A recording apparatus includes a support drum which rotates while supporting a recording medium on a support surface thereof. A guide shaft of the recording apparatus is spaced apart from the support surface by a predetermined distance and extends in parallel to a direction perpendicular to a rotation direction of the support drum. A carriage which is guided by the guide shaft is reciprocally moved along the support surface. A recording head mounted on the carriage ejects an ultraviolet curing ink toward the recording medium. An ultraviolet ray irradiation unit irradiates ultraviolet rays to the ultraviolet curing inks which are ejected from the recording head. In operation, the carriage is moved along the guide shaft so as to form an image formed by the ultraviolet curing ink and a coat ink over the overall surface of the recording medium supported by the support drum.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a liquid ejecting apparatus and more particularly to a recording apparatus and a liquid ejecting apparatus using an ultraviolet curing ink.
2. Related Art
There is provided a recording apparatus or a liquid ejecting apparatus for forming an image or a pattern on a recording medium using an ultraviolet curing ink. The ultraviolet curing ink has preferred characteristics that the ultraviolet curing ink is slowly cured before ultraviolet rays are irradiated and is rapidly cured when the ultraviolet rays are irradiated, as a print ink. Since a solvent is not volatilized at the time of curing, an environment load is small.
The ultraviolet curing ink has excellent characteristics that an adhesion property is high with respect to various recoding mediums due to composition of vehicle, the ink becomes chemically stable after curing, an adhesion property, chemical resistance, weatherability, and friction resistance are high, and the ink is bearable in the outdoor environment. Accordingly, instead of a recording medium having a thin sheet shape, such as paper, a resin film or a metal foil, an image can be formed on a medium having a stereoscopic surface shape, such as a label surface of an optical recording medium or a textile product.
As a method of attaching the ultraviolet curing ink to a recording medium, a coating method or a printing method may be used, but an ink jet recording apparatus which can form any image or pattern with high precision without a printing plate may be used. By a combination of main scan for moving a recording head for ejecting an ink and sub scan for moving the recording medium in a direction crossing a main scan direction, an image can be recorded in any area with respect to a long or wide recording medium using a nozzle having a restricted dimension.
In JP-A-2004-155046, an ink jet recording apparatus for irradiating an ink including an ultraviolet curing agent onto a recording surface immediately after recording so as to improve a quick drying property of the recording surface is described. In more detail, in the ink jet printer, the ultraviolet curing ink is used as the ink and the ink attached to the recording medium is immediately cured and fixed by ultraviolet lamps provided at the both ends of the main scan direction of the recording head.
In JP-A-2005-324443 and JP-A-2005-125513, an image forming apparatus which includes recording heads for ejecting an ink cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays and an ultraviolet ray irradiation unit connected to the recording heads and relatively moves an image support, the recording head and the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit is described. In the image forming apparatus described herein, an input digital image is formed on the image support by scan of the plurality of recording heads and the ink is individually cured by irradiating the ultraviolet rays for each scan. In JP-A-2004-042548, ultraviolet rays are individually irradiated for each color in a recording apparatus for ejecting ultraviolet curing inks having different colors from nozzles so as to perform color printing.
However, when the image is formed using the ultraviolet curing ink, the image may be recorded on the recording medium having translucency, such as a resin film, using the high adhesion property. In this case, for the purpose of suppressing influence on the color tone of the image of the light passing through the medium, the image may be formed after an undercoat layer is formed by a coat ink having a high hiding property over an area in which the image is formed on the recording medium. The overcoat layer may be formed by covering the surface of the image formed on the recording medium with the transparent coat ink such that the image is protected and the surface of the area in which the image is formed smoothens.
With respect to the transparent recording medium, an image may be formed from a rear surface so as to be visible through the recording medium. In this case, for the purpose of maintaining the color tone of the image and cover the rear surface of the image, a back coat layer may be formed by covering the rear surface of the image formed on the recording medium with an ink having a higher hiding property.
