the contact section at an illumination angle which is smaller than a critical angle, in order to that the light incident from the source onto the contact section is not totally reflected, whereby a part of the light, which is scattered at the protrusions of the uneven surface, is undergoing an inner total reflection at least at the second surface of the plate, in order to propagate in a direction against the optical element, whereas the light which is scattered at the recesses is undergoing none such inner total reflection, whereby the two kinds of scattered light are separated spatially, wherein the optical element is arranged to guide only light scattered at the protrusions to the detector.
Furthermore, in European Patent Document EP 0 359 554 B1, an arrangement for the determination of fingerprints is described, with which zones of the finger are imaged to a light receiver. The arrangement possesses a light source, means for guiding the light rays which are running from the light source onto the surface of the finger to be detected, an optical imaging system which creates an image of an irradiated part of the sample, a light detector facility for detecting the image and a facility for the output of a detection signal. Using the arrangement, it shall be determined if the sample is a biological object or an imitation. Therefore, the light detector is provided with a light receiver area which is divided into zones so that an image of the irradiated part is created on the light receiver area. The light detector possesses separate optical outputs for the plurality of light rays received respectively. The discrimination if it is the matter of an authentic object, i.e. a vital finger, or an imitation is carried out by analyzing the course of the light, wherein the phenomenon that, in case of an authentic finger, the light partly enters the finger and, in case of an imitation, does not enter into it so that different courses of light result, is exploited.
In addition, according to European Patent Document EP 1 073 988 B1, a system for recognition of hand and finger lines is known, which serves for the identification of persons. Using this system, hand and/or finger lines, patterns of dermal ridges, patterns of the subcutis or the like are acquired optically for acquisition of an image by using a light source, a polarization filter and a camera without mechanical movements of the arrangement. The optical acquisition is carried out by means of polarization filters placed in the optical path of illumination and in the optical path of imaging and by means of a fixedly arranged camera.
In the case of the known arrangements, it is disadvantageous that the contrast for the imaging of the structures is low so that a secure analysis of the images is made very difficult.

Method and arrangement for touchless detection of data of uneven surfaces


An electrophotographic imaging apparatus having a first toner accepting layer and an intermediate transfer member. The first toner accepting layer is positioned in electrical contact with a) a charge provider, b) an irradiation source that activates photoconductivity in the first toner accepting layer, and b) at least one toner applicator, so that a first toner image can be formed on the first toner accepting layer. The first toner layer is movable, after interaction with a), b) and c), into contact with the intermediate transfer layer from which the first toner image can be transferred to an image bearing member. The intermediate transfer member comprises a non-conductive flexible film layer, a layer of an electrically conductive material affixed to a first surface of the non-conductive flexible film layer and segmented into electrically isolated regions or zones, and the electrically conductive material layer has an electrically resistive polymeric coating thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image transfer member for use in electrophotographic printing in which the image transfer member is used to transport an intermediate image between the photoconductive drum and the final image receiving media.
2. Background of the Invention
In the electrophotographic printing process, a toner image is formed on a photoconductive drum using electrostatic techniques that are well known in the art. For example, an organic photoreceptor in the form of a plate, belt, disk, sheet, or drum having an electrically insulating photoconductive element on an electrically conductive substrate is imaged by first uniformly electrostatically charging the surface of the photoconductive element, and then exposing the charged surface to a pattern of light. The light exposure selectively dissipates the charge in the illuminated areas, thereby forming a pattern of charged and lesser charged areas. A liquid or solid ink is then deposited in either the charged or lesser charged areas to create a toned image on the surface of the photoconductive element. The resulting visible ink image can be fixed to the photoreceptor surface or transferred to a surface of a suitable receiving medium such as sheets of material, including, for example, paper, metal, metal coated substrates, overhead printing film, composites and the like. Prior to transfer to a suitable receiving medium, the visible ink image may be transferred to an intermediate transfer member (ITM) that is in contact with and forms a nip ("T-1") with the photoconductive drum. The image is then transported by the ITM to another contact nip ("T-2") where the image is transferred to the final image receptor.
