The present invention relates to colloidal suspensions of discrete particles of colloidal zeolite and a method for preparing such zeolite from clear tetraalkylammonium stabilized aluminiumsilicate solutions. Smaller amounts of well defined and controlled metal hydroxide solutions are added to these alumiumsilicate solutions to enable the synthesis of a specific zeolite as well as to control zeolite yield. The colloidal suspensions are characterized by an average particle size of less than 250 nanometers and preferably, less than 200 nanometers together with the fact that the particle size distribution expressed as the geometric standard deviation is less than 1.30 and preferably less than 1.20. Zeolite sols synthesized according to this invention display Tyndall light scattering typical for colloidal suspensions as well as a very low rate of sedimentation due to the small particle size. Zeolite sols synthesized according to this invention can be prepared so as to contain negligable amounts of amorphous material.

1. Scope of the Invention
The present application relates to colloidal suspensions of zeolite synthesized in clear homogeneous aluminiumsilicate solutions. The particles are present as discrete particles, with an average particle size of less than 250 nanometers and preferably, less than 200 nanometers with a particle size distribution expressed as the geometric standard deviation of less than 1.30 and preferably less than 1.20. The colloidal zeolite sols possess characteristics typical of colloidal suspensions such as for example, a very low rate of sedimentation and Tyndall light scattering. The zeolite sols can be prepared so as to contain essentially no amorphous material. Such zeolite sols can be dried to a powder suitable for use in numerous fields of application such as the active component in fluid catalytic cracking catalysts. Equilibrium and demetallized fluid catalytic cracking catalysts may be upgraded by means of impregnation of such catalysts using a suitable colloidal zeolite sol as for example, a colloidal suspension of zeolite Y. The particles of this invention can be deposited on suitable substrates in the production of inorganic films and membranes which possess molecular sieve characteristics. Such membranes would possess a bi-modal pore structure where the size of the larger pores is a function of the zeolite particle size while the size of the smaller pores is determined by the type of zeolite employed. The use of the sols of this invention allows for the production of films and membranes with controlled acid-base and ion-exchange properties.
2. A Description of the Prior Art
Crystalline aluminiumsilicates or zeolites are normally synthesized from active hydrated aluminiumsilicate gels in an alkaline enviroment. The synthesis of crystalline aluminiumsilicates is achieved by mixing a silica- and an alkaline aluminate solution, thereby obtaining an aluminiumsilicate gel.
Suitable silica sources are for example hydrated silicates, precipitated silica powders and colloidal silica sols. The alumina source may be aluminium alkoxides, aluminium salts, aluminium oxides, aluminium hydroxide or metal aluminates. The necessary alkalinity is supplied by additions of alkali hydroxides, alkaline earth hydroxides or organic bases or combinations thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,007 describes the preparation of silica-alumina synthesis gels for the synthesis of zeolite Y wherein the alkali is added as sodium hydroxide. The method entails ageing of the gel obtained followed by hydrothermal treatment whereupon zeolite Y crystallizes with a particle size of between 1 and 7 micrometers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,639,099 and 4,164,551 describe a method whereby zeolite Na-Y is synthesized without ageing of the synthesis mixture. A seed mixture, which is obtained as a gel with a relatively high alkalinity, is added to a synthesis mixture which upon hydrothermal treatment yields zeolite Na-Y. The product, in the form of a sediment, is separated from the mother liquid and dried to a powder after a washing sequence.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,874 describes the synthesis of zeolite ZSM-2 using a lithium aluminiumsilicate gel. The product is described as containing a mixture of 50% zeolite ZSM-2 with an average particle size of 0.5 micrometer and 50% unreacted amorphous lithium aluminiumsilicate glass.
The colloidal zeolite suspensions referred to in this invention are obtained from clear homogeneous aluminiumsilicate synthesis mixtures. Such clear homogeneous aluminiumsilicate synthesis mixtures are however not the sole criteria to be fullfilled in order to synthesize discrete colloidal zeolite crystals. TPA-silicalite-1 can be crystallized in clear homogeneous solutions as described by Cundy, Lowe and Sinclair, J. Cryst. Growth, 100, (1990), 189. The crystals thus obtained were separated from the mother liquid by sedimentation and washed free from excess alkali by filtering through a 0.2 .mu.m filter membrane. Separation according to this technique was possible due to the fact that the product consisted of silicalite particles with an average particle size of 0.95 .mu.m. The particle size distribution could be determined by means of optical microscopy.
A further example of a zeolite that crystallizes in clear homogeneous synthesis solutions is the synthesis of zeolite Y as described by Kashara, Itabashi and Igawa, `New Developments in Zeolite Science and Technology`, (Ed. Murakami et.al.), Elsevier, Proc. of the 7th Int. Conf. on Zeolites, (1986 ), 185. Aluminiumsilicate seeds or nuclei are formed in a clear solution and grow by means of aggregation. As a result of the particle size, the growing crystals sediment thus allowing separation of the crystalline phase by means of conventional filtration methods well known in the art.
Ueda et.al., Am. Mineral, 64, (1979 ), 172, show that analcime crystallizes in clear homogeneous solutions. The product consists of analcime particles with an average particle size of between 15 and 25 0.mu.m.
Wenqin, et.al., `New Developments in Zeolite Science and Technology`, (Ed. Murakami et.al.), Elsevier, Proc. of the 7th Int. Conf. on Zeolites, (1986), 177, describe the synthesis of zeolite A from clear homogeneous solutions. The product thus obtained could be separated from the mother liqour by means of conventional filtration methods which implies that the average particle size is markedly larger than the particle sizes referred to in this invention.
Zeolite crystals synthesized with typical synthesis conditions as those described above have an average particle size of between 1 and 5 .mu.m. The particle size distribution is as a rule broad. Characterization of such particles with respect to particle size is accomplished with methods such as optical or electron microscopy, sieve analysis and light scattering methods suitable for particles in this size range. Determining the diffusion coefficient by means of light scattering in order to calculate the particle size according to equation 1 is not a suitable method since these particles have a rate of sedimentation far greater than the Brownian motion. EQU D=kT/3.eta..pi.d Equation 1
where
D=diffusion coefficient, m.sup.2 /s PA1 k=Boltzmanns constant=1.38 10.sup.-23 J/K PA1 T=absolute temperature, K PA1 .eta.=liquid phase viscosity, Ns/m.sup.2 PA1 d=particle diameter, m. PA1 L=average particle size, nanometer PA1 K=form factor=0.893 PA1 .lambda.=CuK.alpha. radiation wavelength=0.15405 nm PA1 2.THETA.=diffraction angle PA1 B=peak broadening due to sample, radians PA1 .beta.=instrument broadening, radians.
The characteristics of different particulate systems may be compared if the particle size distributions are expressed as a lognormal particle size distribution. The systems are defined by an average particle size and a geometric standard deviation, GSD. The GSD in a colloidal suspension of amorphous aluminiumsilicate particles prepared according to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,257,874 and 4,272,409 is 1.37. The colloidal suspensions described in these patents are said to contain discrete amorphous aluminiumsilicate particles with a narrow particle size distribution. With a narrow particle size distribution referred to in this invention, a GSD of less than 1.30 or preferably less than 1.20 is intended.
Zeolite particles in conventional zeolite syntheses can exist as agglomerates of smaller particles. Such particles do not display the typical properties of colloidal suspensions as described above and, furthermore, which are typical for the colloidal zeolite referred to in this invention.
The product in conventional zeolite syntheses can contain a crystalline zeolite phase as well as an amorphous, unreacted aluminiumsilicate if crystallization has not proceeded to completion or if one or more of the components exist as excess reactant. It is not possible or very difficult to separate the crystalline component from the largely insoluble amorphous component with separation techniques known in the art. The resulting consequence of this fact is that it is not practical to interrupt a conventional zeolite synthesis at some intermediate stage during the course of crystallization in order to obtain crystals with a colloidal size or with a particle size less than that which would have resulted had the crystallization proceeded to completion.
Zeolite crystals synthesized according to the conventional methods described above and known in the art, display a high rate of sedimentation which is a direct consequence of their particle size. The particulate material obtained from such conventional synthesis methods can be separated from the mother liquor by means of conventional methods of separation such as filtration. It is the presence of large particles that allows such methods to be employed in contrast to the more sophisticated separation methods such as high speed centrifugation or ultrafiltration that have to be employed to separate the colloidal material referred to in this invention.
General methods known and employed to characterize and describe colloidal suspensions containing discrete particles in the colloidal size range, 10 to 10 000 .ANG., for example the particles diffusion coefficient and the suspensions critical coagulation concentration, cannot be applied to the corresponding zeolites synthesized according to the conventional methods known in the art and which yield zeolite particle sizes in excess of 1 .mu.m. The above practice is on the other hand applicable to the colloidal suspensions of crystalline aluminiumsilicates described in the present invention.


