An improved debarking apparatus, which includes a substantially, cylindrically shaped debarker head having a plurality of cutting blades to form its out peripheral surface, the debarker head mounted on a central shaft so that it may rotate freely on the shaft during the debarking process. In a first embodiment, the improved assembly would incorporate a pair of depth control bearing collars, mountable on an existing pillow block bearing, the bearing collar incorporating an adjustable shoe which includes an arcuate lower surface for making contact with the bark of the log that is being debarked, so as to select the precise depth of cut into the bark by the cutting blades of the debarker head. A second embodiment would provide a depth control bearing assembly which would be utilized in place of the pillow block bearing, the assembly including a roller bearing insert on each end of the debarker head, with the insert engaged upon the rotatable shaft, for accommodating a depth control bearing on the insert, with the depth control bearing likewise incorporating an adjustable shoe member on the lower portion of each of the bearing housings, the adjustable shoe including the arcuate lower surface for making contact with the bark of the log that is being debarked. The adjustable shoe would include an upper main body portion, having a pair of elongated slots therein so as to accommodate a pair of mounting screws between the adjustable shoe and the bearing collar.

1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present, invention relates to debarking apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved debarking head assembly which incorporates a depth controlled bearing assembly having adjustable shoes which are mountable on existing debarking apparatuses and would allow a precise depth of cut adjustment for controlling the amount of wood or bark removed from a log during the debarking process.
2. General Background of the Invention
In the present state of the art, in the initial stages of the production of finished wood, the trees which are felled must be stripped of the bark, preferably at the site of the logging operation. The trees are then transported to processing at a sawmill. In the process for stripping the bark from a felled tree, the bark is initially removed through what is termed a debarking process which may commonly occur at a sawmill. A typical debarking apparatus would include a rotating debarker head which is positioned above the log while the log is rotated under the debarker apparatus. The debarker head rotates at an extremely high speed, and through a plurality of teeth or cutting knives, the knives make contact with the log as it is slowly rotated adjacent the debarking head, and the bark is literally stripped from the log through cutting and chipping. Usually there is a specific arrangement of the cutting knife which may affect how effective the debarking process is. However, it is often difficult in the present state of the art to control the precise depth at which the cutting knives will cut into the tree thus resulting, often times, in a significant loss of valuable wood rather than only a loss of the bark around the tree trunk.
Of course, the debarker head with the knives or cutting blades are usually rotated around a central shaft, with the shaft being positioned on a pair of end mounting bearings which are normally called pillow block bearings which would normally absorb the shock that would result from the blades making contact with the bark during operation, but would not have the ability to measure the depth of the cut. Therefore, there is a significant need in the industry for precisely controlling the depth of the cut that the blades on a debarker apparatus make into the bark of a tree trunk, so as to avoid loss of valuable wood during the process, without the need of additional other devices such as pivoted arms, rollers, or hydraulic cylinders moved in an effort to raise the debarker head, which are found to be ineffective. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,907 which discloses a debarker apparatus, manufactured by Tyler Tool Co.


Features are disclosed for facilitating remote access to the state of an application or content item currently executing or rendered on a user computing device. A connection between the user computing device and another computing device (or connections between the user computing device and an intermediary system, and between another computing device and the same intermediary system) may be established according to a bidirectional communication protocol. The user computing device may receive and act on communications from the other computing device, including requests for data regarding the current state of an application or content page on the user computing device, instructions to execute some function in the application or content page, etc. In addition, user computing devices may be grouped such that an application or content may be monitored/tested/debugged among a variety of user computing devices.

Client computing devices may be used to request content pages and other network-accessible content from content servers. Content pages can include text, images, videos, animations, and the like. In a typical application, a client device transmits a request for a content page to a content server. The request can be formatted and communicated according to standard protocols understood by both the client computing device and the content server, such as the Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP"). In response to some requests, the content server can prepare a response in the form of a Hypertext Markup Language ("HTML") document. HTML documents may have embedded references to separate files and objects, such as images, executable code files, and the like. An HTML document may be transmitted to the client computing device in response to an HTTP request. The client computing device can process the HTML document, identify embedded references to separate files and objects, and request those files and objects, e.g., by issuing HTTP requests to the same server or to a different server.
Conventionally, content pages, such as those defined by HTML documents, may be tested and debugged by executing a debugging application on the same computing device that is rendering or executing content to be debugged. For example, a debugging application may launch a browser application to render an HTML file and execute any embedded reference. The debugging application may have access to the state of the browser application during rendering and execution, and can inspect element values, execute instructions, and perform other debugging operations. In some cases, a separate computing device may access the state of a browser application during rendering and execution. For example, a first client computing device may execute a debugging application, and a separate client computing device, connected to the first client computing device via a universal serial bus ("USB") cable or some other direct communication link, may execute a browser application that renders an HTML file. The separate client computing device may be configured to allow the debugging application, running on the first client computing device, to perform debugging operations (read/write program state, execute commands, etc.)

Architecture for remote access to content state


Methods for providing a framework for document objects located on a network are detailed. One method includes steps for creating one or more link directories for storing link relationships between document objects located on the network and for enabling users of the network to create link relationships between a first document object located on the network and a second document object located on the network. The method may also include steps for allowing users to assign attributes describing the link relationships and the document objects related by the link relationships and for managing the presentation of link relationships. One method of managing the presentation of link relationships to a user uses the assigned attributes to determine which link relationships are presented to the user and the manner in which the link relationships are presented.

Networks connecting many computers offer users access to a wide variety of information. Computers are exceptional devices for storing, sorting and relating large amounts of information. Information is stored on computers and networked computing and storage devices as documents or objects, together referred to as document objects. Such document objects may contain any form of information, from text documents and articles, financial data, statistical information, electronic mail, images and photos, music, animation, and even motion pictures.
The Internet, as a network of interconnected networks, offers users access to an even broader collection of information—the Worldwide Web (the "Web"). On the Web, publishers offer information for educational, recreational, commercial and other purposes. The Internet, and it's predominant Web form, is organized and accessed by assigning document objects an address, or Uniform Resource Locater ("URL"). These URLs define the transfer protocol for and location of each individual document object on the Internet, or other network, including the Internetworking Protocol ("IP") address of the host computer system of the document object.
A URL may also represent an address including instructions for accessing a document object that is generated on request by retrieving and rendering for presentation organized information in response to information supplied by the requestor. When the URL contains enough information to recreate the document object generated in such a manner, that document object can be recreated for others using the URL. A URL may also include information, sometimes called a bookmark, with information allowing the rendering tool to present or highlight a location in the document upon opening the document.
Users accessing computer networks and the Internet are generally required to perform their own searches across the networks for the information, stored as document objects, that they desire or need. As the amount of information available on computer networks, and on the Internet in particular, grows exponentially, existing search and information location techniques become increasingly less effective. Existing Internet search techniques often yield too many seemingly related references which are not, in fact, truly useful to the user. The usefulness of traditional Internet search and indexing systems is actually decreasing as the number of documents on the Internet explodes.
Existing search, categorization, and retrieval techniques for document objects stored on computer networks, while generally executed at the high speeds of modern computer systems, are increasingly imprecise and often much too broad, as well as time and labor intensive, owing to the explosion of information being added to those networks.
A need exists to enhance the network user's information browsing experience. A need exists to provide network users with information relevant to the individual document object they are accessing and provide that information in a context of value to them by relating the document object they are accessing to link references to other document objects within a specific context. Such other document objects may or may not be offered by the publisher of the document object currently accessed. A need exists to provide network users with information relevant to the specific information the user may be searching for and relevant to the user's immediate personal, professional, geographic and other interests.
A need exists to manage information available on the network by creating and defining relationships between document objects that are relevant to one another. A need further exists to allow the creation of multiple frameworks for managing, creating and defining relationships between document objects that are relevant to one another. A need further exists to provide users with access to these multiple frameworks for management of document objects.
A need further exists to facilitate educated selection of related document objects by presenting these relationships with managing information while viewing document objects on the network.
A need exists for entities or groups to be able to communicate information to their employees or members as those employees or members access document objects on a network, and to enable those employees or members to view content deemed important to the entities or groups. A need further exists for publishers of content on the Internet to be able to personalize content presented to Internet users without requiring the establishment of a personal relationship between the user and the content publisher. A need exists to enable the collection of the search experiences of a group of users and share that experience with other users of networked information devices.
These needs reflect a broader need to reduce the time and effort involved, and to provide increased user satisfaction, in user searches for relevant document objects on a network.
Document objects on networks are currently organized based on characteristics of the document objects themselves and organized by the hierarchical structure of the network and the information repositories connected to the network. A need exists to organize and access information on and across networks based on the characteristics of relationships between the document objects. A need exists to provide an extensible framework for managing document objects on a network in a manner that does not modify the document objects, the location of the document objects on the network, or the architecture of the network itself.
A need exists to provide an extensible framework for managing and presenting document objects on networks that allows users to create their own custom management and presentation schemes for document objects, and to identify and use custom management and presentation schemes created by other users that may be of value to them.
Furthermore, a need exists to present a user accessing document objects on the network with a view of a document object the user is accessing, and document objects related to that document object, within a framework for management and presentation developed by the user and by other users of the network.