Imaging processes wherein a developed image is first transferred to an intermediate transfer member and subsequently transferred from the intermediate transfer member to an image receptor also are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,048 (Bean) discloses an apparatus which transfers a plurality of toner images from a photoconductive member to a copy sheet. A single photoconductive member is used. The apparatus may include an intermediate transfer belt to transfer a toner image to a copy sheet with the use of a biased transfer roller. The intermediate transfer belt has a smooth surface, is non-absorbent and has a low surface energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,460 (Langdon) discloses an intermediate transport belt that is preferably made from a somewhat electrically conductive silicone material having an electrical conductivity of 109 ohm-cm so that the belt is semi-conductive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,412 (Miwa et al.) discloses an intermediate transfer member, which may be a belt-type member that is pressed onto an outer periphery of a toner image retainer with a pressure roller. The intermediate transfer member is formed with a laminate of a transfer layer comprising a heat resistant elastic body such as silicone elastomer or rubber or fluoroelastomer fluorine polymer based rubber, and a heat resistant base material such as stainless steel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,761 (Buchan et al.) discloses a xerographic heat and pressure transfer and fusing apparatus having an intermediate transfer member which has a smooth surface, a surface free energy below 40 dynes per centimeter and a hardness from 3 to 70 durometer (Shore A) hardness. The transfer member, preferably in the form of a belt, can be formed, for example, from a polyamide film substrate coated with 0.1–10 millimeters of silicone rubber or fluoroelastomer. Silicone rubber is the only material shown in the example as the transfer layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,286 (Nishishe et al.) discloses an intermediate transfer belt comprising electrically conductive urethane rubber reportedly having a volume resistivity of 103 to 104 ohm-cm and a dielectric layer of polytetrafluoroethylene reportedly having a volume resistivity equal to or greater than 1014 ohm-cm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,638 (Bujese et al.) relates to an intermediate transfer member comprising a fluoropolymer with a conductive material dispersed therein as a surface layer upon a metal layer, which in turn is upon a dielectric layer. The conductive material is dispersed within the fluoropolymer and is not in a separate layer beneath it.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,396 (Simms et al.) discloses an apparatus having a single imaging member and an intermediate transfer member which is semiconductive and comprises a thermally and electrically conductive substrate coated with a semiconductive, low surface energy elastomeric outer layer that is preferably Viton® B-50 (a fluorocarbon elastomer comprising a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,684,238 (Till et al.) and 4,690,539 (Radulski et al.) disclose intermediate transfer belts composed of a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate or other suitable propylene materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,140 (Berkes et al.) discloses a single layer intermediate transfer belt preferably fabricated from clear, carbon loaded or pigmented Tedlar® (a polyvinylfluoride available from E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.). Tedlar® suffers from poor conformability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,956 (Mammino et al.) discloses a seamless intermediate transfer member comprising a reinforcing belt member that is coated or impregnated with a filler material of film forming polymer that can include fluorocarbon polymers.
There are several advantages to using an ITM in electrophotography, especially where multiple colors are used. It is desirable to maximize the print output speed and the fastest of these options is known as the "one pass process" which requires four photoconductive drums in series, one drum for each of the four toner process colors. These four photoconductive drums are in contact with the ITM, which is either a belt or drum to form four T-1 nips. In the case of a belt, biased rollers typically contact the backside of the ITB, creating stability, forming the nips and providing the electrostatic impetus for toner particle transfer. The ITM also forms a T-2 nip with another roller, which also supports a bias, to facilitate toner transfer from the ITM to a final image receptor. The toner images are first overlain in register onto the ITM and then transferred from the ITM to the final image receptor in a single pass by passing the receptor through the T-2 nip. An image transfer belt (ITB) is preferred because of increased flexibility in printer design and space savings over a large image transfer drum. The use of the "one pass process" also increases the life of an electrophotographic device since two to four passes are no longer required to obtain each image. The use of an ITB results in a compact printer with small exterior dimensions and easy placement in cramped office space.
To be effective, an ITB has several minimal requirements. One requirement of an ITB is that a layer be present that has the proper electrical properties to support a bias voltage across each T-1 nip and the T-2 nip. The toner image that is formed on the photoconductive drum consists of very small discreet charged colored particles. This bias voltage is used to induce electrostatic transfer of the toner particles of each image from each photoconductive drum to the ITB at each T-1 nip. A bias voltage is also used to transfer the toner image from the ITB to the final image receptor at the T-2 nip.
A second requirement of an image transfer belt is dimensional stability. This is necessary for accurate registration at the T-1 nips of each color plane of multicolor prints and also for accurate positioning of the image onto the final image receptor.