The ink for coating may include a large amount of pigment for the purpose of increasing the hiding property or may not include the pigment in order to ensure transparency. That is, the ink for coating has properties different from those of many color inks in chemical properties or optical properties. Accordingly, in the case where the ink is coated by the ink jet method, the nozzle specification is different and the wavelength and the irradiation amount of the ultraviolet rays irradiated for curing is different. Accordingly, in the case of forming the image having the coat layer, the image is formed by two recording processes using the recording apparatus which individually includes a coat ink recording unit and an image recording unit.
However, in the above-described structure, the scale of the recording apparatus is increased and the throughput of a recording operation is increased. Since the printing sequences of the case of forming the undercoat layer and the case of forming the overcoat layer or the back coat layer are inverse, the operation of the recording apparatus is troublesome. Even when both the undercoat layer and the overcoat layer are formed, the operation sequence is further increased. Accordingly, the cost of a product including various types of coat layers is increased.

Recording apparatus and liquid ejecting apparatus


An integrated imaging system is invented for creating an optimal imaging session by importing information in real time from several sources and using that information to automatically and continuously adjust the parameters of the imaging session so as to create the optimal session for the prescribed testing session

One of the most prevalent joint problems is back pain, particularly in the "small of the back" or lumbosacral (L4-S1) region. In many cases, the pain severely limits a person's functional ability and quality of life. Such pain can result from a variety of spinal pathologies. Through disease or injury, the vertebral bodies, intervertebral discs, laminae, spinous process, articular processes, or facets of one or more spinal vertebrae can become damaged, such that the vertebrae no longer articulate or properly align with each other. This can result in an undesired anatomy, loss of mobility, and pain or discomfort. Duke University Medical Center researchers found that patients suffering from back pain in the United States consume more than $90 billion annually in health care expenses, with approximately $26 billion being directly attributable to treatment. Additionally, there is a substantial impact on the productivity of workers as a result of lost work days. Similar trends have also been observed in the United Kingdom and other countries. As a result of this problem, increased funding is being applied toward developing better and less invasive orthopedic intervention devices and procedures.
Over the years the increased funding has led to the development of various orthopedic interventions. These include interventions suitable for fixing the spine and/or sacral bone adjacent the vertebra, as well as attaching devices used for fixation, including: U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,703, to Ganem, for Device for Fixing the Sacral Bone to Adjacent Vertebrae During Osteosynthesis of the Backbone; U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,790, to Harkey, III, et al., for Orthopaedic Rod/Plate Locking Mechanisms and Surgical Methods; U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,391, to Metz-Stavenhagen, et al., for Receiving Part for a Retaining Component of a Vertebral Column Implant; U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,145, to Morrison, et al., for Multi-Axial Screw; U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,111, to Nichols, for Device for Securing Spinal Rods; U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,021, to Ralph, et al., for Polyaxial Pedicle Screw Having a Rotating Locking Element; U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,392, to Richelsoph, et al., for Multi-Planar Locking Mechanism for Bone Fixation; U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,293, to Richelsoph, for Spinal Implant Fixation Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,760, to Richelsoph, for Spinal Implant Fixation Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,503, to Richelsoph, et al., for Locking Mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,759, to Rogozinski, for Multi-Directional Fasteners or Attachment Devices for Spinal Implant Elements; U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,749, to Schafer, et al., for Bone Screw; U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,262, to Schlapfer, for Posterior Spinal Implant; U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,105, to Schlapfer, et al., for Device for Connecting a Longitudinal Support with a Pedicle Screw; U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,315, to Selvitelli, et al., for Orthopaedic Rod/Plate Locking Mechanism; U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,911, to