Framework for managing document objects stored on a network


A bicycle seat adjusting device, particularly a device to adjust the seat forward or backward and to adjust its inclination degree, comprising an adjusting shaft placed within an U-shaped support at the upper end of seat post so that the adjusting shaft can be locked by two retainers on opposite sides. The adjusting shaft is designed with radial positioning holes for fitting an adjusting lever so that turning of the adjusting lever can tighten or loosen the retainers for fitting or adjusting of the seat to a desired position.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle seat adjusting device, and particularly a device to displace a bicycle seat forward and backward and adjust its inclination angle.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally seat and, the seat post of a bicycle are connected together by means of a retainer at each side of the seat post to position metal supports beneath the seat which are then secured thereto by means of bolts and nuts. Such a structure requires a number of parts. The structure is complicated, and its assembly is not easy. Moreover, the location and inclination of the seat cannot be easily adjusted by its user.

2, Alley 1, Lane 29, Sec. 2, Pei-Shin Rd.


Disclosed are heat-ray cutoff compounds, films and method using them. The heat-ray compound is produced by dispersing conductive nanoparticles in an amphoteric solvent with acids and dispersion sol, which provides a low cost production for the heat-ray cutoff films because it is able to any resin binder without sorting the kinds of resin binders (hydrolic or alcoholic, or anti-hydrolic).

Transparent films effective in screening heat is advantageous to be associated with means for preventing malfunctions of integrated circuits or electronic components, or for reducing the costs for cooling and heating by lessening the amount of solar energy going in and out of rooms and automobiles through windows. In addition, it is possible to offer effects of screening infrared rays when they are applied to various products such as optical fibers, sun visors, PET vessels, packaging films, glasses, textile goods, peep holes of heaters, heating apparatuses, and so on.
There has been proposed several films, which is capable of transmitting light with the wavelength of 380˜780 nm in a visible right range while reflecting light with the wavelength of 800˜2500 nm around the range of infrared lays, formed by the methods of: (1) forming a film with ingredients of tin oxide and antimony oxide by means of a spray process (refer to JP03-103341); (2) forming a film of tin-doped indium oxide (hereinafter, "ITO") on a glass substrate by means of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, or sputtering; and (3) coating an near-infrared absorber in the type of organic dyestuffs, such as pthalocyannine series, anthraquinone series, naphtoquinone series, cyanine series, naphtaloctannine series, condensed azo polymers, and pyrrol series, on a substrate by means of an organic solvent and an organic binder, or transform the about-infrared absorber into a coating.
However, the method (1) needs a thick film because it has weak performance for screening heat rays, resulting in a low transmittance rate for visible light. The method (2) consumes a high product cost because it needs an apparatus with control of the atmosphere in high vacuum and accuracy, being restricted in sizes of coating films and shapes and disadvantageous to implementation due to insufficient mass-productivity. The method (3) is insufficient in advancing the heat cutoff efficiency because it has a low transmittance rate for visible light and dark colors and is restricted to absorb near-infrared rays with wavelengths 690˜1000 nm. While the methods (1) and (2) are available to cut off ultraviolet rays as well as heat rays, they are incapable of receiving electric waves from mobile phones, televisions, or radios, because their materials reflects the electric waves due to small surface resistance, i.e., high electrical conductance.
In order to overcome the problems, there have been proposed several techniques disclosed in Japanese Patent NOs. JP56-156606, JP58-117228, and JP63-281837, in which respectively an antimony-doped tin oxide (hereinafter, referred to as "ATO") is mixed with a resin binder, ATO is directly added to a resin binder dissolved in an organic solvent, and a coating compound manufactured by adding an organic binder and tin oxide nanoparticles into a splittable surfactant is deposited to form a heat-ray cutoff film. But it still needs a thick film enough to perform an infrared ray cutoff function, which contains low transmittance rate for a visible light to lower the transparency.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent NOs. JP07-24957, JP07-70363, JP07-70481, JP07-70842, JP07-70445, and JP08-41441 disclose the methods in which; a powder with an excellent performance of screening heat rays is made by processing or manufacturing ITO nanoparticles in the atmosphere of inert gas; and a heat cutoff film formed by mixing organic/inorganic binders with a dispersion sol made from using water or an alcoholic solvent without using an organic solvent, capable of screening heat rays over 90% under the condition of wavelength 100 nm. However, as the ITO nanoparticles is ingredient of a highly expensive indium and obtained by processing twice in the atmosphere of inert gas, it is limited in practical implementation due to the high product cost. Moreover, the ITO nanoparticles cause delamination or cohesion when they are mixed with a ultraviolet-hardening resin binder and is in poor preservation.
Japanese Patent NOs. JP09-324144, JP09-310031, JP09-316115, JP09-316363, JP10-100310, and JP12-169765 propose the method of mixing a dispersion sol of the first heat-ray cutoff nanoparticles and the second heat-ray cutoff compound (the near-infrared absorber or 6-boronic nanoparticles), or mixing respective coating compounds. However, in this case, it has disadvantages that a visible ray transmittance rate is remarkably degraded or it is not easy to induce dispersion while manufacturing a dispersion sol of the second heat-ray cutoff compound, which disables a low cost mass-production for the heat-ray cutoff films.
Japanese Patent NOs. JP06-262717, JP06-316439, JP06-257922, JP08-281860, JP09-108621 and JP09-151203, and U.S. Patent Publication NO. 2002/0090507 disclose the methods of forming an organic solvent dispersion sol of an ATO water dispersion sol and an organic ATO (i.e., enhancing co-usability to an organic solvent by converting a hydrophilic surface of an ATO into a hydrophobic surface) and of forming heat-ray cutoff coating films respective to a hydrolic binder and an organic resin binder. However, the water ATO sol is insufficient in co-usability with an organic resin binder, and the organic ATO sol is insufficient in co-usability with a hydrolic resin binder. Further, the organic ATO sol needs a secondary process to change the hydrophilic surface into the hydrophobic surface, which causes an increase of the product cost.
Therefore, it is desired to develop an improved coating film having excellent property for cutting off heat rays.

Composition for cutting off heat-ray, film formed therefrom, and method for forming the composition and the film


An apparatus for cleaning workpieces such as magnetic recording discs, optical discs, and semiconductor wafers includes a sponge-like material surrounded on two sides by substantially rigid plates that serve as an exoskeleton support for the sponge-like material. The plates include a number of apertures formed therein. The sponge-like material protrudes through the apertures of the plates, allowing the sponge-like material to contract a surface of the workpiece during the cleaning process.