A third requirement in an image transfer belt is thickness uniformity over the entire area of the ITB. This is necessary to provide uniform and constant pressure in each toner transfer nip to facilitate complete and consistent transfer of toner images.
A fourth requirement of an ITB is durability and long life in a printer.
A bias voltage across each transfer nip is used to induce and assist in the transfer of all the discrete charged toner particles that make up each of the images that were initially formed on each of the photoconductive drums. The bias voltage creates an electric field that must have the proper electrical orientation to move toner particles from one surface to the next at each transfer nip and on through the printer to the final image receptor. If a toner with a positive charge is used, the electric field must be oriented so that a negative charge is produced on the receiving surface. If a toner with a negative charge is used, the electric field must be oriented so that a positive charge is produced on the receiving surface. The orientation of the electric field is controlled by the orientation of the electrical power supply when connected to the bias voltage circuit. In past printers, this bias voltage circuit consists of a power supply, the photoconductive drums, electrically conductive ITB back up rollers and the roller supporting the final image receptor. The ITB back up rollers are preferably electrically isolated from the rest of the printer and the photoconductive drums and the roller supporting the final image receptor are preferably connected to ground. That portion of the ITB located in each transfer nip during ITB rotation is also part of this circuit. As a consequence, the electrical properties of the ITB must be controlled in a way that allows a bias voltage and strong electric field to be maintained at each toner transfer nip for good toner transfer efficiency. If the ITB is too electrically conductive, current will flow through the transfer nip and a bias voltage will not be possible. If the ITB is too electrically resistive, the electric field strength will decrease with increasing ITB thickness. In the prior art, belts that were made thicker to increase ITB durability and longevity suffered adverse effects on electric field strength. Conductive materials have therefore been added to past ITB's to adjust the electrical properties so that the electric field partially emanates from within the ITB. As a consequence, printer configuration requires intimate contact between the ITB and the ITB back up rollers. Contamination of the ITB back up rollers can result from paper lint and/or stray toner and can cause poor roller-to-ITB contact, which reduces the strength of the electric field. This can result in inconsistent toner transfer across the ITB surface.
Image transfer belts currently used in electrophotographic printers can be classified into two categories. There are single layer ITB's and multilayer ITB's. In both cases, complex and difficult manufacturing processes must be employed to produce a functional ITB that meets the requirements specified above.
The difficulties in manufacturing of image transfer belts have been discussed in the prior art. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,034 (Tarnawskj, et al.). Here, image transfer belts are made one at a time using monomeric and oligomeric species. Complicated carbon black dispersions and spin casting techniques are used to put a layer of uncured prepolymeric material onto the inside of a metal cylinder. A high temperature curing process is used to bring durability to the final ITB. Belt-like structures are produced upon removal from the casting cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,448 (Ndebi et al.) describes endless belts for use in digital imaging processes that are made one at a time by winding cord or fabric impregnated with various uncured elastomers around a mandrel followed by wrapping with a plastic jacket and heat curing. The cord or fabric is required to provide suitable belt dimensional stability and durability. A cylindrical belt is produced upon removal from the mandrel. This process requires significant time and highly specialized equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,557 (Mammino et al.) describes an endless intermediate transfer member that is made using reinforcing monofilament or a reinforcing sleeve made from woven fiber. The monofilament is wound onto a stainless steel mandrel or the sleeve is placed over a stainless steel mandrel. The reinforcing member is then spray coated with a solution of film forming polymer using repeated spray passes to build up a layer of sufficient durability and then the coating is slowly dried at ambient temperatures overnight and then oven dried at 100° C. The slow drying at ambient temperature is apparently to prevent blistering during solvent evaporation from the thick spray coated layer. An endless belt is produced upon removal from the mandrel. This is a slow manufacturing process producing only a single ITB at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,610 (Enomoto et al.) describes a process for making an ITB in which an uncured rubber base material is formed on the inside of a centrifugal forming device followed by the application of a surface layer. The belt is then removed from the centrifugal forming device. This process again requires specialized equipment and produces image transfer belts one at a time.
Image transfer belts made by all of these processes require the use of electrically conductive rollers contacting the inner surface of the belt to form the electrical circuit necessary to impart the bias voltage required for electrostatic toner transfer at the T-1 and T-2 nips. This increases the complexity of the electrical circuitry in a printer and brings about uncertainty of electrical continuity between the conductive backup roller and the ITB especially when unwanted stray paper lint and toner contaminate this backup roller/ITB contact point.