A television camera device having an image pickup structure, with a plurality of control units, for producing an optimum image output signal that (i) corresponds to a received object image (ii) is in accordance with one of a plurality of predetermined image pickup environments. The device includes a memory for storing scene files which contain image pickup control data for the plurality of the predetermined image pickup environments, and a mode setting structure for selecting a particular scene file from the scene files stored in the memory. Further, the device includes a timer operatable in response to the selection of a scene file by the mode setting structure, and an operation structure, coupled to the image pickup structure, the memory, the mode setting structure, and the timer. The operation structure sequentially outputs to the image pickup structure intermediate image pickup control data which is between the control data of the pre-selection scene file and the control data of the post-selection scene file. The operation structure changes the intermediate control data is discrete increments at a frequency determined by the timer when the scene file is selected by the mode setting structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television camera device for setting a status by a scene file.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a prior art television camera, an operator stores data of a series of adjustment status to photographing environments in a memory as a scene file so that an optimum image output is produced in accordance with a plurality of preset image pickup environments, and where there is no time for adjustment before the image pickup, the scene file is exchanged.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the prior art, a scene file is selected by mode setting means 1, and when a CPU 2 receives a scene file selection request, it reads out the scene file data from a memory 3 and outputs it to image pickup means 5 by a data output means 4 to set an adjustment status of the image pickup means 5.
However, where the image pickup is continuously conducted under two different environments, the adjustment is not well attained by any one of the environment scene files in a transition status between the two environments, and the image is suddenly switched when the scene file is switched. As a result, the resulting image is unnatural.


The invention relates to a method in connection with a QAM receiver wherein, particularly when making use of a 32QAM, 64QAM demodulator lator a like, a digital transmission signal (1) to be transmitted is down-converted in a tuner and band-filtered with a first filter to a preferably fixed, standard intermediate frequency (5). This is followed by a further subsequent down-conversion by a first oscillator and filtering with a second filter to a so-called low intermediate frequency (6) which is equal to the symbol rate used in image transmission or its low odd multiple, whereafter an AD converter (7) is used under the synchronization of a second oscillator (8) for picking up samples (X) from the symbol sequence of a processed signal (6) to a demodulator (9), capable of regulating the above-mentioned, preferably voltage-controlled oscillators. Particularly in order to provide a variable-rate transmission signal, said low intermediate frequency signal (6), such as the mean frequency and bandwidth of its spectrum, is measured by of a measuring system (11), the measuring results thereof being used for controlling the oscillators (4, 8) in such a manner that the fixed-rate demodulator (9) can be locked to the signal. The invention relates also to a QAM receiver operating in accordance with the method.

For the above type of QAM receivers it has been relatively easy to develop a demodulator for a signal whose symbol rate is known with a reasonable accuracy. Components operating this way have in fact been commercially available for some time. Generally speaking, however, the transmission of a digital television image is just being introduced and, thus, the pertinent standards and interpretations thereof are still somewhat open. In the prior art solutions, the symbol rate has been usually identified by means of a feedback loop which, if necessary, has employed the feedback of possibly demodulated symbols.
Hence, in digital television image transmission, especially in a cable network, the modulation method used currently is a multi-state QAM, having a spectrum which is quite sharp-edged and, thus, the signal itself contains quite a bit of synchronization information. A result of this is that the carrier frequency and symbol rate of a signal must be set at a relatively high accuracy, before the synchronization based on a feedback loop is able to lock itself. In digital video, the bandwidth of a signal is typically about 7 MHz and the locking range is a few tens of kHz's. In case the symbol rate is unknown or may vary over a wide range, the correct rate must be searched in current solutions by adjusting the locking at various rates, which are generally quite close to each other at equal intervals. Therefore, at a fluctuating symbol rate, the searching time will often be unacceptably long and tedious.

Method in connection with a QAM receiver and an improved QAM receiver


A headlight having a housing, a light assembly, at least one heat sink, and an air mover. The housing has a front end, a rear end, an air inlet, an air outlet, an intake chamber in fluid communication with the air inlet, an exhaust chamber in fluid communication with the air outlet, and a passageway establishing fluid communication between the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber. The passageway is positioned forward of both the air inlet opening and the air outlet opening. The heat sink is positioned in at least one of the intake chamber and the exhaust chamber. The air mover is supported by the housing in such a way as to move air into the housing through the air inlet, through the intake chamber, over the heat sink, through the exhaust chamber, and out of the housing through the air outlet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for management of thermal energy, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a headlight having a heat sink assembly that ensure desirable fluid flow characteristics.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Numerous systems and methods are known in the art for managing excess thermal energy or heat produced by electrical devices such as light bulbs, LED's, processors, printed circuit boards (PCB's), and the like. Such systems often involve the use of fans and/or heat sinks, such as pin and blade heat sinks. In some systems, one or more fans are used in conjunction with one or more heat sinks to encourage convective heat transfer, in addition to conductive heat transfer, from the heat sink to a cooling fluid such as air, water, or the like. Such heat sink systems may be useful in a number of devices and/or applications.
For example, one application in which such heat sink systems are useful and/or desirable is within, and/or in conjunction with, medical illumination devices. As used herein, medical illumination devices may include surgical, dental, and/or examination illumination devices, and should be understood to be merely one example of illumination devices to which the principles of the invention described herein may be applied. Such illumination devices are often equipped with light sources, such as incandescent bulbs, Xenon bulbs, LED's, coherent light sources, lasers, and the like. Such illumination devices may further be equipped with control equipment such as processors, printed circuit boards (PCB's), and the like. The light sources and/or control equipment may generate thermal energy in quantities in excess of that which can be naturally dissipated to surrounding air. Without a heat sink or other thermal management system and/or device, such excess thermal energy may cause the temperature of the light sources and/or control systems to rise to undesirable levels.
An undesirable rise in temperature, or a rise in temperature to an undesirable level, may result in adverse effects on the light sources and/or control systems. For example, temperatures above a desirable threshold may melt and/or weaken certain materials, may result in undesirable expansion, may increase fatigue on components, may reduce the functional lives of components, may result in undesirable fluctuations in output levels, may change the wavelength, color, and/or other characteristics of light output by light sources, and/or may result in a number of other undesirable effects. As such, it is often desirable to equip medical illumination devices with one or more heat sinks, fans, and/or other thermal management devices and/or equipment to encourage and/or control the dissipation of excess thermal energy so as to maintain desirable and/or tolerable temperatures and thereby encourage stable and desirable operation of an illumination device and components thereof.
However, the addition of one or more heat sinks and/or one or more fans to an illumination device may cause other undesirable effects that must be balanced with the need to dissipate and/or manage excess thermal energy. For example, in certain medical, dental, and/or similar procedures, it may be desirable, and in some circumstances critical, to maintain a sterile work environment. Certain prior illumination devices may be poorly suited for use in the vicinity of such sterile environments, for example, because fans and the like may propel particulates and contaminates into the sterile work environment.
Numerous other factors may be important to consider as well. For example, where an illumination device is in the form of a headlight or headlamp that is worn on the head of a user, such as a doctor, surgeon, dentist, nurse, or the like, the weight, size, balance, and various other physical characteristics are preferably considered and/or optimized. For example, if a headlight becomes excessively heavy, a user may have difficulty wearing the headlight for a sufficient period of time, such as a period of time sufficient to perform an operation or inspection. By way of another example, where a headlight is excessively weighted in one portion relative to another portion, so as to prevent the headlight from balancing comfortably on a user's head, a user may have similar difficulty wearing the headlight for a sufficient period of time. By way of yet another example, a fan that produces excessive noise, vibration, and/or the like may be uncomfortable for a user to wear for a sufficient period of time.


A method for evaluating an existing or putative portfolio having a plurality of assets. A mean-variance efficient portfolio is computed for a plurality of simulations of input data statistically consistent with an expected return and expected standard deviation of return, and each such portfolio is associated, by means of an index, with a specified portfolio on the mean variance efficient frontier. A statistical mean of the index-associated mean-variance efficient portfolios is used for evaluating a portfolio for consistency with a specified risk objective.