The production of discs used in the magnetic disc drive industry begins with the creation of a substrate with a hard smooth surface that magnetic material can be deposited onto. A hard smooth surface may be formed by coating a relatively soft material such as an aluminum disc with a hard material such as nickel. The hard material is polished to a smooth finish, and magnetic material is then deposited onto the hard material surface of the disc. Several methods for depositing magnetic material onto the disc surface can be used; for example, electrodeposition and sputtering are two well known methods.
After polishing, the workpieces are then typically cleaned prior to the surface deposition of magnetic material. If the surface of the workpiece is contaminated with debris from the polishing process or elsewhere, the adherence of the magnetic material to the surface of the workpiece will be imperfect, and "blisters" of missing magnetic material will form on the surface of the workpiece. These "blisters" create areas on the workpiece that are incapable of storing information. Similarly, in optical disc manufacturing, debris on the surface of the workpiece may cause voids in information storage. In semiconductor wafer manufacturing, debris may attach to the surface of the workpiece, causing defects on the surface of the workpiece. These defects can cause electrical shorts or other problems within the microelectronic structures on the workpiece. Accordingly, it is often important to clean the workpieces to remove debris from the corresponding surfaces.
Contact scrubbing with sponge-like material is one method used to remove debris from the surface of the workpiece. A typical prior art cleaning device used for contact scrubbing of workpieces is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,634, issued May 17, 1994 to Andros, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. A typical prior art cleaning device is also schematically shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, cleaning device 10 includes sponge-like material 12 and a core 14. Cleaning device 10 has two substantially coplanar surfaces 16 and 18. Sponge-like material 12 is "grown" over core 14 and seals with itself at an outer edge 20 of core 14. Sponge-like material 12 may be made of a variety of resilient materials, including poly vinyl alcohol and urethanes. Core 14 has an aperture 22 at its center to allow a rotatable shaft 24 to be inserted therein. Core 14 may also have two keyways 26(a) and 26(b) formed within aperture 22 and configured to receive a key 30 on rotatable shaft 24. Key 30 and keyways 26(a) and 26(b) enable rotatable shaft 24 and cleaning devices 10 to rotate as a single unit.
Core 14 is often made of a substantially rigid material. Thus, as a force is applied by key 30 to keyway 26(a) or 26(b), core 14 may become deformed, allowing cleaning device 10 to slip on rotatable shaft 24. In addition, because core 14 is somewhat flexible, as more cleaning devices 10 are attached to rotatable shaft 24, the pressure exerted on the workpiece from surfaces 16 and 18 changes from the center to the edge of rotatable shaft 24. For example, for a rotatable shaft 24 containing fifty-two cleaning devices 10, the cumulative displacement of cleaning devices 10 in the direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotatable shaft 24 may be 0.5". The changing pressure exerted by cleaning device 10 on the workpieces may yield unpredictable cleaning of the workpieces.
When multiple cleaning devices 10 are placed on rotatable shaft 24, a number of spacers 32 are often interposed between adjacent cleaning devices 10 to ensure substantially identical spacing between all cleaning devices 10. Unfortunately, attaching spacers 32 to rotatable shaft 24 is time consuming and labor intensive. Spacers 32 also tend to wear and become contaminated, causing nonuniform spacing between cleaning devices 10. Such nonuniform spacing between cleaning elements 10 may cause unpredictable workpiece cleaning.
In addition to the above shortcomings of the prior art, cleaning devices 10 are difficult to correctly align on rotatable shaft 24. As shown in FIG. 1, keyways 26(a) and 26(b) enable cleaning device 10 to be mounted onto rotatable shaft 24 in four different ways. In particular, cleaning device 10 could be mounted with its front surface 16 forward with keyway 26(a) in contact with key 30; with front surface 16 forward with keyway 26(b) in contact with key 30; with rear surface 18 forward with keyway 26(a) in contact with key 30; or with rear surface 18 forward with keyway 26(b) in contact with key 30. The multiple keyway system is typically employed in an attempt to obtain consistent spacing between cleaning devices 10 and consistent pressure exerted between cleaning devices 10 and the associated workpieces. For consistent spacing, cleaning devices 10 are often mounted onto rotatable shaft 24 such that front surface 16 of one cleaning device 10 faces the rear surface 18 of another cleaning device 10. Further, cleaning devices 10 are typically mounted such that adjacent cleaning devices 10 have alternate keyways 26(a) and 26(b) in contact with key 30. If one cleaning device 10 is placed on rotatable shaft 24 incorrectly, several cleaning devices 10 might have to be removed from rotatable shaft 24 to correct the alignment of cleaning device 10.
Existing cleaning devices 10 used for cleaning workpieces are often made by growing sponge-like material 12 on core 14. Core 14 is typically made of poly vinyl chloride. Core 14 is stamp cut, cleaned, and aligned within the mold. Typically, core 14 is suspended in a mold by alignment spacers while sponge resin is poured into the mold to surround core 14. The mold containing the sponge resin is then shaken to reduce the amount of gas entrapped in the sponge resin. The sponge resin is then baked until it solidifies into a sponge-like material, ideally forming a single sponge surrounding the core. The sponge-like material is then trimmed.
Using this process, core 14 may be inadvertently displaced when the mold is shaken; inadvertent displacement of core 14 within the mold may result in uneven and unpredictable growth of sponge-like material 12 on core 14. If more sponge-like material is on one planar side of core 14, unequal pressure will be applied between the workpiece and cleaning device 10, resulting in unpredictable cleaning of the workpiece. Other manufacturing defects encountered with this process include: sponge-like material 12 not sealing over outer edge 20 of core 14, too many air bubbles in sponge-like material 12, and not enough sponge-like material 12 at the inner portion of core 14. Moreover, the stamping, shaking, and trimming steps are time consuming and labor intensive; these steps may unnecessarily increase the manufacturing cost of cleaning devices 10.


A system includes a first feedpoint and a second feedpoint symmetrically disposed on the left and right sides of an antenna on a small board. A first switch, a second switch, and a third switch are disposed on a mainboard. The first switch, the second switch, and the third switch are controlled through a control instruction so that the system is in a first connection state and a second connection state. Signal strength corresponding to the first connection state and signal strength corresponding to the second connection state are detected, and if the signal strength corresponding to the first connection state is greater than the signal strength corresponding to the second connection state, each switch is controlled through an instruction so that the system is in the first connection state, in which the first feedpoint is working. Otherwise, the second feedpoint is working.

With the development of the communications technologies, more and more operators have shifted their weighing standard of radio performance from total radiated power (Total Radiated Power, hereinafter referred to as TRP) and total isotropic sensitivity (Total Isotropic Sensitivity, hereinafter referred to as TIS) of original free space performance to a requirement on a phantom head (Phantom Head) or even a phantom head and hand (Phantom Head and Hand). Currently, several big operators, such as Vodafone (Vodafone, hereinafter referred to as VDF) and T-Mobile (T-Mobile, hereinafter referred to as TMO) have taken the lead in shifting an original performance requirement of a one-sided phantom head and hand (right phantom head and hand) to a performance requirement of a left and right phantom head and hand. It is predicted that in the near future, a radio performance requirement of a left and right phantom head and hand will become the mainstream requirement of most operators in the market. However, in a traditional antenna solution, a feedpoint is generally located at a certain side of a mainboard, resulting in imbalanced performance of the left and right phantom head and hand. Generally, a difference of the phantom head and hand on two sides is about 3 dB. Therefore, how to balance the difference between the left and right phantom head and hand has become a hot send in this industry.
During the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention, the inventor finds that in the existing dual-feed antenna technology, separation of low-frequency and high-frequency signals is implemented through dual feedpoints, and the high- and low-frequency signals reach a radio frequency chip respectively through different paths, and resonance of high- and low-frequency antennas are respectively adjusted through a matching circuit in order to broaden their respective bandwidths or to improve the performance of the phantom head and hand, which has a certain effect on broadening the antenna bandwidths and improve the performance of a one-sided phantom head and hand, but has little effect on balancing the performance of the left and right phantom head and head, where it is even possible that the other side of the phantom head and hand deteriorates.