In typical image transfer belts, the layer that provides dimensional ITB stability usually consists of a polymeric film or a woven fabric or wound thread that is impregnated with an elastomeric compound. In most cases, monomeric or oligomeric materials are applied as viscous liquids to either the outside of mandrels or the inside of cylinders. These mandrels and cylinders must be precisely machined to make an ITB of the proper size. Techniques used to apply the monomers and/or oligomers must also have high precision to obtain required thickness uniformity over the entire area of the ITB. The applied monomers and oligomers are then heat cured and polymerized to form either a polymeric film or polymeric elastomer. A cylindrical belt is obtained upon removal of the cured polymer matrix from the mandrel or cylinder. Specialized equipment with high precision is necessary to produce an ITB in this way. Also the cured polymers and elastomers by themselves are too electrically resistive at an ITB thickness that provides acceptable durability resulting in a weak electric field and poor toner transfer efficiency. Because of this, materials such as carbon particles and/or metal powders must be used to adjust the electrical properties of the ITB. These particulates are distributed throughout the cured polymeric ITB supporting structure. This requires dispersing these particulates into the viscous monomeric and/or oligomeric materials prior to the belt making operation. A paste-like consistency can result, making application to the mandrel or cylinder difficult unless the viscosity of the paste-like dispersion is reduced by heating. Solvents which could be added to reduce the viscosity of the dispersion cannot be used because the application thickness required for ITB durability is large enough to cause solvent trapping during the curing process and subsequent blistering which reduces ITB yield. These manufacturing processes are also labor intensive with a low ITB manufacturing output rate. All of these factors result in a high ITB cost.
Another ITB has been created that has eliminated all of the complexities of past ITB manufacture while still producing an ITB with all the required ITB functional properties. It provides image transfer belts that use relatively thin coatings on durable films to obtain easy manufacture, and still meets ITB functional requirements at a cost greatly reduced from transfer belts made using previously known processes. This improved ITB has the characteristic, however, that once the biasing brush is applied to the conductive layer, the entire belt is biased to that voltage. While many of the prior art rubber belts are resistive enough to be able to apply independent voltages at each transfer station, toner transfer efficiency is reduced due to the high resistivity and poor roll-to-belt contact. This ITB and system is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/644,655, filed 20 Aug. 2003, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

Intermediate transfer member for carrying intermediate electrophotographic image


A shallow-toothed clearing disk pivotally supported from the upper end of the opener drawbar assembly. A four bar linkage is connected to the forward end of the drawbar by a bracket which includes at least one link and corresponding pivot structure located above the drawbar to increase trash clearance and reduce trash build-up. The shallow rounded gullets between pointed teeth provide good disk depth control and trash penetration while reducing soil penetration and soil disturbance. The gullets also hold and prevent sliding of trash away from the clearing influence of the angled disk. The disk effectively clears trash to the side of the opener opposite the gauge wheel to assure optimum depth gauging for the opener. The gear-type structure is capable of operating over a wide range of down pressures and loads while breaking any existing crust in the cleared path with little soil disturbance. The disk provides minimum tillage with little soil and trash throw to assure uniform planting depth, seed germination and plant growth without stimulation of weed growth, both in the row being cleared and in adjacent rows.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements and, more specifically, to structure for clearing trash from a narrow area ahead of an opener or similar earthworking tool and for breaking surface crust on soil during planting.
2) Related Art
During planting operations, residue such as wheat straw or corn stalks is often encountered by the furrow opening device on the seeding implement. If the soil is soft or the residue is very tough, much residue is pushed into the seed trench. The residue prevents seed from contacting soil and reduces the opportunity for seed germination and healthy initial plant growth. In heavy residue conditions, trash remaining over the seed or thrown over the furrow by an adjacent device can block sunlight and hinder or even prevent growth of the new plant. Often, a surface crust needs to be broken during planting to assure good emergence, but soil throw must be kept to a minimum to avoid piling too much trash over rows previously planted by trailing openers, to avoid weed emergence problems, and to help keep seed coverage more uniform from row to row.