Managers of assets, such as portfolios of stocks, projects in a firm, or other assets, typically seek to maximize the expected or average return on an overall investment of funds for a given level of risk as defined in terms of variance of return, either historically or as adjusted using techniques known to persons skilled in portfolio management. Alternatively, investment goals may be directed toward residual return with respect to a benchmark as a function of residual return variance. Consequently, the terms "return" and "variance," as used in this description and in any appended claims, may encompass, equally, the residual components as understood in the art. The capital asset pricing model of Sharpe and Lintner and the arbitrage pricing theory of Ross are examples of asset evaluation theories used in computing residual returns in the field of equity pricing. Alternatively, the goal of a portfolio management strategy may be cast as the minimization of risk for a given level of expected return.
The risk assigned to a portfolio is typically expressed in terms of its variance .sigma..sub.P.sup.2 stated in terms of the weighted variances of the individual assets, as: ##EQU1## where w.sub.i is the relative weight of the i-th asset within the portfolio, EQU .sigma..sub.ij =.sigma..sub.i .sigma..sub.j .rho..sub.ij
is the covariance of the i-th and j-th assets, .rho..sub.ij is their correlation, and .sigma..sub.i is the standard deviation of the i-th asset. The portfolio standard deviation is the square root of the variance of the portfolio.
Following the classical paradigm due to Markowitz, a portfolio may be optimized, with the goal of deriving the peak average return for a given level of risk and any specified set of constraints, in order to derive a so-called "mean-variance (MV) efficient" portfolio using known techniques of linear or quadratic programming as appropriate. Techniques for incorporating multiperiod investment horizons are also known in the art. As shown in FIG. 1A, the expected return .mu. for a portfolio may be plotted versus the portfolio standard deviation .sigma., with the locus of MV efficient portfolios as a function of portfolio standard deviation referred to as the "MV efficient frontier," and designated by the numeral 10. Mathematical algorithms for deriving the MV efficient frontier are known in the art.
Referring to FIG. 1B, a variation of classical Markowitz MV efficiency often used is benchmark optimization. In this case, the expected residual return .alpha. relative to a specified benchmark is considered as a function of residual return variance .omega., defined as was the portfolio standard deviation .sigma. but with respect to a residual risk. An investor with portfolio A desires to optimize expected residual return at the same level .omega..sub.A of residual risk. As before, an efficient frontier 10 is defined as the locus of all portfolios having a maximum expected residual return .alpha. of each of all possible levels of portfolio residual risk.
Known deficiencies of MV optimization as a practical tool for investment management include the instability and ambiguity of solutions. It is known that MV optimization may give rise to solutions which are both unstable with respect to small changes (within the uncertainties of the input parameters) and often non-intuitive and thus of little investment sense or value for investment purposes and with poor out-of-sample average performance. These deficiencies are known to arise due to the propensity of MV optimization as "estimation-error maximizers," as discussed in R. Michaud, "The Markowitz Optimization Enigma: Is Optimized Optimal?" Financial Analysts Journal (1989), which is herein incorporated by reference. In particular, MV optimization tends to overweight those assets having large statistical estimation errors associated with large estimated returns, small variances, and negative correlations, often resulting in poor ex-post performance.

Portfolio optimization by means of resampled efficient frontiers


The present invention relates to pharmaceutical technical field, to melonine bisindole compounds, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and preparation methods thereof. Specifically, the present invention relates to melonine bisindole compounds of Formula I, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present invention further relates to method for preparing the melonine bisindole compounds of Formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and the use of the melonine bisindole compounds of Formula I or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of cancers.

Cancers are the world's problem. In China, 1.6 millions cancer patients are newly increased per year, and 1.3 millions cancer patients died per year. At present, clinically used chemotherapeutics have certain therapeutical effects, but bring about tremendous physical pains and mental stress to patients due to their great toxicity, so that it is in urgent needs to develop novel antitumor drugs with definite therapeutical effects and less toxic and side effects.

Melonine bisindole compounds, pharmaceutical compositions, preparation method and use thereof

Kunming Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences


Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling flow rates of a plurality of data packet flows into a queue 4 corresponding to a resource 3 of a network device 1. The flows comprise a set 7 of non-responsive flows, and a set 8 of other flows which may comprise responsive flows and/or flows whose responsiveness is unknown. The flow rates are managed in accordance with a queue management scheme such that adjustments are made to each flow rate in dependence on excess bandwidth in the resource, the amounts of the adjustments being dependent on one or more adjustment parameters for each flow. An error signal is generated based on the deviation from a desired allocation ratio of the ratio of the total flow rates into the queue 4 for the sets of flows 7, 8. At least one adjustment parameter for at least one flow is then varied in dependence on the error signal in such a manner as to reduce the aforementioned deviation. A closed-loop control scheme thus operates in conjunction with the underlying queue management scheme to promote fair bandwidth allocation even in the presence of a mix of responsive and non-responsive flows.

When any resource of a network device involved in the processing of data packets receives packets at a higher rate than it can process the packets, then packets will back up, effectively giving rise to a queue of data packets. Flow control mechanisms are generally provided to manage the transmission into the queue of data packets from various flows, where a "flow" is some defined set or category of data packets, such as packets from a particular group of sources, or conforming to a particular protocol, or packets requiring a particular class of service for example. In particular, queue management schemes can be implemented to control the flow rate into the queue (i.e. the enqueuing rate or "serviced rate") for each flow according to the availability of bandwidth in the resource. Bandwidth availability is typically assessed by some form of queue length thresholding technique which indicates whether excess bandwidth (i.e. spare or unused bandwidth) is available in operation. Flow rates are then controlled accordingly, with a view to ensuring fair sharing of bandwidth between flows while meeting any guaranteed service specifications for particular flows. For example, Active Queue Management (AQM) schemes such as RED (Random Early Detection) and variations thereof control flow rates by probabilistically dropping input packets (or marking packets to indicate network congestion), the drop probabilities for respective flows being increased or decreased in a defined way based on queue levels. A more recent AQM scheme known as Bandwidth Allocation Technology (BAT) is described in "Bandwidth Allocation for Non-Responsive Flows with Active Queue Management", Bowen et al., Int. Zurich Seminar on Broadband Communications, IZS 2002, February 2002. This scheme belongs to the family of additive-increase multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) control algorithms, and monitors excess bandwidth by sensing not only queue levels but also rates of queue-level changes.
Queue management schemes thus control flow rates based on local congestion levels, adjusting flow rates in dependence on excess bandwidth in the particular local resource to which the queue corresponds. Additional flow control mechanisms may also operate on a network-wide level. In particular, certain network protocols are classed as "responsive". Responsive protocols provide some mechanism for adjusting flow rates based on events, such as dropping or marking of packets, indicative of congestion status occurring elsewhere in the network. For example, Internet protocols such as TCP (Transport Control Protocol) incorporate an end-to-end back-off mechanism whereby devices send data at lower rates when congestion is sensed. Depending on the particular mechanism employed, different responsive protocols can provide different levels of responsiveness, but all provide for some degree of congestion control at wider-than-local level. Other network protocols such as UDP (User Datagram Protocol) are classed as non-responsive. These protocols continue sending data at the same rate regardless of congestion in the network. Non-responsive protocols thus rely on local mechanisms to handle congestion control.
A typical network may support traffic conforming to a variety of different protocols, and may thus carry both responsive and non-responsive traffic. In general, therefore, it is desirable for network flow control mechanisms to deal efficiently and in a fair manner with a mix of different traffic types.

International Business Machines Corporation


A chromogenic composition for detecting spilled blood includes a mixture of an acidified aqueous solution containing reduced FD&C Blue #1 and hydrogen peroxide. The chromogenic composition has a relatively long shelf life and will produce a bright blue visible color when contacting blood, thereby being useful for detecting spilled blood and blood trails from wounded game.

Hunting is a popular sport in many areas of the country. When hunting, however, the prey is not always instantly killed when shot and the hunter must track the wounded animal to either finish the task or to recover the kill. As it flees, the wounded animal typically leaves behind a trail of blood on the ground and vegetation. It is by following this trail of blood that the hunter generally tracks the wounded game.
Blood, however, is very difficult to see on the ground and/or on vegetation, particularly for the hunter who may be red-green colorblind, a condition known to affect approximately 5-8% of men and about 0.5% of women. Ninety-nine percent of colorblind people fall in the groups known as "red weak" or "green weak," which means that they have particular difficulty detecting red or reddish-brown blood stains deposited on brown woodland ground and/or on green vegetation.

Chromogenic composition for detecting spilled blood and associated methods


A multipurpose console for use in a vehicle, the console has an upper portion and a lower portion. A pair of mounting flanges are fixedly secured to the lower portion, the mounting flanges each having a plurality of openings to allow a mounting member of a vehicle seat to pass therethrough. The multipurpose console is releasably secured to the vehicle through the securement of a removable seat having a locking mechanism passing through one of the plurality of openings and the pair of mounting flanges. The console includes many features that can be sold as part of the console or be added on at a later time. The console fits between the two middle row seats and extends up between the two front row seats. The unit can be mounted into the vehicle by placing the side flange holes over the seat floor attachment then adding the seats which snap into the floor inside these two holes on the center side of both middle row seat.