Dual-feedpoint antenna system and method for feedpoint switchover of dual-feedpoint antenna system


Techniques for associating a selected search result, for a current query, with a recently executed prior query are disclosed. The system receives a first query from a user and presents a first set of search results. The system receives a second query from the user, subsequent to presenting the first set of search results, and presents a second set of search results. The system determines that a user selects a particular search result from the second set of search results. The system determines an association between the first query and the second query. Responsive to determining that the user selected the particular search result and the association between the first query and the second query, the system associates the particular search result with the first query. Subsequently, the system receives a new request for execution of the first query and, in response, presents at least the particular search result.

Conventionally, search results are determined for queries based on a match between one or more query terms and one or more terms found in the search results. Accordingly, a particular query will always return the same results until a new data set is indexed.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Associating search results, for a current query, with a recently executed prior query


A mouthguard includes a U-shaped upper bite plate which removably fits over upper teeth of a person, the upper bite plate including an upper lingual side, an upper buccal side and a lower side which connects together the upper lingual and buccal sides in a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, the lower side having a lower exposed surface, and the entire upper bite plate being made from a soft, deformable and edible gummi candy; and a U-shaped lower bite plate which removably fits over lower teeth of the person, the lower bite plate including a lower lingual side, a lower buccal side and an upper side which connects together the lower lingual and buccal sides in a U-shaped cross-sectional, the upper side having an upper exposed surface, and the entire lower bite plate being made from a soft, deformable and edible gummi candy.

The present invention relates generally to a mouthguard that is positionable over the teeth of a person while performing oral sex, and more particularly, is directed to a mouthguard made at least partially of an edible candy.
A common complaint during fellatio is that the teeth scrape the penis, causing discomfort or pain. Although oral prophylactic devices are known for oral sex, these devices perform the function of preventing the spread of disease, such as the HIV virus, herpes and the like. As a result, they are made of an impermeable plastic or rubber material that must be washed after use and can be uncomfortable to wear and use. Further, the use of a plastic material which is relatively hard, can also cause discomfort.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,731 to Harding discloses an oral prophylactic that may be flavored. In this patent, a tubular portion is received in the mouth and has a labial portion that fits over the person's lips. Both are also elastic and flexible to accommodate the natural range of movement of the lips, mouth and tongue. The purpose of the device is to prevent the spread of disease, such as AIDS. In this regard, the tubular portion is an impermeable body, and certainly, would not be edible, since this would be contrary to the teachings of the patent.
Other devices which disclose an oral prophylactic for oral-genital use, and which are intended to prevent the passage of venereal and other disease, and certainly could not be formed from an edible candy that dissolves during use, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,043 to Burr et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,016 to Bloodsaw; U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,187 to Hussey; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,765 to Est.
In addition to the above, when sucking on hard candy, such as lollipops, the teeth often hit the lollipop, resulting in chipping and breaking of the lollipop, contrary to the intended long term use thereof. The use of a mouthguard of the above types may not cure this defect. In any event, the sticky candy substance of a lollipop would have to be cleaned from the mouthguard after each use, and the mouthguard would not be comfortable in use.

Mouthguard made at least partially from an edible candy


This invention provides a process for preparing a compound of formula III ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is bromo, iodo or COOR.sup.2 ;. R.sup.2 is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, phenyl which may be substituted or benzyl; and PA1 A is a 5- or 6-membered aromatic residue which may contain up to three hetero atoms and which may optionally be substituted with one or two groups selected from the group consisting of halo, hydroxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy; or a salt thereof, which comprises PA1 (a) reacting a compound of formula I ##STR2## wherein R is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl or phenyl which may be substituted; and PA1 R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and A are as defined above; PA1 (b) cyclizing the reaction product from step (a) with guanidine; and PA1 (c) optionally salifying the reaction product from step (b).. or a salt thereof, with a sulfurization agent;

This invention relates to the fields of pharmaceutical and organic chemistry, and provides novel intermediates which are useful in the synthesis of tetrahydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine (tetrahydrofolic acid) antimetabolites of the antifolate type. This invention also relates to processes for the preparation of such intermediates.
Substituted pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based antifolates have been used for a number of years as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer. One such drug, methotrexate, is now one of the most widely used anticancer drugs; and many other compounds in the folic acid family have been synthesized, tested and discussed in the chemical and medical literature. The compounds have various activities at the enzymatic level; they inhibit such enzymes as dihydrofolate reductase, folate polyglutamate synthetase, glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase and thymidylate synthase.
More particularly, a tetrahydrofolic acid antitumor agent, 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (DDATHF/lometrexol), inhibits glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase (GARFT), an enzyme required in the initial stage of de novo purine biosynthesis. See, U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,653; J. Med. Chem., 28:914 (1985). However, the process for preparing lometrexol, and analogs thereof, has not been optimized.
The present invention provides a novel intermediate, and processes thereto, which help to optimize the process for preparing tetrahydrofolic acid derivatives.

Cyclization for preparing antifolate compounds


A display device includes a display panel including a gate line, a data line, and a pixel connected to the gate line and the data line, a data driver connected to the data line, a gate driver connected to the gate line, and a signal controller controlling the data driver and the gate driver, wherein a circuits powering power source voltage that is normally used for driving the data driver is selectively not applied during a new-image blanking time when the signal controller is not supplying image data to the data driver.

(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure of invention relates to a display device and a driving method thereof. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a display device with reduced power consumption and a driving method thereof.
(b) Description of Related Technology
A computer monitor, a television, a mobile phone, and the like that are widely used as image display devices. Examples of such display devices include ones that operate with a cathode ray tube, a liquid crystal panel, and a plasma panel.
So-called, flat or curved panel display devices typically include a display panel and a signal controller operatively coupled to the panel. The signal controller generates one or more control signals to control the driving of the display panel and it also transmits an image data to the display panel in synchronization with the one or more control signals, thereby driving the display panel to form a desired image.
The images displayed by the display panel may be categorized as still images and moving picture images. The display panel typically presents several frames per second, and if the image data of each frame is the same, a still image is displayed. On the other hand, if the image data of successive frames change, then typically a moving picture is displayed.
Conventionally, when a still image is to be displayed, the signal controller repeatedly receives the same image data from an external graphics processing unit in each of successive frames even though it is displaying a non-changing still image. Similarly, when a moving picture is to be displayed, the signal controller receives successively different frames of image data so as to display the corresponding moving picture. The repeated transmission of the same image data from the external graphics processing unit to the signal controller even when a still image is to be displayed causes the power consumption to be higher than need be.
It is to be understood that this background of the technology section is intended to provide useful background for understanding the here disclosed technology and as such, the technology background section may include ideas, concepts or recognitions that were not part of what was known or appreciated by those skilled in the pertinent art prior to corresponding invention dates of subject matter disclosed herein.

Display device and driving method thereof


An improved platen roller is particularly suited for a thermal printing postage meter. The postage meter includes a registration wall, a print deck, a thermal print head mounted to the registration wall and extending over the deck to define a print station, a platen roller support assembly for supporting the platen roller parallel to the thermal print head and causing the platen roller to bias an envelope against the thermal print head and causing the envelope to traverse the thermal print head during a print cycle of the thermal postage meter. The platen roller is unitary in material construction of cellular urethane. The platen roller has a first and second end section, each section having a conical configuration a surface taper angle of between -2.0.degree. degrees and -3.0.degree. degrees.

The present invention relates to a thermal printer and, more particular, to a platen roller for a thermal printer.
It is an object of a conventional printing press type postage meter to print a postage indicia on a present envelope characterized by producing a postage indicia of consistent print contrast across the printed indicia. Additionally, it is an objective of a conventional printing press type postage meter to obtain this print quality in the specified printing area for envelopes varying paper grades (i.e., smoothness), porosity and envelope contour in the printing area.
Of particular note is the effect of the envelope contour in the printing area on print quality. It is a requirement, for example, by the United States Postal Service, that the postage indicia be printed in the upper right corner of the envelope. The contents of a particular envelope can cause this area to assume a variety of contour characteristic due in large part to the thickness of the contents and the particular shape of the contents.
Conventional thermal printers have required a relatively flat surface in the print area in order to insure adequate print quality. Hence, the difficulty in applying thermal printing techniques to postage metering mailing machines and like applications.