Different cleaning wheel devices are available including those with long or spoked teeth wheels steered relative to the forward direction to move trash to the side of the row. In certain kinds of straw such as encountered in wheat fields, the straw slips between the teeth and fails to be swept to the side of the row. At times, the straw tends to wrap around the wheel. Depth control is also very erratic with the long tooth design, and the wheel can dig in when soil is loose and ride to high in hard ground conditions. Excessive tillage and soil throw are common with long or spoked teeth, and excessive movement of soil away from one furrow and piling of trash and some additional soil over an adjacent furrow, particularly if high speed planting is attempted, results in less than ideal germination and initial growth of the seeds placed in the furrows. The planting speed of the planting unit can actually be limited by the cleaning wheel structure.
Mounting a cleaning device in the limited space available adjacent an opener has been a source of several problems. Fixed cleaning arrangements which are connected directly to the opener assembly or frame without provision for independent movement are subject to damage if obstacles or other large ground surface irregularities are encountered, and the location of the cleaning device relative to the opener can change detrimentally as the opener follows the ground contour. Pivoting arrangements often fail to track well, and if the cleaning wheel structure is supported closely adjacent the disk opener, the structure can actually hit the opener. Moving the cleaning structure farther ahead of the wheel to avoid interference requires more room than often is available, and as the cleaning wheels are moved ahead there is less holding of the trash close to the soil entry point of the disk so trash hairpins more easily at the disk edge. Supporting the cleaning device in a limited space and providing effective operation without nose-diving or bulldozing of soil during operation have continued to present problems.
A typical cleaning wheel is angled from the forward direction and presents high side loads on the supporting arrangement. If a pivoting arrangement is provided, the high side loads often cause premature bearing failure and can cause the support linkages to bind so good depth control and tracking are lost. The linkages can actually be bent under certain conditions. Providing good side load support for proper pivoting action and long bearing life, without widening the planting unit to the point where narrow row spacings are not available, has been a continuing problem. Clearance under the unit has also been limited by support brackets which project downwardly and catch straw and other debris.

Trash cleaning structure for a furrow opening device


A freely pivoting lock ball fits within a trailer hitch ball receiver. A top lock shaft on the ball extends up through a hole in the top of the ball receiver into a lock collar welded to the top of the ball receiver. A cylinder lock fits into a top opening in the lock collar over the lock shaft to lock the lock ball within the ball receiver to prevent theft by towing the trailer with a conventional towing hitch ball. The cylinder lock and lock ball spin freely within the ball receiver and collar to prevent drilling or sawing the lock. There is no room between the cylinder lock and collar or between the ball lock and ball receiver to pry them loose. The lock collar is too thick for cutting with a bolt cutter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to trailer security locks, and in particular to a trailer security lock having a freely pivoting lock ball within a trailer hitch ball receiver with a lock shaft extending up through a hole in the top of the ball receiver into a collar welded to the top of the ball receiver and having a cylinder lock fitting into the collar over the lock shaft to lock the lock ball within the ball receiver to prevent theft by towing the trailer with a conventional towing hitch ball, wherein the cylinder lock and lock ball pivot freely within the ball receiver and collar to prevent drilling or sawing the lock and there is no room between the cylinder lock and collar or between the ball lock and ball receiver to pry them loose and the collar is too thick for cutting.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
It is common for trailers of all types to be stolen by a vehicle with a trailer hitch ball being attached to the trailer hitch ball receiver and the trailer hauled away by the vehicle. This is true of house trailers, boat trailers, vehicle trailers, utility trailers, construction equipment trailers and any type of trailer having a trailer hitch ball receiver. Padlocks on trailer latches are easily cut by bolt cutters. Prior art devices fail to adequately address the problem to provide a trailer hitch ball receiver lock which cannot be easily removed from the trailer hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,755, issued Jun. 29, 1993 to O'Neal, provides a trailer lock for preventing the use of a conventional trailer tongue hitch on an unattached trailer vehicle. The lock comprises a towing ball securely fastened to a chain which, in a preferred embodiment, is installed in the socket of a trailer tongue to prevent an unattached trailer from being attached to an unauthorized towing vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,832, issued Jul. 17, 1984 to Avrea et al, indicates a pivotally mounted coupling guard, extending over a ball engaging socket of a trailer hitch to preclude disengagement of the socket from the ball, is locked in place to deter unauthorized disengagement of the socket from the ball and theft of the attached trailer. A lock module penetrably receives and locks therein essentially all of the extending ends of both the pivot pin and the retaining pin of the coupling guard to preclude unauthorized pivotal movement of the coupling guard.