The present invention is related generally to a multipurpose/reconfigurable console and more particularly, a multipurpose console for vehicle applications.
Some vehicles, particularly larger sized vehicles, have removable bucket seats for altering the seating arrangements and storage areas of the vehicle in accordance with the user""s preference.
These removable seats each have a latching mechanism for securing and engaging a latching mechanism such as a mounting member fixedly secured to the vehicle floor or frame. The latching mechanisms each have an associated spring-loaded latching mechanism for anchoring the seats in place.
The vehicle seats can be easily removed by depressing a latching lever and lifting the seats from the mounting brackets in the floorboard of the vehicle. In some applications, several such seats are mounted to the vehicle, particularly in the second and third rows of seats.
A removable floor-mounted multipurpose console that utilizes the securement means of a removable seat. The console can be removably attached in a location in between a pair of side-by-side seats. The removable floor-mounted console provides a variety of console accessories.
This console extends up higher between two second row seats and is disposed between passengers seated therein. This extension can house a variety of features, such as a fold out lap tray on each side, storage rack: for books and/or toys, drawers, fold-out personal electronic TV/VCR, etc.
An alternative console extension is designed to be removable and the features will depend on the individual needs. The removable nature of the upper console allows this unit to serve as a portable storage/activity center during extended travel.
Another alternative includes an extendable unit mounted to a track system for fore/aft adjustability. The aft adjustment would provide 3rd row occupants access to the unit. The fore adjustment would provide front row occupants access to the extendable unit.
In other embodiments the units re-configurability is designed to satisfy different occupant needs and these designs are bundled together. Some of the different market focuses anticipated are infant care, small child, school age kids, business office, personal/cosmetic care, etc. Each specific target market would have unique and common features bundled into the units. These units would also be branded according to the target.
The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.


Systems and methods of the present disclosure relate to calibration of a resistivity tool. A calibration method comprises deploying a transmitter in a known formation with a known resistivity property with a physical tilted angle θ relative to a longitudinal axis of the tool; deploying receivers in the known formation, wherein a physical tilted angle of a first receiver is θ relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool, and wherein a physical tilted angle of a second receiver is −θ, relative to the longitudinal axis of the tool; transmitting signals with the transmitter and measuring the signals at the receivers; combining measurements at two receivers with respect to a transmitter signal in the known formation; producing synthetic responses of the tool in the known formation using forward modeling; and calculating an effective tilted angle θ′ from real measurements and the synthetic responses.

Tilted electromagnetic (EM) antennae have been widely used in formation resistivity determinations and geo-steering applications due to their azimuthal sensitivity and mechanical design, such as in antennae tilted at 45 degrees. However, ferrites used to improve the efficiency of the antennae, and a conductive mandrel of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) that is underneath the tilted antennae, may affect actual orientation (e.g., effective tilted orientation) for propagating signals into the formation. Therefore, determination of the actual orientation may be desired to reduce errors in multi-component signals which may result in incorrect formation resistivity determinations and incorrect geo-steering of a tool.
Typically, modeling simulations on actual mechanical drawings may be used to determine the effective tilt angle per antenna design. However, this may vary from tool to tool even though the design processes aim to build the same design. Although a mapping table to map the EM field surrounding an antenna may be used to verify the actual antenna design, the mapping table data may be limited due to antenna dimensions and signal interference for measurements. In addition, the mapping table may not be used to re-verify the antenna. Consequently, residual errors due to any undesired tilt angle may not be captured.

Orientation determination and calibration of electromagnetic resistivity tools


A multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus comprises an electrophoretic device having migration lanes in which fragment groups specifically labeled by fluorophores of different light emission peak wavelengths are mixed, added, and migrated. It identifies and detects the fragment groups. It uses laser beams of different wavelengths for exciting the fluorophores in the migration lanes. The laser beams are irradiated to separate positions on the migration lanes for detection of a few kinds of fluorophores at irradiation positions. For the purpose, multicolor optical filters are arranged near the irradiation positions to identify and detect lights emitted from the fluorophores excited by wavelength at every irradiation position.

The present invention relates to a multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus, and more particularly concerns a multicolor fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus preferable for analysis of DNA, RNA, and protein labeled by fluorescent dyes, and in particular for sequence analysis of DNA or genetic diagnostics.
Determination of DNA base sequence has been conventionally made by way of auto-radiography. Recently, real time detection systems having fluorescent labels used have been developed. In a system disclosed in the "Science", Vol. 238, pp 336-341 (1987), DNA fragments are labeled with four kinds of fluorophore corresponding to every four terminus species, and mixed and injected in a single migration lane for analysis. The disclosed system is a multicolor labeling analysis system. The migration lane has a laser beam irradiated at a measuring position to excite the fluorophores. Lights emitted from the fluorophores are detected by two detectors having a filter, each of which having a different transmission band, thereby distinguishably detecting the four kinds of fluorophore, or the four terminus species.
A similar multicolor labeling analysis system was disclosed in the "Nature", Vol. 321, pp 674-679. In the system, laser beam line of 488 or 514 nm is selected and irradiated to a measurement position in a time sharing way for effective excitation of the four kinds of fluorophore. An emission wheel further is provided in front of a light-sensitive detector to switch over four kinds of filters to select a wavelength so that the four kinds of fluorophore, or the four terminus species can be distinguishably detected.
On the other hand, the U.S. pat. Ser. No. 4,832,815 filed Oct. 18, 1988, discloses a multicolor labeling analysis system capable of distinguishing a plurality of fluorophores by using a direct-vision prism and a two-dimensional light-sensitive detector which are combined to optically disperse lights from a light emitting line on a migration gel.

Fluorescence detection type electrophoresis apparatus


A contact-type displacement measuring apparatus includes a first movable body that reciprocates in a first linear direction; a driving unit that drives the first movable body; a second movable body that reciprocates in a second linear direction parallel to the first linear direction, in association with movement of the first movable body; a probe detachably arranged at a tip of the second movable body; a measuring force detecting unit that detects, at a rear end of the second movable body, a measuring force to an object when the probe is in contact with the object; a position detecting unit that detects, between the probe and the measuring force detecting unit, an amount of movement of the second movable body; and a control device that controls the amount of movement such that the measuring force is kept constant corresponding to an output of the measuring force detecting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact-type displacement measuring apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a contact-type displacement measuring apparatus is known (for example, "Development of a Nondestructive Surface Geometry Nano-Measuring Apparatus" by Kunitoshi Nishimura, et al., [online], New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, [Retrieved on Jan. 30, 2004], the Internet <URL: http://www.nedo.go.jp/itd/teian/annmtg/fyll/seika/98y28001/98y28001s.html>) that is configured to have a measuring force detecting unit at the tip of a spindle, that detects contact with an object to be measured; a position detecting unit at the center of the spindle, that detects a displacement of the spindle; and a linear actuator at the rear end of the spindle, that moves the spindle in the direction of a shaft line. In a contact-type displacement measuring apparatus having such configuration, measurement of the object is executed by the position detecting unit through the measuring force detecting unit.
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a contact-type displacement measuring apparatus disclosed in the above non-patent document "Development of a Nondestructive Surface Geometry Nano-Measuring Apparatus". As shown in FIG. 13, a spindle 101 that moves vertically is provided in substantially the center of a frame 100. At the tip of the spindle 101, an electric-capacitance-type displacement detector 103 and a stylus 104 are mounted through a piezoelectric element 102 that generates a micro displacement. The stylus 104 is constituted of an oscillator that resonates in the primary mode with a support point as a node of vibration and both ends as antinodes. When the tip of a horn of the oscillator in a resonant state is caused to contact an object 150 to be measured and the oscillator is constrained, the resonant state of the stylus 104 changes.
The change of the resonant state is detected by a detecting electrode. Thereby, it is detected that the tip of the stylus 104 has contacted the object 150 to be measured. At the rear end of the spindle 101, a moving-coil-type actuator 105 that generates a rough displacement is disposed. According to a fine-and-rough driving scheme by this moving-coil-type actuator 105 and the piezoelectric element 102, micro displacements are measured by the piezoelectric element 102 and large displacements are measured by the moving-coil-type actuator 105 when the tip of the stylus 104 is caused to follow the shape of the object to be measured.
As an amount to be measured in a direction of Z-axis (direction perpendicular to the plane that the tip of the stylus 104 contacts) of the shape of the object, a value detected by the electric-capacitance-type displacement detector 103 is used. A surface geometry measuring apparatus is known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H6-147886) that is configured to have parallel springs on a bottom face of a movable body capable of micro moves; and, on one end of the parallel springs, a contact finger that contacts a surface to be measured; a movable body displacement detecting unit that detects the amount of a displacement of the movable body; and an resilient body displacement detecting unit that detects the amount of a displacement of the parallel springs.
However, in the contact-type displacement measuring apparatus disclosed in the above non-patent document, when the tip of the stylus contacts the object to be measured and the oscillation mode of the oscillator changes, distortion is generated in the measuring force detecting unit and the dimensions of the measuring force detecting unit itself change. Therefore, an error is generated when the object is measured and such a problem arises that correct measurement results and reproducible measurement results can not be obtained. Because the portion that contact the object is constituted of a stylus, another problem arises that measurement can not be executed using a probe, mounted on the tip of the spindle, that is used in a common contact-type displacement measuring apparatus and that fits the shape of the object.
In the surface geometry measuring apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H6-147886, when the contact finger moves upward and downward following the surface geometry of the surface to be measured, the parallel springs are deformed in response to the movement. Therefore, the lateral position of the contact finger mounted on the tip of the parallel springs is shifted to the base end side of the parallel springs. Therefore, such a problem arises that an error is generated in the measurement result.