Tapered platen roller for thermal printer


An optical packet switch switches optical packets according to bit-rates at which the optical packets are provided. For example, optical packets that are received at similar bit-rates may be routed to a destination at separate time slots over a single channel wavelength, and optical packets that are received at different bit-rates may be routed to the destination over separate channel wavelengths. When optical packets are provided at different bit-rates on a plurality of input paths, optical packets provided at low bit-rates may be compacted before switching to the destination. Alternatively or additionally, the bit-rates of the optical packets may be balanced before switching to the destination. Bandwidth contention among optical packets may be resolved by polarizing optical packets originating from separate input paths in different polarization directions, and merging optical packets having different polarization directions onto a single switched channel wavelength. Compaction of optical packets may alternatively be employed for resolution of bandwidth contention. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

The rapid growth of data communications and the deployment of optical communication systems that utilize wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) created a demand for new switching methods. Optical packet switching is considered today a switching method that is particularly suitable for data communications and for optical communication systems that utilize WDM.
There are two main techniques for optical packet switching, and they mainly differ in the structure of optical packets utilized thereby and in switching node operation. The first technique is based on fixed-length packets with synchronous node operation, and the second technique is based on variable-length packets with asynchronous node operation. Variable-length packets are also referred to as bursts and the second technique is also referred to as optical burst switching (OBS).
Basic aspects of the techniques for optical packet switching are described in the following publications:
an article entitled "Architectural and Technological Issues for Future Optical Internet Networks", by Listanti et al in IEEE Communications Magazine, September 2000, pages 82-92;
an article entitled "IP Over Optical Networks: Architectural Aspects", by Rajagopalan et al in IEEE Communications Magazine, September 2000, pages 94-102;
an article entitled "Labeled Optical Burst Switching for IP-over-WDM Integration", by Chunming Qiao in IEEE Communications Magazine, September 2000, pages 104-114; and
an article entitled "Approaches to Optical Internet Packet Switching", by Hunter et al in IEEE Communications Magazine, September 2000, pages 116-122.
Both techniques of optical packet switching mentioned above have however similar problems that are encountered with bandwidth contention and switching of optical packets that are carried over optical paths at different bit-rates.
Bandwidth contention is defined as contention for a wavelength at the same time among optical packets arriving on a plurality of optical paths. In an optical switch that switches optical packets from a plurality of input paths to a plurality of output paths, bandwidth contention may occur frequently regardless of the switching technique that is used by the optical switch.
The problem encountered with switching of optical packets that are carried over optical paths at different bit-rates is independent of bandwidth contention, and in fact occurs both in a case where there is bandwidth contention and in a case where there is no bandwidth contention. The problem encountered with switching of optical packets that are carried over optical paths at different bit-rates may be appreciated by referring to the following example in which a conventional optical packet switch switches, to a single output path, optical packets that are provided over four input paths.
Considering, for example, a case in which there is no bandwidth contention among any of the optical packets carried over the four input paths, the optical packet switch can place the optical packets from all four input paths serially over the single output path. Typically, the optical packets carried over the output path are equally distributed so that every fourth optical packet originates from the same input path. If all four input paths carry the optical packets at the same input bit-rate of, for example, 10 Gigabit per second (Gbit/sec), an output bit-rate of the optical packets carried over the output path can reach, at best, 10 Gbit/sec.
However, if not all four input paths carry the optical packets at the same input bit-rate, such as when one input path carries optical packets at an input bit-rate of 2.5 Gbit/sec and each of the other three input paths carries optical packets at an input bit-rate of 10 Gbit/sec, an output bit-rate of optical packets carried over the output path can reach, at best, about 5.715 Gbit/sec. It is therefore apparent that in optical packet switching that involves switching of optical packets that are carried over input paths at different bit-rates, overall transmission speed over an output path can be adversely affected even by a single input path that carries optical packets at a low bit-rate. The overall transmission speed over the output path can be even more adversely affected when bandwidth contention is taken into account.
Therefore, techniques that can solve the problems encountered with bandwidth contention and switching of optical packets that are carried over optical paths at different bit-rates may be highly desired.
Some aspects of technologies and related art that may be useful in understanding the present invention are described in the following publications:
an article entitled "Mining the Optical Bandwidth for a Terabit per Second", by Alan Eli Willner in IEEE Spectrum, April 1997, pages 32-41;
an article entitled "Polarization Insensitive Widely Tunable All-Optical Clock Recovery Based on AM Mode-Locking of a Fiber Ring Laser", by Wang et al in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2000, pages 211-213;
an article entitled "Ultra-High-Speed PLL-Type Clock Recovery Circuit Based on All-Optical Gain Modulation in Traveling-Wave Laser Diode Amplifier", by Kawanishi et al in Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 11, No. 12, December 1993, pages 2123-2129;
an article entitled "Prescaled 6.3 GHz clock recovery from 50 GBit/s TDM optical signal with 50 GHz PLL using four-wave mixing in a traveling-wave laser diode optical amplifier", by Kamatani et al in Electronics Letters, Vol. 30, No. 10, May 12, 1994, pages 807-809;
an article entitled "Variable optical delay line with diffraction-limited autoalignment" by Klovekorn et al in Applied Optics, Vol. 37, No. 10, Apr. 1, 1998, pages 1903-1904;
an article entitled "Picosecond-Accuracy All-Optical Bit Phase Sensing Using a Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror", by Hall et al in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 7, No. 8, August 1995, pages 935-937;
an article entitled "An Ultrafast Variable Optical Delay Technique", by Hall et al in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, Vol. 12, No. 2, February 2000, pages 208-210;
an article entitled "Optical switching promises cure for telecommunications logjam", by Jeff Hecht in Laser Focus World, September 1998, pages 69-72;
an article entitled "Design and Cost Performance of the Multistage WDM-PON Access Networks", by Maier et al in Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 18, No. 2, February 2000, pages 125-143;
an article entitled "All-optical networks need optical switches", by Jeff Hecht in Laser Focus World, May 2000, pages 189-196;
a technology brief entitled "Lucent Upgrades Wavestar to 320-Channel, 800-Gb/s Transmission", in Photonics Spectra, June 2000, page 46;
an article entitled "Record Data Transmission Rate Reported at ECOC 96", by Paul Mortensen in Laser Focus World, November 1996, pages 40-42;
an article entitled "Multiple Wavelengths Exploit Fiber Capacity", by Eric J. Lerner in Laser Focus World, July 1997, pages 119-125;
an article entitled "Advances in Dense WDM Push Diode-Laser Design", by Diana Zankowsky in Laser Focus World, August 1997, pages 167-172;
an article entitled "Multistage Amplifier Provides Gain Across 80 nm", by Kristin Lewotesky in Laser Focus World, September 1997, pages 22-24;
an article entitled "WDM Local Area Networks", by Kazovsky et al in IEEE LTS, May 1992, pages 8-15;
an article entitled "Optical Switches Ease Bandwidth Crunch", by Rien Flipse in EuroPhotonics, August/September 1998, pages 44-45;
an article entitled "Speed Demons: Is 'Faster' Better and Cheaper?", by Stephanie A. Weiss in Photonics Spectra, February 1999, pages 96-102;
an article entitled "Wavelength Lockers Keeps Laser in Line", by Ed Miskovic in Photonics Spectra, February 1999, pages 104-110; an article entitled "Optical switches pursue crossconnect markets", by Hassaun Jones-Bay in Laser Focus World, May 1998, pages 153-162;
a conference review entitled "Optical amplifiers revolutionize communications", by Gary T. Forrest in Laser Focus World, September 1998, pages 28-32;
an article entitled "Combining gratings and filters reduces WDM channel spacing", by Pan et al in Optoelectronics World, September 1998, pages S11-S17;
an article entitled "Demand triggers advances in dense WDM components", by Raymond Nering in Optoelectronics World, September 1998, pages S5-S8;
an article entitled "Optical Networks Seek Reconfigurable Add/Drop Options", by Hector E. Escobar in Photonics Spectra, December 1998, pages 163-167;
an article entitled "Ultrafast Optical Switch Unveiled", by Michael D. Wheeler in Photonics Spectra, December 1998, page 42;
an article entitled "Data express Gigabit junction with the next-generation Internet", by Collins et al in IEEE Spectrum, February 1999, pages 18-25;
an article entitled "Designing Broadband Fiber Optic Communication Systems", by Juan F. Lam in Communication Systems Design magazine, February 1999, pages 1-4 at http://www.csdmag.com;
an article entitled "Terabit/second-transmission demonstrations make a splash at OFC '96", in Laser Focus World, April 1996, page 13;
an article entitled "Multigigabit Networks: The Challenge", by Rolland et al in IEEE LTS, May 1992, pages 16-26;
an article entitled "Direct Detection Lightwave Systems: Why Pay More?", by Green et al in IEEE LCS, November 1990, pages 36-49;
an article entitled "Photonics in Switching", by H. Scott Hinton in IEEE LTS, August 1992, pages 26-35;
an article entitled "Advanced Technology for Fiber Optic Subscriber Systems", by Toba et al in IEEE LTS, November 1992, pages 12-18;
an article entitled "Fiber amplifiers expand network capacities", by Eric J. Lerner in Laser Focus World, August 1997, pages 85-96;
an article entitled "Technologies for Local-Access Fibering", by Yukou Mochida in IEEE Communications Magazine, February 1994, pages 64-73;
an article entitled "Wavelength Assignment in Multihop Lightwave Networks", by Ganz et al in IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 42, No. 7, July 1994, pages 2460-2469;
an article entitled "Wavelength-Division Switching Technology in Photonic Switching Systems", by Suzuki et al in IEEE International Conference on Communications ICC '90, pages 1125-1129;
an article entitled "Branch-Exchange Sequences for Reconfiguration of Lightwave Networks", by Labourdette et al in IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 42, No. 10, October 1994, pages 2822-2832;
an article entitled "Use of Delegated Tuning and Forwarding in Wavelength Division Multiple Access Networks", by Auerbach et al in IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 43, No. 1, January 1995, pages 52-63;
an article entitled "Compact 40 Gbit/s optical demultiplexer using a GaInAsP optical amplifier", by Ellis et al in Electronics Letters, Vol. 29, No. 24, Nov. 25, 1993, pages 2115-2116;
an article entitled "Bit-Rate Flexible All-Optical Demultiplexing Using a Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror", by Patrick et al in Electronics Letters, Vol. 29, No. 8, Apr. 15, 1993, pages 702-703;
an article entitled "All-Optical High Speed Demultiplexing with a Semiconductor Laser Amplifier in a loop Mirror Configuration", by Eiselt et al in Electronics Letters, Vol. 29, No. 13, Jun. 24, 1993, pages 1167-1168;
an article entitled "Photonic Switches: Fast, but Functional?", by Daniel C. McCarthy in Photonics Spectra, March 2001, pages 140-150;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,273 to Nishio which describes a cross-talk reducing optical switching system which receives electrical digital signals at its input terminal;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,457 to Yamazaki that describes a WDM optical communication network in which optical beams are modulated by channel discrimination signals of different frequencies;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,977 to Nishio that describes a wavelength division switching system with reduced optical components using optical switches;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,439 to Alexander et al. that describes wavelength division multiplexed optical communication systems configured for expansion with additional optical signal channels;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,490 to Cohen et al. that describes a comb splitting system which demultiplexes and/or multiplexes a plurality of optical signal channels at various wavelengths;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,932 to Alexander et al. that describes reconfigurable wavelength division multiplexed systems which include configurable optical routing systems;
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,724,167 and 5,739,935 to Sabella that describe an optical cross-connect node architecture that interfaces plural optical fiber input and output links, each link containing plural wavelength channels;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,687 to Newman that describes reactive congestion control in an ATM network where the network is formed by the interconnection of nodes each including a forward path for transfer of information from source to destination through the network and a return path for returning congestion control signals;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,244 to Tandon et al. that describes an optical communications network that includes a plurality of passive optical networks (PONs) connected in a ring in PON address order, in which communication channels between terminals are wavelength multiplexed;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,082 to Johnson that describes an optical transmitter for generating any one of N carrier signals for use in an M-channel WDM system; and
The following chapters in The Communications Handbook, CRC Press & IEEE Press, 1997, Editor-in-Chief Jerry D. Gibson: Chapter 37 on pages 513-528; Chapter 39 on pages 542-553; Chapter 40 on pages 554-564; Chapter 46 on pages 622-649; Chapter 51 on pages 686-700; and Chapter 65 on pages 883-890.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,378, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,522, describes improvements in communication performance of an optical communication system that communicates data via N different channel wavelengths using WDM.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/389,345, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,018, describes a network control system that may be embodied in various elements of a communication network that communicates optical signals multiplexed by WDM. The network control system may limit a number of channel wavelengths actually used for communicating optical signals to an end node, and control and modify data rates carried over channel wavelengths multiplexed by WDM.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/624,983, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,191, describes an optical switching apparatus that selectively combines and separates series of optical signal samples using OTDM and/or WDM.
The disclosures of all references mentioned above and throughout the present specification are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical packet switching apparatus and methods