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,614, issued Jun. 12, 2001 to Bonvillain, is for a ball fastened to a base plate received within the socket of a trailer hitch, with a box shaped, open ended housing slipped over the exposed end of the tongue, hitch, and plate. The plate has a pierced tang that extends through the closed end of the housing and into a tubular extension projecting from the housing. A purchase item cylindrical, keyed, tumbler operated, lock slips into the bore of the extension and projects a key operated, retractable, transversely movable, shot bolt through the pierced hole of the tang. The lock is protected within the extension, and the apparatus has no parts exposed for tampering.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,686, issued Apr. 20, 2004 to Koy, describes a device for closing the socket of a trailer hitch, generally called a coupler lock, generally comprising a locking bar and a base having a plug member, a locking bar-receiving aperture, and an integral locking means for lockingly engaging the locking bar within aperture. When the coupler lock is attached to a trailer coupler, the trailer hitch socket is not accessible without removing the coupler lock with the appropriate key. Thus, theft of an unattended trailer is deterred due to the difficulty in attempting to remove the locking device. Providing a coupler lock having an integral locking mechanism better deters the tampering with or removal of the locking mechanism to remove the coupler lock from the trailer hitch as is possible in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,961, issued Aug. 18, 1998 to Niswanger, shows an anti-theft device that can be used on different size trailer tongues of the type having a socket for receiving a tow ball of a trailer hitch. The device includes a base and a socket insert that projects from the base and is received within the socket of the trailer tongue. A pair of side members are joined to the base and oriented so that the trailer tongue must be passed between the side members for insertion and removal of the socket insert from the trailer tongue socket. Each side member has first and second holes formed therein. A retaining rod inserts into either of the first and second holes of the side members so that the retaining rod extends between the side members and above the trailer tongue to prevent the passage of the trailer tongue between the side members and thus prevent removal of the socket insert from the trailer tongue socket. The first and second holes are each located at different positions to accommodate trailer tongues of different sizes. A locking device is provided for preventing removal of the retaining rod from either of the first and second holes of the side members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,172, issued Jul. 12, 1988 to Weaver, describes an anti-theft device for use with boat trailers or other trailers having a tongue with a ball socket thereon for engagement with a hitch ball connected to a towing vehicle. The lock includes a hitch ball mounted on top of a vertically adjustable support stand with the ball being received in the ball socket on the trailer tongue. The support stand includes a pivotal lock member which includes a portion closely overlying the upper surface of the ball socket with a padlock assembly securing the lock member in locking position. A lock guard is provided to protect the padlock assembly by preventing easy access to the padlock assembly by bolt cutters or other similar cutting implements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,055, issued May 20, 1975 to Vuillemot, claims a theft deterrent trailer hitch lock device to lockably obstruct the socket portion of a trailer hitch, the device having an elongated plate which closes at least a portion of the opening into the socket, a plug which is inserted into the trailer hitch socket and a bar which can be positioned over the trailer hitch and locked in place so that the socket portion of the trailer hitch is contained between the bar and the elongated plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,071, issued Nov. 11, 2003 to Gilbertson, shows a trailer hitch locking system for securing a trailer while hitched to a vehicle or protecting the trailer from theft while unhitched. The locking system includes a hitch lock, a ball lock, and a receiver pin lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,964, issued Feb. 25, 1986 to Bratzier, discloses a locking assembly to prevent unauthorized access to a trailer hitch which includes a metallic casing which is slideably placed over and around the socket end portion of the hitch and which cooperatively receives a locking bar having a first extended portion which is receivable within the hitch socket and a second extended portion which is selectively secured to the interior of the metallic casing to thereby lock the assembly in fixed position with respect to the trailer hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,271, issued Feb. 29, 1993 to Smith, puts forth a locking device for a trailer and hitch of the ball and socket type, comprising an upper jaw and a lower jaw interconnected together by a shaft for reciprocal movement relative to each other. A locking mechanism keeps the two jaws apart at fixed distances over a ribbed portion of the shaft. In use, the two jaws are locked about the socket portion of the hitch to prevent unauthorized removal of the trailer. When the trailer is attached to a tow vehicle, the tow ball nut is received in an opening in the lower jaw. When the trailer