Contact-type displacement measuring apparatus


A rechargeable DC power supply includes a housing including an interior, an exterior, and an integral heat sink including a heat absorbing surface formed in said interior and a heat dissipating surface formed in said exterior. The rechargeable DC power supply includes a rechargeable battery having battery terminals positioned in said interior, power supply terminals positioned at said exterior of said housing, and a first printed circuit board (PCB) assembly including a bidirectional DC-DC converter module connected between said battery terminals and said power supply terminals. The first PCB assembly is in coplanar contact with said heat absorbing surface.

Rechargeable DC power supplies are useful in many types of applications. For example, cellular towers and other stationary applications use rechargeable DC power supplies as an uninterruptible power source. The rechargeable DC power supplies provide backup power during a main grid outage.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an example application of rechargeable DC power supplies is shown. A direct current (DC) power supply 2 receives power from a main grid 4. The DC power supply 2 generally provides power to a load 6 and to a plurality of rechargeable DC power supplies 8-1, 8-2, . . . , 8-N, referred to collectively as rechargeable DC power supplies 8. Each rechargeable DC power supply 8 includes a corresponding battery 10 and charging control circuit 12.
The battery 10 provides a voltage that is less than a load voltage needed by the load 6. If the DC power supply 2 becomes inoperative, the series-connected rechargeable DC power supplies 8 provide the load voltage. However, because the rechargeable DC power supplies are connected in series, the load 6 may not receive sufficient voltage if one of more of the rechargeable DC power supplies 8 is in a discharged or open circuit condition.

Power supply with bidirectional DC-DC converter


A system and method summarizes multimedia stored in a compressed multimedia file partitioned into a sequence of segments, where the content of the multimedia is, for example, video signals, audio signals, text, and binary data. An associated metadata file includes index information and an importance level for each segment. The importance information is continuous over as closed interval. An importance level threshold is selected in the closed interval, and only segments of the multimedia having a particular importance level greater than the importance level threshold are reproduced. The importance level can also be determined for fixed-length windows of multiple segments, or a sliding window. Furthermore, the importance level can be weighted by a factor, such as the audio volume.

In order to quickly review and analyze a video, for example a movie, a recorded sporting event or a news broadcast, a summary of the video can be generated. A number of techniques are known for summarizing uncompressed and compressed videos.
The conventional practice is to first segment the video into scenes or 'shots', and then to extract low and high level features. The low level features are usually based on syntactic characteristics such as color, motion, and audio components, while the high level features capture semantic information.
The features are then classified, and the shots can be further segmented according to the classified features. The segments can be converted to short image sequences, for example, one or two seconds 'clips' or 'still' frames, and labeled and indexed. Thus, the reviewer can quickly scan the summary to select portions of the video to playback in detail. Obviously, the problem with such summaries is that the playback can only be based on the features and classifications used to generate the summary.
In order to further assist the review, the segments can be subjectively rank ordered according to a relative importance. Thus, important events in the video, such as climactic scenes, or goal scoring opportunities can be quickly identified, see, Fujiwara et al. "Abstractive Description of Video Using Summary DS," Point-illustrated Broadband+Mobile Standard MPEG Textbook, ASCII Corp., p. 177 FIGS. 5-24 Feb. 11, 2003, also "ISO/IEC 15938-5:2002 Information technology—Multimedia content description interface—Part 5: Multimedia Description Schemes," 2002. After an important video segment has been located, the viewer can use fast-forward or fast-reverse capabilities of the playback device to view segments of interest, see "DVR-7000 Instruction Manual," Pioneer Co., Ltd., p. 49, 2001.
Another technique for summarizing a news video uses motion activity descriptors, see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/845,009, titled "Method for Summarizing a Video Using Motion Descriptors," filed by Divakaran, et al., on Apr. 27, 2001. A technique for generating soccer highlights uses a combination of video and audio features, see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/046,790, titled "Summarizing Videos Using Motion Activity Descriptors Correlated with Audio Features," filed by Cabasson, et al., on Jan. 15, 2002. Audio and video features can also be used to generate highlights for news, soccer, baseball and golf videos, see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/374,017, titled "Method and System for Extracting Sports Highlights from Audio Signals," filed by Xiong, et al., on Feb. 25, 2003. Those techniques extract key segments of notable events from the video, such a scoring opportunity or an introduction to a news story. The original video is thus represented by an abstract that includes the extracted key segments. The key segments can provide entry points into the original content and thus allow flexible and convenient navigation.
There are a number of problems with prior art video recording, summarization and playback. First, the summary is based on some preconceived notion of the extracted features, classifications, and importance, instead of those of the viewer. Second, if importance levels are used, the importance levels are usually quantized to a very small number of levels, for example, five or less. More often, only two levels are used, i.e., the interesting segments that are retained, and the rest of the video that is discarded.
In particular, the hierarchical description proposed in the MPEG-7 standard is very cumbersome if a fine quantization of the importance is used because the number of levels in the hierarchy becomes very large, which in turn requires management of too many levels.
The MPEG-7 description requires editing of the metadata whenever the content is edited. For example, if a segment is cut out of the original content, all the levels affected by the cut need to be modified. That can get cumbersome quickly as the number of editing operations increases.
The importance levels are highly subjective, and highly context dependent. That is, the importance levels for sports videos depend on the particular sports genre, and are totally inapplicable to movies and news programs. Further, the viewer has no control over the length of the summary to be generated.
The small number of subjective levels used by the prior art techniques make it practically impossible for the viewer to edit and combine several different videos based on the summaries to generate a derivate video that reflects the interests of the viewer.
Therefore, there is a need to record and reproduce a video in a manner that can be controlled by the viewer. Furthermore, there is a need for specifying importance levels that are content independent, and not subjective. In addition, there is a need to provide more than a small number of discrete importance levels. Lastly, there is a need to enable the viewer to generate a summary of any length, depending on a viewer-selected level of importance.

System and method for recording and reproducing multimedia based on an audio signal

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A GNSS receiver and antenna system transmits signals from an antenna structure to a remote GNSS receiver and includes a digital communications subsystem that utilizes a high speed digital communications conductor. The transmissions are digital signals that preserve GNSS satellite signal frequency and/or carrier and code phase information. The system may transmit digital signals corresponding to GNSS signals such as GPS, GLONAS, Galileo and Compass satellite signals. In addition, the system may transmit, over the same digital communications conductor in appropriately formatted digital signals, ranging signals from ground-based transmitters or other satellites, differential GNSS correction signals from beacons or base GPS receivers, and/or signals from transmitting or co-located sensors, such as inertial sensors, temperature sensors and so forth. The digital signals include in headers or payload relative timing and carrier and code phase information and, as appropriate, information that identifies the signals by source or type, such as information that identifies the frequencies or the antennas or antenna elements providing the respective signals.

In certain environments antennas are placed remotely with respect to GNSS receivers. The antennas may, for example, be placed in areas that have clear views of the sky or areas that are relatively free of sources of multipath. To ensure proper performance of the receiver, the satellite signals received by the antennas are communicated to the GNSS receiver over long runs of relatively expensive Radio Frequency (RF) cable, which has known transmission delays for the frequencies of interest. The receiver then utilizes the signals, to determine position based on the phases of one or more carriers and/or codes in the received satellite signals.