A vehicle is provided with fan housings having inlets and an outlets. Fan are rotatably supported in the housings. The inlets intersect an airflow path along outer surfaces of the vehicle body such that a portion of the airflow is directed through each housing, causing the fans to rotate. A flow of spinning air exits each outlet and is directed toward a central plane of the vehicle.

The movement of a motor vehicle involves providing enough power to overcome, at least in part, aerodynamic drag. The efficiency of the shape of a vehicle in minimizing aerodynamic drag is referred to as drag coefficient. In general, drag can be minimized by promoting and maintaining laminar flow over the surface of the vehicle body. It is widely recognized that a 'perfect' vehicle body shape in terms of drag efficiency is a teardrop shape. Such a shape, however, poses other issues related to vehicle packaging, practicality and marketability. Modern production car designs have progressed significantly from early, chunky vehicle designs by making substantial improvements to the aerodynamic efficiency of the front two-thirds of the vehicle, i.e. to about the maximum cross sectional point of the vehicle. The demand, however, for a usable trunk space and rear indicator lighting in a typical vehicle dictate a generally truncated rear end, which results in turbulence. Turbulence behind the rear end of a moving vehicle is a major source of drag.
Typically, fixed wing elements or "spoilers" are used in an attempt to control the turbulence and also provide down force to improve rear wheel traction. The effectiveness of fixed spoilers is limited, however, at normal city or highway speeds. Accordingly, it remains desirable to provide an aerodynamic control element that improves over conventional designs by specifically addressing the need to minimize drag due to turbulence behind the rear end of the vehicle.


A multidimensional data cube at a server may store values and functions. The functions may use values stored in the data cube as inputs to generate results. A client application may retrieve values stored at a server in a multidimensional data cube to be updated and viewed locally at the client. Instead of evaluating functions at the server and transmitting the results to the client, the functions themselves may be translated into equivalent functions that can be evaluated in real time at the client. As inputs to the functions are a changed at the client, the function results can be updated at the client without requiring back-and-forth transmissions to the server or additional queries to the data cube.