is unattached, a dummy ball extends into the socket of the hitch. In both position, the socket portion of the hitch is received in an aperture in the upper jaw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,349, issued Oct. 16, 1951 to Eckles, illustrates a trailer hitch lock for covering the ball receiver of a trailer using a hinged clamp and padlock means with a cylindrical element inserted into the ball receiver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,569, issued Jun. 18, 2002 to Kite, provides a theft prevention lock for trailers with socket-type hitches having a first plate element having a base portion and inner and outer ends. An upwardly extending arcuate protrusion is formed on the inner end of the first plate to penetrate the socket of a trailer hitch through an open bottom of the socket. An upwardly extending ear is on the outer end of the base portion and has a aperture therein. A second plate element has a lower end and an upper portion curving upwardly and terminating in a hook element with a lower arcuate portion complimentary in shape to the arcuate portion formed on the inner end of the first plate element. An aperture is in the second plate registering with the aperture in the ear of the first plate. The first and second plates are pivotally connected together. The shape of the first and second plates is such that when the apertures in the plate elements are in a registered position, a slot exists between the lower edge surface of the hook element and the outer edge surface of the arcuate protrusion on the inner end of the first plate. A U-shaped lock bar of a padlock is adapted to extend through the registered apertures in the first and second plates to receive a wall portion of a socket-type hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,337, issued Feb. 1, 2000 to Brown, claims a Lockable Stand for Trailers comprising an upwardly-extending pedestal assembly terminating in a head assembly that is configured to lockably attach to a trailer tongue. The preferred head assembly will further include a detachable ball for accepting the trailer tongue and a pair of vertical side brackets through which a removable tongue lock extends to prevent the tongue from being removed from the ball. The stand is very compact for convenience, while also being stable to prevent trailer roll-away. In another preferred form, the pedestal assembly is height-adjustable to accommodate a variety of trailer styles and designs. The pedestal assembly might also be made from two telescoping pieces that can further be disassembled for storage or transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,423, issued Mar. 10, 1992 to Almquist et al, discloses a security device (10) for a trailer having a body member (12) with an auger (30) projecting from the body member (12). The auger (30) rotatably anchors the body member (12) to the ground. A plug (40) projects from the body member (12) for insertion into a socket portion (62) of the trailer. A bail (46) surrounds a portion of the socket portion (62) and locks to the body member (12) such that movement of the body member (12) relative to the socket portion (62) is restrained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,468, issued Jul. 19, 1985 to Dixon, indicates an apparatus to preclude the theft or unauthorized use of a trailer comprising a cylindrical member formed of a rigid material positionable in a vertical orientation, the cylindrical member having a cylindrical side wall, a closed top in a generally spherical configuration and an open bottom, the cylindrical member having an upper extent positionable in the downwardly facing recess with the lower extent of the cylindrical member located therebeneath; a cross bar positionable in a horizontal orientation extending diametrically through the side wall of the cylindrical member with its lower edge located co-planar with the lower edge of the open end of the cylindrical member and an upper edge, an aperture extending through each end of the cross member at a location radially remote from the axis of the cylindrical member and the side wall of the cylindrical member; and a pair of rigid arms, each arm having a lower aperture at its lower end, the aperture of each arm positionable in axial alignment with an associated aperture of the cross member, upper apertures in the arms at the upper extents thereof positionable in axial alignment above the central axis of the cylindrical member, each of the arms being formed with a bend whereby the arms may extend upwardly then angled inwardly when the apertures at the upper ends of the arm are in axial alignment.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,508, issued Apr. 17, 2007 to Hsai, discloses a trailer lock for locking a trailer ball cap including a lock housing, a lock, a latch bolt, a holding seat and a detent member. The lock housing has an opening to hold the lock, a U-shaped trough to hold the latch bolt, a through trough to hold the holding seat and allow the detent member to slide on the holding seat. The lock has a housing chamber on one side to couple with the trailer ball cap. The latch bolt can control movement of the detent member by turning of the lock so that the detent member is wedged in a latch trough on one end of the latch bolt, and a latch end of the latch bolt is extended and anchored in the housing chamber of the lock housing and locked on the trailer ball cap. When the trailer is separated from a vehicle, the trailer ball cannot be coupled thereby to provide theft-proof function.
What is needed is a trailer hitch ball receiver lock which prevents attachment of the trailer hitch ball receiver to a vehicle having a trailer hitch ball and which cannot be easily removed from the trailer hitch ball receiver.