GNSS receiver and antenna system including a digital communication subsystem


A belt tensioner employing helical compression springs in series arrangement in a housing located on a support structure to rotate another structure pivotally mounted on the support structure. An idler pulley is located on the rotatable structure and bears against a belt to both tension it and dampen vibrations. The helical compression springs operate on a plate rigidly attached to a movable shaft, which shaft bears directly or preferably indirectly through a thrust linkage on a shoulder of the rotatable structure. The springs, a thrust assembly and shaft are all mounted in a housing which is substantially filled with liquid which dampens the movement of the rotatable structure by the liquid being forced to flow through a restriction in the thrust assembly as it passes from one chamber to another inside the housing. The constant diameter shaft passes through the housing and its end cap, it being sealed hydraulically at each end. This permits shaft movement to occur without any volume change inside the housing. The rotatable structure is pivotally mounted to the support structure with its rotational axis being displaced and perpendicular to the spring thrust axis. The pressure of the liquid within the tensioner housing due to the thermal expansion of the liquid can be reduced by employing a closed cell elastomeric foam insert in one of the liquid filled chambers of the housing.

In the automotive field, a power transmission belt or drive belt is typically used to drive one or more accessories from the engine crankshaft. There is now a trend in the automotive industry to employ a single drive belt or so-called "serpentine" belt to drive all the accessories rather than employ several or more belts and pulleys. Thus, in a typical arrangement, a single belt can be used to drive the air conditioning compressor, air pump, power steering, alternator, fan and water pump and power brake vacuum pump from the crankshaft pulley.
In order to drive the accessories without substantial belt slip and critical belt wear, it is necessary that the belt be tensioned appropriately for the torque transmitted at each of the accessory pulleys. However, even though the belt may be initially tensioned adequately, with operation, the belt is subject to some wear and some elongation. One significant cause of serpentine drive belt failure is degradation due to heat caused by belt-slip which is usually due to insufficient tension on the belt. Thus a fixed position pulley arrangement is usually inadequate to maintain proper belt tension since any belt wear or elongation has a drastic effect on belt tension. This is particularly true of high strength belts using high modulus cords which have very little extension over their operating range. The problem of maintaining proper tension is also compounded by the long length of the serpentine belt operating on many accessories. Furthermore, the torsional vibration of the engine crankshaft together with the torque changes in the accessories and the fundamental frequency of the spring operated belt tensioner can lead to large vibrations of the transmission belt which may be critical.
A number of belt tensioners have been designed and applied in an attempt to mitigate and resolve the above problems. Belt tensioners, in general, comprise an arm with a belt engaging pulley mounted on one end thereof and with the other end pivoted to the engine block. A tensioning means maintains the tension on the arm in the direction of belt stretch so that the pulley is continuously and yieldably engaged with the belt to move therewith as the belt stretches. It is desirable that such a tensioning means maintain a continuous or constant tension on the belt. It is also desirable that the tensioner have a means for dampening oscillations or other vibrations in the belt.
Approaches that continue to apply tension to the belt with an increase in belt length and allegedly provide dampening for belt vibration are shown in Foster, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,563,167; 4,601,683 and 4,634,408; by Burris in U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,172; and by Thomey et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,362. All of the foregoing use a spiral spring in combination with hydraulic fluid vibration dampening or other vibration dampening element. Hydraulic positioning elements are employed in Kraft, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,991 to pivot a tensioner pulley; in Spraul, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,182 to rotate the tensioner pulley off a cam; and in Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,803 a more involved hydraulically operated piston on a bellows is used to position the tensioner. Malloy in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,223 discloses a rather elaborate eccentric cam and straps to vary the pulley with constant tension and Arthur, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,146 discloses use of an elastomeric spring having lower energy density in place of a steel spiral torsion spring.
Disk springs, also known as Belleville spring washers, are employed by Kraft in U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,906 to move a cam plate on the axis of the disk springs. The linear motion of this cam plate is converted into a rotary motion of an arm carrying the belt tensioning idler pulley by interacting against another cam to rotate it by a ramp type of action. Only a portion of the axial force from the disk springs (amount available dependent on the ramp angle) is available to give torque on the arm. Large variable frictional losses are probably involved due to the relative movement of the cam surfaces. Additionally, no controlled hydraulic dampening means are disclosed and this approach requires a relatively large axial space to accommodate the disk springs and other difficulties are involved with the rather complicated cam plates.
Wilson describes in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,638 and 4,525,153 a direct operating tensioner that uses Belleville spring washers in series arrangement in combination with a separate hydraulic chamber with bypass flow restriction to give a special dampening characteristic. Wilson shows the same direct operating tensioner in U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,664 and discloses the use of Belleville spring washers having a cone height to thickness ratio of 1.4 to 1.8 to obtain substantially constant force over a 100 to 50% deflection range and a cone height to thickness ratio of 1.6 to 3.0 to obtain a negative load deflection relation--spring force decreases as the spring is compressed. However, a series arrangement of Belleville spring washers having a cone to disk thickness ratio larger than about 1.4 are subject to erratic deflections when operating in the negative load deflection regime. This is due to slight differences in the load versus deflection characteristic of individual Belleville washers due to manufacturing tolerances. If one of a series of a negative load deflection characteristic Belleville washers deflect slightly more than the others, it will continue to collapse to a flat or possibly reversed cone condition while the remaining Belleville washers must adjust to obtain the required overall deflection. Other Belleville washers may subsequently deflect resulting in a highly erratic belt tensioning. Such erratic operation is accentuated by belt oscillations due to other causes.
In Binder et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,756 bimetallic disk springs are used to tension gear belts by moving a tensioner pulley. The objective and means involves bimetallic disks which function in a different way than from the conventional Belleville or disk springs. The bimetallic disks require changes in their temperature to vary their axial position and force. A relatively complex, large tensioning structure is shown in Binder and does not appear to employ the basic advantages of Belleville or disk springs, that is, the ability to deliver large forces with relatively small movements.
Spiral torsion springs used in many tensioners require more material and volume to generate a given torque as compared to disk or Belleville springs. Disk springs can absorb and deliver more energy per unit weight as compared to spiral torsion springs. However, the movement of disk springs is quite small compared to the spiral torsion spring. Another major requirement for a belt tensioner as applied to power transmission belts on reciprocating engines involves dampening of belt oscillations due to engine torsional vibrations and belt load variations. Some belt tensioners described in the art employ other viscous fluid and frictional dampeners as well as separate hydraulic dampeners. Such devices involve additional equipment added to the tensioner and are difficult to adjust appropriately for varying installations and operations.
A number of tensioners have been patented for tensioning toothed belts and chain drives and hydraulically dampening the belt vibrations. A typical arrangement is shown in Kawashima et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,447 and Kawashima et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,209 where a piston forced by the pulley on the belt enters one side of a chamber to pressurize oil located at the opposite end of the chamber. A check valve is used to give a substantially unidirectional dampening characteristic with the dampening away from the belt and opposed to the direction of the spring force being much larger than the opposite direction. Since the piston does not pass through the chamber, any movement of the piston into the chamber requires oil flow from the pressure chamber to a reservoir chamber which contains a substantial air volume that can be displaced or pressurized by the oil. The check valve then gives very little dampening toward the belt in the direction of the spring force allowing the oil to flow freely in one direction. The high pressure oil from the high pressure chamber to the reservoir chamber leaks through the very small clearance between the piston and its housing to permit overall movement of the piston against a helical compression spring, which tensions the belt. Such a device is subject to cavitation problems in the oil of the pressure chamber and wear of piston and housing causing dampening variations. Also, a rather elongated structure is required to give the required belt takeup. A check valve is not used in a portion of Okabe U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,001 where a two piston system is employed with a unidirectional flow connection for oil dampening. Here, a spring keeps the oil under pressure at all times with vibration causing seal wear and external leakage. Okabe U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,796 uses two springs with a two piston system and a check valve to give a pressurized chamber for unidirectional dampening. Okabe U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,563 shows the addition of a bellows shaped elastic diaphragm in the reservoir chamber to replace the free piston. Suzuki U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,881,927 and 4,874,352 shows ball-type check valve tensioners with oil chambers and external oil make up lines. Other hydraulically operated tensioners using check valves and spring biased diaphragms for maintaining oil pressure above atmospheric pressure are shown in Inoue, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,777 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,679. All of the above hydraulically dampening tensioners differ substantially in construction and in operation from the tensioner described in this invention.


Proposed is a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge. For perforating the cartridge, the bottom of the brewing chamber is provided with inclined perforator members which provide the cartridge with elongate slots that have a greater cross section than the cross section of the particular perforator member. A brewing chamber housing receives two chamber portions delimiting the brewing chamber. The upper chamber portion is adapted to vertically support the cartridge and biased by a spring. For closing the chamber, the brewing chamber housing is raised against a closure piston. The closure piston entering the brewing chamber moves the upper chamber portion against the force of the spring downwards towards the lower chamber portion. In the final position of the brewing chamber housing, the front portion of the cartridge is hydraulically sealed with regard to the rear portion of the chamber by sealing members. For brewing the coffee powder, the chamber is hydraulically subjected to an overpressure by the brewing water in such a way that the brewing water flows through the perforations into the interior of the cartridge. The front of the cartridge is perforated by a closure member provided with projections, such that the brewed coffee beverage can escape through the so created openings and flow to a beverage outlet.