Databases may be enabled to analyze multidimensional data interactively from multiple perspectives. A multidimensional databases may commonly be referred to as a multidimensional data "cube." Multidimensional cubes may be defined by dimensions that represent hierarchical groups of member data organized as cross-sectional groups that can be accessed by users for any of the hierarchical dimensions that are of interest. These dimensions may be hierarchical representations of business descriptors used in an organization. Queries to the database may select any point in the various dimensional hierarchy to retrieve a value at the intersection of those dimensions. Users may drill up, drill down, or pivot between dimensions to form new cross-sections and provide different perspectives for data analysis.
In modern cloud computing infrastructures, multidimensional data cubes may be maintained by a cloud service provider. Queries to the data cube may be executed at the server to retrieve values at the intersecting dimensions. Values retrieved from the data cube may then be transmitted to a client system where a client application may provide an interactive display for the retrieved values. Client applications may provide a two-dimensional display of data across various dimensions from the data cube. Users may provide updated values through the client application that can be transmitted to the server and used to update corresponding values in the multidimensional data cube.
In addition to providing access to values stored in the data cube, client applications may also retrieve the results of functions stored in the data cube. These functions may be executed using values queried from the data cube to generate results. The server may execute these functions and send the results to the client application for display. Updating these function results requires the client application to send updated values back to the server, where the new values can be updated and the function can be re-executed at the server. The new function results may then be transmitted back to the client application to update the display.

Client-side 2D rendering of server-side multidimensional data


A contaminant detection system has a fluid path. A meter and a plurality of fluid conduits are disposed along the fluid path. The meter is configured to detect an operating parameter of a fluid. The plurality of fluid conduits forms a plurality of intermediate fluid paths. Each fluid conduit has a restriction orifice (RO), an inlet control valve, and an outlet control valve. In addition, the plurality of fluid conduits has a control line and an exposed line. The control line is configured to be isolated from the fluid for a time period. The exposed line is configured to be exposed to the fluid for the time period. The system is configured to determine a contaminant concentration of the fluid at least in part using the operating parameter and the time period.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to detecting impurities, and more specifically, to systems and methods for detecting contaminants within a fluid stream.
Contaminants (e.g., elemental sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds) may be present within fluid streams in a variety of applications, such as in a wellhead of an oil or gas production system, in a pipeline of an oil or gas supply and distribution system, or in a combustor of a gas turbine. Sulfur deposition may occur within these applications, even when the sulfur concentration is low (e.g., 10 parts per billion by volume). For example, the sulfur deposits may form restrictions at the throats of fuel control valves, bends in pipelines, and other restrictions in a fluid flow path. Unfortunately, these sulfur deposits may lead to decreased fluid production rates, increased corrosion rates, and/or higher filtration costs in these applications. Sulfur detection, particularly for trace amounts of sulfur, may be difficult and time-consuming.

System and method for contaminant detection in fluid streams


An Omnidirectional rain gauge measures an azimuth and zenith direction of flying rainwater. The Omnidirectional rain gauge includes catchment and measurement units. The catchment unit has a plural conical cylinders having individually different heights, and being overlaid so that bottom vertexes of the plural conical cylinders coincide with or come close to each other. The overlaid plural conical cylinders are partitioned by partitions, arranged radially in a plurality of horizontal azimuth directions, to form a plurality of catchment cells. Each of the plurality of partitions is shaped as semicircle following a virtual spherical outer circumference. Diameter of each of top opening parts opposite to the bottom vertexes, of the overlaid plural conical cylinders is sized to follow virtual spherical outer circumference. The measurement unit, by the rainwater caught by each of the plurality of catchment cells of the catchment unit dropping in a drop of water of a certain weight, detects the number of the dropping drops of water with respect to each of the plurality of catchment cells, and determines the amount of the rainwater caught by each of catchment cells on the basis of the total detected number of the drops of water.

As a conventional rain gauge, generally a rain gauge with a tipping bucket has been widely used. FIG. 1 is a drawing for illustrating an overview of such the rain gauge with a tipping bucket.
The rain gauge with a tipping bucket is configured to have a conical funnel 1A as a catchment unit for catching the dropping rainwater, and a tipping bucket 1B which reserves a certain amount of the rainwater caught by conical funnel 1A and tips over to any direction around a pivot point.
The tipping bucket 1(B) includes catchment bucket units I and II respectively on the left and the right sides, each of which has the same specified capacity. When the catchment bucket unit I on one side reserves a specified amount of rainwater (FIG. 1(A)), the catchment bucket unit I tips over by its weight around the pivot point and drains off the reserved rainwater. Then, the tipping bucket unit II on the other side starts to reserve the rainwater (FIG. 1(B)). Further, when the specified amount of the rainwater is reserved in the other catchment bucket unit II, again the catchment bucket unit II tips over and drains off the reserved rainwater, then the condition transits to as illustrated in FIG. 1(A).
Then, every time the tipping bucket 1B tips over, a switch not illustrated is turned on. Thus, from the number of times of the switch being turned on in a specified period and the specified capacity of the catchment bucket units I and II, the total rainfall amount or the rainfall amount per unit time can be obtained.
Here, the conventional rain gauge with a tipping bucket illustrated in FIG. 1 is configured to catch the dropping rainwater by the conical funnel 1A. Therefore, in FIG. 2 for explaining problems of the rain gauge with a tipping bucket, when the rainwater drops in the perpendicular direction under a windless condition (FIG. 2(A)), rainfall amount can be measured accurately.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 2(B), when the rainwater drops in the inclined direction under a windy condition, the cylindrical outer shape causes inconsistency of the surrounding wind and the amount of the rainwater which cannot be caught by the catchment surface at the top of the cylinder increases. In such a case, an accurate measurement of the rainfall amount becomes difficult.
For example, on a steep inclined land, the rainwater comes flying in the horizontal direction by a wind blowing up, theretofore, an accurate measurement of the rainfall amount by the conventional rain gauge with a tipping bucket as illustrated in FIG. 1 is difficult.
To address such problem, improvements on the catchment unit have been proposed (examples are illustrated in Patent documents 1 and 2).
An invention described in Patent document 1, relates to a rain gauge with a tipping bucket having a spherical catchment unit (or water gathering unit), for the place of the funnel 1 of the rain gauge with a tipping bucket. That is, the invention of patent document 1 has such configuration as to gather the rainwater caught by the spherical catchment unit having a circular catchment plane which can be projected as a certain circular area to all azimuth and zenith directions.
An invention described in Patent document 2 has a semispherical catchment unit, instead.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2006-17462
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 2003-21689


The present invention discloses a transmitter and receiver for use with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communications system. In one embodiment, the OFDM communications system includes an OFDM transmitter that generates a training sequence that includes a fractional tone in a guard band thereof and transmits the training sequence via a channel. The OFDM communications system further includes an OFDM receiver that receives the training sequence and employs the fractional tone to obtain a channel response estimate.