The invention is directed to an induction coil which includes a flat spirally wound portion and a tubular spirally wound portion extending from the outer edge of the flat portion. The axis of the tubular portion is substantially perpendicular to the flat portion. The coil is useful in a plasma production apparatus which includes a chamber having walls and adapted to be evacuated. A window extends into the chamber from one of the walls. The coil is in the window with the flat portion being at the bottom of the window.

Plasma system have come into use in the processing of semiconductor materials. Inductively coupled system are increasingly being employed for producing the plasma in such systems. One type of inductive coil being used in such inductively coupled systems is a flat or pancake coil such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,458. The flat coil is mounted externally of the vacuum chamber in which the plasma is generated and is inductively coupled into the plasma through an insulating window. Although this coil configuration has a number of attractive features, including simplicity of design, it also has a number of limitations. One limitation is that it requires an insulating window to allow the RF. field to pass therethrough into the vacuum chamber. A second limitation is that the radial plasma density profile, in the plane of the coil, produced by a flat coil is relatively non-uniform. Such a window can be expensive to manufacture and is subject to being damaged by the plasma. Also, the inductive coupling provided by the flat coil has two components, a capacitive (E) field component and the inductive (H or B) field component. This is undesirable since it is only the inductive component that is desired. Furthermore, with the flat coil, the plasma density drops off rapidly away from the window.

Inductive coil for inductively coupled plasma production apparatus


A jet cartridge for jetting fluid material includes a body adapted to receive fluid material, and a fluid passage defined within the body and extending along a longitudinal axis thereof. At least a portion of the fluid passage extends obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis. The body is adapted to receive heat from a heating element and to transfer the heat to the fluid material flowing through the fluid passage. A method of jetting fluid material with a jet dispenser including a jet cartridge includes receiving fluid material into the jet cartridge, directing the fluid material through the jet cartridge along a longitudinal axis thereof and obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis, heating the fluid material directed through fluid cartridge to a target temperature, maintaining the target temperature as the fluid material enters a nozzle, and jetting the heated fluid material through the nozzle.

Liquid dispensers for jetting fluid materials, such as epoxy, silicones, and other adhesives, are known in the art. Jet dispensers generally operate to dispense small volumes of fluid material to a substrate by rapidly impacting a valve seat with a valve member to create a distinct, high pressure pulse that ejects a small volume, or droplet, of fluid material from the nozzle of the dispenser, which flies from the nozzle through the air to impact a surface, or substrate, onto which the fluid material is being applied. Known jet cartridges used with jet dispensers include a cartridge body that houses the valve member and a nozzle, the cartridge body being adapted to couple to an actuator of the jet dispenser.
In applications for jetting heated fluid material, a heating element is coupled to the cartridge body, which then transfers heat to the fluid material as it flows through the internal passages of the jet cartridge. The viscosity of the fluid material may be temperature-dependent. Accordingly, the viscosity of the fluid material may be controlled by transferring heat to the fluid material as it flows through the jet cartridge, particularly in applications in which a low viscosity of the fluid material is desired.
In order to achieve uniform fluid flow characteristics and dispense weight repeatability, it is desirable to maintain a uniform, consistent temperature of the fluid material as it flows through the jet cartridge and into the nozzle for jetting. However, known heated jet cartridges fail to maintain a uniform temperature of the fluid material as the fluid material flows through the jet cartridge and into the nozzle. In particular, the fluid material is often exposed to heat for an insufficient length of time within the jet cartridge such that the fluid material experiences a drop in temperature (i.e., partially cools) by the time it reaches the nozzle. As a result, the fluid material flowing toward the nozzle experiences inconsistent temperatures and viscosities, thereby resulting in imprecise dispensing performance.
Known heated jet cartridges are further deficient in that many are not designed to be disassembled, and later reassembled, to fully expose the internal fluid passages for inspection and cleaning between uses. Alternatively, known heated jet cartridges that are disassembleable often require the assistance of an external tool, such as a wrench or a screw driver, for disengaging one or more tightened mechanical fasteners. Accordingly, exposure of the internal fluid passages of known jet cartridges for adequate inspection and cleaning is made difficult, if not impossible. In this regard, blind fluid paths and "dead zones" within jet cartridges, which may undesirably trap fluid during use and hinder fluid flow, may be insufficiently accessible for proper inspection and cleaning.
Therefore, a need exists for improvements to known jet cartridges for jet dispensers.

Jet cartridges for jetting fluid material, and related methods