The present invention refers to a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge, comprising a perforator member for creating at least one opening in the cartridge.
In order to brew coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge, up to now, mostly semi-automatic coffee machines are used in which the cartridge has to be inserted into a sieve holder with its cap facing downwards, whereby the sieve holder, thereafter, has to be manually fixed to the coffee machine. The coffee machine comprises a brewing pin member provided with radial outlet openings for the brewing water, located in the region of the portion pack holder fixing. The brewing pin member penetrates the bottom of the cartridge when the sieve holder is fixed to the coffee machine. The sieve holder itself is provided, at its bottom, with a plurality of projections. These projections penetrate the cap of the cartridge and perforate it, as soon as brewing water is fed to the sieve holder, whereby the cartridge is pressed against these projections under the influence of the hydraulic overpressure. At the consecutive brewing operation, the brewing water is fed into the cartridge by the brewing pin member, thus flowing through the coffee powder contained therein and escaping from the interior of the cartridge through the perforation in the cap. The freshly brewed coffee beverage can escape through outlets located at the lower side of the sieve holder. Such a coffee machine is disclosed, for example, in the document EP 0,891,734.
Practice has shown that the cross section of the brewing pin member that is relevant for the brewing water to escape the brewing pin member is relatively quickly decreased and fully blocked, respectively, under the influence of contamination. The reasons therefor are, for example, coffee fat, coffee particles as well as lime in the brewing water. However, with increasing contamination of the brewing pin member, the quality of the brewed coffee beverage decreases. From a hydraulic point of view, a further problem adhering to such brewing pin members is that so-called dead volumina occur in the interior of the cartridge such that portions of the coffee powder are not or insufficiently exposed to the flow of brewing water.
A further disadvantage of the mentioned brewing pin member consists in the fact that it leaves a relatively large puncture in the cartridge through which brewed coffee powder can escape once the brewing pin member is retracted, thus contaminating the coffee machine. This problem is particularly pronounced if the cartridge is put into the coffee machine such that the rear portion of the cartridge to be perforated extends vertically downwards, with the result that the brewed coffee powder can fall out of the cartridge under the influence of gravity, once the brewing pin member is retracted. Moreover, during the brewing operation and caused by the excess pressure in the interior of the cartridge, coffee powder escapes from the cartridge through a gap surrounding the brewing pin.
The document EP 0,521,187 discloses an apparatus for extracting closed cartridges. The apparatus is provided with an extraction head member, comprising a grid member for distributing the brewing water. The bottom side of that grid member is provided with protrusions adapted to perforate the cap of the cartridge to be extracted. The brewing water is supplied from the top through the cap of the cartridge. The latter one is bent under the influence of the pressure of the brewing water, with the result that an annular gap is created between the particular protrusion and the opening created therewith. Through that gap, the brewing water can get into the cartridge. The brewed coffee beverage is said to flow out downwards through the above mentioned outlet grid member. However, it is not quite clear how the brewed coffee beverage can escape the interior of the cartridge, because the protrusions extend through the therewith created openings, barely leaving any clearance between the particular protrusion and the opening created therewith.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to improve a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge in such a way that it is of simpler design.
It is another object of the invention to improve a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge in such a way that it is less susceptible to contamination.
It is a still further object of the invention to improve a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder pre-packed in a cartridge in such a way that it can be operated generally more reliably.
In order to meet these and other objects, the present invention provides a coffee machine for brewing coffee powder prepacked in a cartridge that comprises a perforator means for creating at least one opening in the cartridge containing the coffee powder. Thereby, the perforator means is adapted to create the opening in the cartridge bottom of the cartridge.
The perforator means has a cross sectional area that is smaller than the cross sectional area of the opening created in the cartridge bottom of the cartridge. Further provided are means for feeding brewing water under overpressure through the free cross sectional area of the opening in the cartridge bottom of the cartridge into the interior of the cartridge.

Coffee machine for brewing coffee power pre-packed in a cartridge


A performance modeling tool and method permitting the user to define the elements of a distributed system (hosts, networks and response times), and examine the effect on performance of different distributions of application processes over the system at an early stage in application design. Once a user has defined a performance scenario, it is saved to a data model as a number of interdependent persistent objects that show the distribution of the application for a particular performance scenario from different views. Multiple alternates of each object can be stored. The user can construct different performance scenarios for analysis from the stored objects. Analysis can include performance simulation from which the user can obtain performance projections for an application process or several application processes over different distributions of the performance worload.

In distributed and multi-processor systems, multiple hardware servers and their resident software are linked, and cooperate in providing the resources required to execute the software processes of the system. In such systems, software processes can act as both clients and software servers while sharing the hardware resources. Typical examples of distributed systems include transaction processing systems and data acquisition systems.
In distributed systems of this type, there is a likelihood that there will be delays in execution as processes contend for the hardware and software resources. The system performance behavior is not readily predictable; changes in requests for service between processes, the number of instances of processes, the internal level of concurrence within processes and the placement of processes on processors are all factors that can have a significant impact on system performance.
Performance modeling is an analysis method for discovering which of a system's many features constrain performance by representing them in a predictive model. The resource demands of each process in the system, such as processor time requirements and requests for services from other processes, are quantified and used to define a model. The performance measures that are predicted are a super set of those for closed queuing network models and include:
1. process throughput and response times; PA1 2. process utilizations, and the average number of processes queued at each serving process; PA1 3. device utilizations, and average queue lengths. PA1 i) selecting parameters defining PA1 ii) executing a simulation of said at least one application process according to the selected parameters; and PA1 iii) providing a performance analysis of the simulation.
A change in model parameters permits the prediction of system performance under modified circumstances. Using such a model, a range of system scenarios can be examined without actually altering the system under study.
"The Method of Layers" (Rolia, J. A. and Sevcik, K. C., IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. Vol. 21, No. 8, pp. 689-700, Aug. 1995) is one model for obtaining performance estimates for distributed systems. In the method of layers approach, estimates of performance for queuing in a closed network, average number of visits for individual software process types and scheduling disciplines are used as input parameters for models (called layered queuing models or LQM) of the components of a distributed system. The method of layers divides an LQM into two complementary models, one for software and one for devices, and combines the results to provide performance estimates for the system under study.
One model, called the software contention model, describes the relationships in the software process architecture and is used to predict software contention delays.
The second model, called the device contention model, is used to determine queuing delays at hardware devices. By alternating between the software and device contention submodels, differences in non-serving group response time estimates can be narrowed, and at the point that these differences are less than some tolerance, the performance metrics for the LQM have reached a fixed point so that a predictable model is achieved.
While there are computer tools to assist users in designing programs to improve standards, these are mainly of the computer aided software engineering (CASE) type, rather than performance analysis tools utilizing analysis methods such as the methods of layers.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,788 of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, titled Graphics System for Automatic Computer Code Generation, describes an automatic code generation tool for the Ada programming language, a semi-object oriented language, within a unitary processing environment. From an initial program design, three different visual representations of this program are generated; an overview of the program components, a representation of the data structures and local variables, and a representation of the flow control of the program. As the programmer changes aspects of the program in any of these views, consistency is maintained in the other representations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,222 of Seer Technologies, Inc., titled Computer-Aided Software Engineering Facility, describes a case facility for creating distributed applications. While the system described may itself be object oriented, the patent describes the input applications in terms of entities and relationships which is not an object oriented approach to application design. The described facility utilizes a relational database to store information on all application programs created using the facility. The contents of this database can be reused, as needed, in subsequent applications. This facility also provides the user with multiple consistent views of a single application to aid in distributed design. Following application design and code generation, a debugging and testing facility enables users to evaluate the performance of the generated application.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,522 of the present applicant, titled Selecting and Locating Graphical Icon Objects to Define and Configure the Workstations in Data Processing Networks is directed to a tool for configuring communication and database networks having a graphical user interface to visually represent the elements of the network. Files with configuration parameters are associated with each iconic representation, and these files can be deployed or modified by a central network manager. The facility can easily be switched between a communication and a database mode of operation.
While the tools described in these patents may assist in program design and deployment of program modules or objects over distributed networks, none of the foregoing assists the user to design an optimal distributed program based on performance characteristics of a selected network. The programmer may select different distributed configurations for the program in order to test performance at a practical level, but is not provided with any means for an up-front analytical performance comparison of different models prior to code generation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide application developers with a tool that can automatically transform a performance analysis model, such as the method of layers, into a tool for comparing various design alternatives.
Another object of the invention is to provide a performance analysis tool to be used at the earliest stages of application design for the client server environment, to determine an optimal distribution of objects prior to writing or generating the program code.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for application developers to view and understand performance specifications from different angles.
Other objects of the present invention will become obvious from reviewing the disclosure and claims.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a mechanism for providing performance projections for designs of an application over a distributed system. The mechanism includes means for defining different parameters of the application and the distributed system means for storing the defined parameters as persistent objects means for modifying the stored persistent objects and means for providing analyses of selected groupings of the stored persistent objects that define different performance scenarios.
Preferably, in the means for defining different parameters of the application and the distributed system, a graphical user interface is provided adapted to receive input from a user and schematically display distributed objects and networks from the distributed system, and interaction links between the distributed objects from the application, and preferably the means for storing the defined parameters as persistent objects include means to store as separate objects alternate distributions of the distributed objects and alternate interaction links between the distributed objects.
The invention also provides a method for determining a performance-based distribution of application processes over a distributed system having a plurality of linked processors and including middleware connections between distributed processors. The method includes the steps of:
a) hosts, networks and connections in the distributed system, and PA2 b) interactions between the hosts for executing at least one application process;
A computer program product having computer readable code means embodied in a computer usable media for effecting the above is also provided by the invention.