The use of wireless communications continues to expand with the development of wireless devices and the improvement of wireless communications systems. More users are exchanging information through pagers, cellular telephones and other wireless communications products. Additionally, wireless communications allows users to exchange information in personal and business computing through wireless networks such as a wireless local area network (WLAN). A WLAN provides flexibility and mobility for users by enabling access to computer networks without being tied to a wired network.
Several standards have been established to provide uniformity and consequently growth in the development of wireless networks. One such standard is 802.11, promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), which is incorporated herein by reference. IEEE 802.11 is an umbrella standard that encompasses a family of specifications pertaining to WLAN technology. Generally, IEEE 802.11 specifies an over-the-air interface between a wireless client and a base station or between two wireless clients.
Within the IEEE 802.11 family are several specifications covering topics such as different transmission rates, encoding schemes and frequency bands for transmitting data wirelessly. For example, IEEE 802.11(a) is an extension of IEEE 802.11 that specifically addresses WLANs having a data rate up to 54 Mbps at a frequency band of 2.4 GHz. Additionally, IEEE 802.11(a) specifies an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) encoding scheme.
The OFDM system, specified in IEEE 802.11(a), provides a WLAN with data payload communications capabilities of 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 54 Mbps. The IEEE 802.11(a) OFDM system uses 52 subcarriers, or subchannels, that are modulated using binary or quadrature phase shift keying (BPSK/QPSK), 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), or 64-QAM, depending on the data rate. Forward error correction coding (convolutional coding) is used with a coding rate of ½, ⅔, or ¾.
A long training sequence exists in an IEEE 802.11(a) compliant system and can be used for channel estimation. In the frequency-domain, the long training sequence is given as equation 1:X[K]={0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,−1,−1,1,1,−1,1, −1,1, 1,1,1,1,1,−1,−1,1,1,−1,1,−1,1,1,1,1,0, 1,−1,−1,1,1,−1,1,−1,1,−1,−1,−1, −1,−1, 1,1,−1,−1,1,−1,1,−1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0}  (1)for −32≦k≦31.
The long training sequence has a zero at the DC zero tone (emphasized in equation 1 as the middle tap k=0) and a guard band of zeros on either side of the 52 excited tones k=[−26,−1] and k=[1,26] (also emphasized in equation 1). Generally, an excited tone will include information and a zero tone, or unexcited tone, does not intentionally include any information. Before the long training sequence is transmitted through a wireless multipath channel, an inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) of equation 1 is performed thereon and cyclically extended to 80 samples.
A channel estimator receives a distorted version of the long training sequence in a receiver that performs functions such as timing acquisition, frequency offset, and a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the received long training sequence which has been distorted. Mathematically, the distorted version of the long training sequence in the frequency-domain, Y[k], is:Y[k]=X[k]H[k]+N[k]  (2)where H[k] is a wireless channel response and N[k] is noise. The long training sequence X[k], given by equation 1, is known at the receiver, thus the channel estimator uses the known long training sequence X[k] and the distorted version thereof Y[k] to generate a channel response estimate Ĥ[k] for a receiver. In the time-domain, the wireless multi-path channel is modeled as a time-limited channel impulse response represented by equation 3:
                              h                                (            t            )                          =                              ∑                          i              =              0                                      L              -              1                                                                    a              i                                                  δ                                            (                                  t                  -                                                            τ                      i                                                                                T                      s                                                                      )                                                                        (        3        )            where L is the number of multi-path delays, ai is a Rayleigh or Ricean distributed complex tap gain, τi represents a delay of the ith path, and Ts is a sampling period. Furthermore, 0<τiTs<Tg, i.e., the entire channel impulse response lies within the guard band. Typically, the delay τi is not an integer such that the channel impulse response does not fall at discrete time samples.
When sampled and converted to discrete time, a discrete-time channel can be interpreted as non-integer discrete time delays. Using continuous time processing of the discrete time signals as an interpretation, h[n] can be viewed as a sampled version of the band-limited interpolation of the time-limited channel impulse response h(t), i.e., sinc convolved over every channel impulse response. Mathematically, the discrete-time channel impulse response simplifies to equation 4.
                              h                                [            n            ]                          =                              ∑                          i              =              0                                      L              -              1                                                                    a              i                                                                  sin                                                                                π                                                        (                                          n                      -                                                                        τ                          i                                                /                                                  T                          s                                                                                )                                                                              π                                                  (                                      n                    -                                                                  τ                        i                                            /                                              T                        s                                                                              )                                                                                (        4        )
To perform these calculations, the channel estimator is usually implemented in a processor-based system. As with any processor, a tradeoff exists between performance and the million instructions per second (MIPS) available. Though desired, a high-performance channel estimator typically involves complex calculations as described herein which results in an increase in algorithm complexity. Therefore, a design of a receiver may often require a balance between quality and complexity.
In related U.S. patent application entitled "CHANNEL ESTIMATOR FOR A RECEIVER AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF," Ser. No. 10/677,605, which is commonly assigned and filed concurrently with the present application, and is incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced herein in its entirety, a less computational complex OFDM receiver is disclosed. The improved OFDM receiver provides an improved channel response estimate by substantially zeroing middle taps associated with a channel impulse response to reduce a contribution of noise. In addition to an improved OFDM receiver, however, an improved OFDM transmitter or OFDM communications system may also contribute to provide a less computational complex OFDM receiver.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a way to further enhance the recovery of channel information using a training sequence and obtain a channel response estimate of a channel in an OFDM communications system.

Transmitter and receiver for use with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system


Methods and systems for purifying a crude aniline. The method can include contacting a crude aniline that can include aniline, water, and cyclohexanone with a cation exchange resin to produce a cyclohexanone-lean product that contains less cyclohexanone than the crude aniline. The cation exchange resin can be a solid, a semi-solid, or a combination thereof.

1. Field
Embodiments described generally relate to methods and systems for purifying a crude aniline. More particularly, the embodiments described relate to methods and systems for reducing a concentration of cyclohexanone in a crude aniline.
2. Description of the Related Art
Aromatic amines, including aniline, are precursors for the preparation of many industrial chemicals. The largest use of aniline is in the production of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), which can be reacted with polyols to produce polyurethane. Aniline can be produced by a catalytic hydrogenation of nitrobenzene, as shown in Reaction 1.

The catalyst can include Raney nickel; palladium on charcoal or nickel; or cobalt, copper or nickel on kieselguhr. Reaction 1, however, can result in the formation of impurities. One such impurity is cyclohexanone, which is difficult to remove from aniline by physical methods. For example, aniline and cyclohexanone cannot be readily separated by distillation because of their similarity in boiling points.
The crude aniline containing the cyclohexanone can be reacted under acidic conditions to form an imine compound, or Schiff's Base, namely cyclohexylidene aniline, as shown in Reaction 2.

The aniline can then be purified by removing the higher molecular weight cyclohexylidene aniline. The reaction conditions for Reaction 2, however, are susceptible to upsets in upstream equipment and process conditions, which can result in an off-specification product.
There is a need, therefore, for improved methods and systems for purifying a crude aniline.

Promotion of imine formatin via cationic resin catalyst


In an ink-jet head including a discharge element group in which discharge elements each including a nozzle for discharging ink and a pressure chamber for applying a discharge pressure to the ink supplied from a manifold are disposed at specified intervals, a manifold and plural discharge elements are formed of through holes provided in plural thin plates bonded with adhesive and laminated, and plural dummy paths positioned around the discharge element group are formed of opening parts provided to communicate with each other in the plural thin plates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet head provided in a printer or the like, and particularly to an ink-jet head including a discharge element group in which plural discharge elements for discharging ink are disposed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink-jet head used for a printer, a facsimile or the like is formed of plural thin plates which are bonded with adhesive and are laminated. Through holes are provided in each of the thin plates, and by the through holes, a discharge element group is formed in which plural discharge elements having ink flow paths are disposed.
Each of the discharge elements includes a nozzle for discharging ink, and a pressure chamber communicates with the nozzle. A manifold for supplying ink is provided to communicate with the pressure chamber. An aperture for restricting the flow amount of ink is formed between the manifold and the pressure chamber. An actuator such as a piezoelectric element is fixed to the pressure chamber, and ink is pressurized and is sent from the pressure chamber by driving of the actuator. By this, a predetermined amount of ink is discharged from each nozzle.
According to the ink-jet head having the above structure, when the respective layers are bonded to each other, adhesive applied to the periphery of the discharge element group flows into the ink flow path of the discharge element disposed at the outer periphery of the discharge element group. Thus, there has been a problem that the ink flow path is blocked by the adhesive, and the discharge accuracy of the ink-jet head is lowered.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-280581 discloses an ink-jet head in which an opening part is provided around a pressure chamber. By this, adhesive applied to the periphery of a discharge element group flows into the opening part, and it is possible to prevent the pressure chamber from being blocked.
However, in the ink-jet head disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-280581, when the amount of adhesive pushed out from the outside of the discharge element group toward the inside by lamination becomes large, there has been a fear that the adhesive overpasses the opening part and flows into the through hole forming the pressure chamber.
Besides, even if the flow of the adhesive into the pressure chamber is prevented, there has also been a problem that the adhesive flows into a through hole of another layer forming the ink flow path and the ink flow path is blocked. Especially, since an aperture for narrowing a flow path is required to be formed such that its cross-sectional area is small, an aperture plate itself forming the aperture is thin, and the volume of an opening part formed therein must be small. Thus, in the aperture of the discharge element disposed at the outer periphery of the discharge element group, even if the opening part is provided therearound, the adhesive is apt to flow in.