Sherman, et al., for Multi-Axial Bone Screw Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,350, to Sherman, et al., for Multi-Axial Bone Screw Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,285, to Simonson, For Spinal Implant Connection Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,263, to Simonson for Spinal Implant Connection Assembly; U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,565, to Yuan, et al., for Device for Securing Spinal Rods; U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,527, to Biederman, et al., for Anchoring Member; U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,705, to Biederman, et al., for Bone Screw; U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,792, to Errico, et al., for Extending Hook and Polyaxial Coupling Element Device for Use with Top Loading Rod Fixation Devices; U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,274, to Errico, et al., for Spinal Implant Device having a Single Central Rod and Claw Hooks; U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,630, to Errico, et al., for Polyaxial Pedicle Screw; U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,350, to Ganem, for Bone Fixing Device, in Particular for Fixing to the Sacrum during Osteosynthesis of the Backbone; U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,602, to Puno, et al., for Transpedicular Screw and Rod System; U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,555, to Puno, et al., for Spinal Implant System; U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,581, to Steffee, for Apparatus for Straightening Spinal Columns; U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,900, to Asher, et al., for Spinal Column Retaining Method and Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,255, to Krag, et al., for Spinal Column Retaining Apparatus; U.S. Pat. No. 6,132,430, to Wagner, for Spinal Fixation System; U.S. Patent No. 7,780,703, and to Yuan, et al., for Device for Securing Spinal Rods.
Another type of orthopedic intervention is the spinal treatment decompressive laminectomy. Where spinal stenosis (or other spinal pathology) results in a narrowing of the spinal canal and/or the intervertebral foramen (through which the spinal nerves exit the spine), and neural impingement, compression and/or pain results, the tissue(s) (hard and/or soft tissues) causing the narrowing may need to be resected and/or removed. A procedure which involves excision of part or all of the laminae and other tissues to relieve compression of nerves is called a decompressive laminectomy. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,081, to Watanabe, for Laminectomy Surgical Process; U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,165, to Watanabe, for Lumbar Spine Rod Fixation System; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,317, to Spann, et al., for Apparatus for Supporting and Positioning the Arm and Shoulder. Depending upon the extent of the decompression, the removal of support structures such as the facet joints and/or connective tissues (either because these tissues are connected to removed structures or are resected to access the surgical site) may result in instability of the spine, necessitating some form of supplemental support such as spinal fusion, discussed above.
Other orthopedic interventional techniques and processes have also been developed to treat various spinal and joint pathologies. For example, U.S. Patent No. 6,726,691 to Osorio for Methods and devices for treating fractured and/or diseased bone; U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,307 to Scribner for Systems and methods for placing materials into bone; U.S. Pat. No. 7,241,303 to Reiss for Devices and methods using an expandable body with internal restraint for compressing cancellous bone; and U.S. Patent Pubs. 2005/0240193 to Layne for Devices for creating voids in interior body regions and related methods; 2006/0149136 to Seto for Elongating balloon device and method for soft tissue expansion; 2007/0067034 to Chirico for Implantable Devices and Methods for Treating Micro-Architecture Deterioration of Bone Tissue; 2006/0264952 to Nelson for Methods of Using Minimally Invasive Actuable Bone Fixation Devices.
Health care providers rely on an understanding of joint anatomy and mechanics when evaluating a subject's suspected joint problem and/or biomechanical performance issue. Understanding anatomy and joint biomechanics assists in the diagnosis and evaluation of a subject for an orthopedic intervention. However, currently available diagnostic tools are limited in the level of detail and analysis that can be achieved. Typically, when treating joint problems, the intention is to address a specific structural or mechanical problem within the joint. For example, a surgeon might prescribe a spinal fusion procedure to physically immobilize the vertebra of a subject suffering from vertebral instability, or a physical therapist might prescribe exercises to strengthen a specific tendon or muscle that is responsible for a joint problem, etc.