Comparative performance modeling for distributed object oriented applications

International Business Machines Corporation


An object plane detection system comprises a light source adapted to illuminate a media object to generate an image area on a photosensitive sensor. The system also comprises a detection module adapted to determine a location of an object plane corresponding to the media object based on a size of the image area.

Scanning systems are used in a variety of different applications and products, such as copiers, facsimile machines, and scanners. However, different types of scanning media generally result in different types of scanning problems. For example, scanned locations near the spine of a bound volume often appear darker, and text therein more compressed, than in adjacent locations because of distance variations between the bound volume and a platen or scanning object plane. Thus, scanned media readability varies as a result of nonuniformities or variations in the object plane location.

Automatic object plane detection system and method

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A document assembly system with jam detection capability. The system including an accumulation chassis having a series of pusher fingers for pushing collations of documents. Above the chassis, document feeders release documents to the chassis to form the collations. A set of horizontal photo-sensors is positioned below the document feeder at a level substantially even with the tops of the pusher fingers on the chassis. The photo-sensors detect lead and trail edges of documents traveling in the flight path from the document feeder to the chassis. The sensors generate signals representing the lead and tail edges of documents breaking the line between the photo-sensors. A controller receives the signals from the photo-sensors and compares them to an expected profile calculated as a function the parameters of operation for the chassis and feeders. An error signal is generated when the compared signals are different from the expected profile by greater than a predetermined margin of error.

Inserter systems, such as those applicable for use with the present invention, are typically used by organizations such as banks, insurance companies and utility companies for producing a large volume of specific mailings where the contents of each mail item are directed to a particular addressee. Also, other organizations, such as direct mailers, use inserts for producing a large volume of generic mailings where the contents of each mail item are substantially identical for each addressee. Examples of such inserter systems are the 8 series, 9 series, and APS™ inserter systems available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford Conn.
In many respects, the typical inserter system resembles a manufacturing assembly line. Sheets and other raw materials (other sheets, enclosures, and envelopes) enter the inserter system as inputs. The modules and workstations of the inserter system work cooperatively to process the sheets until a finished mail piece is produced. The exact configuration of each inserter system depends upon the needs of the particular customer or installation.
Typically, inserter systems prepare mail pieces by gathering collations of documents on a conveyor chassis. Insert feeders above the chassis release inserts, such as special offers or advertisements, onto the collations as they pass underneath on the chassis. The collations are then transported on the conveyor to an insertion station where they are automatically stuffed into envelopes. After being stuffed with the collations, the envelopes are removed from the insertion station for further processing. Such further processing may include automated closing and sealing the envelope flap, weighing the envelope, applying postage to the envelope, and finally sorting and stacking the envelopes.
The stages of a typical inserter system are depicted in FIG. 1. At the input end of the inserter system, rolls or stacks of continuous printed documents, called a "web," are fed into the inserter system by a web feeder 10. The continuous web must be separated into individual document pages. This separation is typically carried out by a web cutter 20 that cuts the continuous web into individual document pages. Downstream of the web cutter 20, a right angle turn 30 may be used to reorient the documents, and/or to meet the inserter user's floor space requirements.
The separated documents must subsequently be grouped into collations corresponding to the multi-page documents to be included in individual mail pieces. This gathering of related document pages occurs in the accumulator module 40 where individual pages are stacked on top of one another. Downstream of the accumulator 40, a folder 50 typically folds the accumulation of documents, so that they will fit in the desired envelopes. Then, a buffer transport 60 transports and stores accumulated and folded documents in series in preparation for transferring the documents to the synchronous inserter chassis 70.
On the chassis 70 collations of documents received from the buffer 60 are pushed in the downstream direction by regularly spaced pusher fingers. Typically, document feeders positioned above the chassis and pusher fingers will release additional documents to be included in the collation. Such additional documents are often referred to as inserts and may be special offers or advertisements to be included with a customer's billing statement. To verify that inserts are being properly fed from the document feeders, it is known to position a set of diagonally oriented photo-sensors orthogonal to the feed path of inserts. Such diagonal photo-sensors are typically immediately below the feeders to verify that documents are being fed as expected. Such feeder sensors detect lead and trail edges of documents and confirm that documents are fed onto accumulations as expected.
Downstream of the chassis 70 and insert feeders, the final collations are stuffed into envelopes at insert station 80 and the appropriate postage markings may be added. Finally, the finished mail pieces are sorted by an output sorter 90 to comply with postal requirements for receiving postage discounts.
In an inserter system such as the one shown in FIG. 1 it is desirable that misfed documents and paper jams be detected. One reason is that accurate creation of mail pieces is of importance to users of inserter systems. Another reason is that continued operation during a jam condition can result in the further damaging of mail pieces.
For this purpose, it is known to include a mechanical jam detection device in the chassis 70. This mechanical jam detection device is typically a movable switch positioned above the chassis deck. If paper transported along the chassis deck is prevented from moving, it will usually buckle and crumple in an upward direction. Such buckling will move the mechanical switch suspended above the chassis and a jam signal will be generated. Such a mechanical jam detection switch is sometimes referred to as a jam wire. A disadvantage of mechanical jam detection switches is that they require physical contact with buckling mail pieces. As such, damage may be caused to the buckled document.

Jam detection method and system for an inserter


A repairable memory module, such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) or a flash memory module, and a method of repairing memory modules are proposed. Based on the repairable memory module, any failed memory ICs in the module that are found before shipment or after use can be repaired through the use of a backup memory IC. Fundamentally, when any failed memory ICs are found in the module, a set of zero-ohm resistors are used to short-circuit a number of selected pairs of jumping pads to thereby redirect the connections to the I/O (input/output) and column-address strobe pins on the failed memory IC instead to the same nominal pins on the backup memory IC. This allows the function of the failed ICs to be instead performed by the backup memory chip.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory modules, and more particularly, to a repairable memory module, such as a DRAM (dynamic random access memory) module, and a method of repairing such memory modules.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional DRAM module which is designed for use with a 32-bit Pentium microprocessor on a personal computer. The DRAM module includes an array of eight 1M.times.4 DRAM ICs which are used together to constitute a 1M.times.32 SIMM (Single In-line Memory Module).
FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of the conventional DRAM module of FIG. 1 when assembled. As shown, the DRAM module is formed by mounting eight DRAM ICs U1-U8 on a printed circuit board (PCB). The I/O (input/output) pins on these DRAM ICs are connected to corresponding I/O pins of the DRAM module.
Most conventional memory modules, as DRAM or flash memory modules, are manufactured by first arranging them in packaged form on a PCB and then separating them from the PCB so that they can serve as individual memory modules. These memory modules are then tested respectively through the so-called module testing process to check for any failed memory ICs in the module. If any memory IC is found to be failed, a conventional method for repairing the failed IC is simply to dismount the failed IC and then replaced it with a new, good one. This repair work, however, is quite laborious to carry out.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing the procedural steps involved in a conventional module testing process to check for any failed ICs in the modules. As shown, if a memory module is OK, it is then ready for shipment to the customer; otherwise, the failed memory IC in the memory module is dismounted and then replaced with a new, good one. These two steps are collectively referred to a rework process, which is usually quite laborious and thus cost-ineffective to carry out.
A conventional method for manufacturing low-cost memory modules is to use the so-called chip-on-board (COB) technique. However, in a memory module based on the COB structure, the repair work for the failed ICs is difficult to carry out even before encapsulation is applied. After encapsulation, the repair work would be extremely difficult to carry out.

Repairable memory module and method of repairing memory modules