It follows, therefore, that the extent to which a specific treatable joint defect can be identified and optimally treated directly impacts the success of any treatment protocol. Currently available orthopedic diagnostic methods are capable of detecting a limited number of specific and treatable defects. These techniques include X-Rays, MRI, discography, and physical exams of the patient. In addition, spinal kinematic studies such as flexion/extension X-rays are used to specifically detect whether or not a joint has dysfunctional motion. These methods have become widely available and broadly adopted into the practice of treating joint problems and addressing joint performance issues. However, currently available diagnostic techniques provide measurement data that is imprecise and often inconclusive which results in an inability to detect many types of pathologies or accurately assess pathologies that might be considered borderline. As a result, a significant number of patients having joint problems remain undiagnosed and untreated using current techniques, or worse are misdiagnosed and mistreated due to the poor clinical efficacy of these techniques.
For example, currently available techniques for conducting spinal kinematic studies are often unable to determine whether a joint dysfunction is a result of the internal joint structure per se, or whether the dysfunction is a result of, or significantly impacted by, the surrounding muscular tissue. Additionally, there are no reliable techniques for identifying soft tissue injury. Muscle guarding is a well established concept that is hypothesized to be highly prevalent among sufferers of joint pain, specifically that of the neck and back. In muscle guarding, a subject responds to chronic pain by immobilizing the painful area through involuntary muscle involvement. The ability to isolate different muscle groups is desirable to determine which muscle group or combination of groups, if any, could be contributing to, or responsible for, any joint dysfunction.
Additionally, the level of entrenchment of muscle guarding behavior cannot currently be determined. With respect to treatment decisions, the operative question in determining the level of "entrenchment" of any observed muscle guarding is to determine if the muscle guarding behavior is one which conservative methods of therapy could address through non-surgical therapy, or alternatively determining that the muscle guarding behavior so "entrenched" that such efforts would be futile and surgery should be considered.
In some instances, joint dysfunctions may not always present themselves in the movements traditionally measured during spinal kinematic studies such as flexion-extension and side-bending in either "full" non-weight-bearing or "full" weight-bearing planes of movement, which correspond to lying down and standing up postures respectively. Certain painful movements occur during joint rotation when the plane of rotation is somewhere between these two postures. Certain other painful movements only occur when the subject is rotating his or her spine while in a bent posture. In the case of vertebral motion in full weight-bearing postures, gravitational forces are relatively evenly distributed across the surface area of the vertebrae. However in postures where the subject is standing with his/her spine bent, gravitational forces are concentrated on the sections of the vertebrae located toward the direction of the bend. Detecting motion dysfunctions that occur only when in a standing bent posture requires the replication of joint motion in that specific bent posture in a controlled, repeatable, and measurable manner during examination.
Further, assuming that a system of measuring the surface motion of joints and the motion between internal joint structures that accounts for various types of muscle involvements would be possible, there would be a need for investigational data from controlled clinical trials to be collected across a broad population of subjects to afford for comparative analyses between subjects. Such a comparative analysis across a broad population of subjects would be necessary for the purpose of defining "normal" and "unhealthy" ranges of such measurements, which would in turn form the basis for the diagnostic interpretation of such measurements.
There have been significant technological innovations to the field of orthopedic interventions over the last few decades, specifically with the use of prosthetic and therapeutic devices to correct mechanical and structural defects of the bones and joints and to restore proper joint function. There have also been significant advances in the application of chiropractic and physical therapy approaches to correct muscle-, ligament-, and tendon-related defects. There has not however, been a corresponding improvement in the diagnostic methods used to identify proper candidates for these interventions. As a result, the potential impact and utility of the improvements in orthopedic intervention has been limited.
Imaging is the cornerstone of all modern orthopedic diagnostics. The vast majority of diagnostic performance innovations have focused on static images. Static images are a small number of images of a joint structure taken at different points in the joint's range of motion, with the subject remaining still in each position while the image is being captured. Static imaging studies have focused mainly on detecting structural changes to the bones and other internal joint structures. An example of the diagnostic application of static imaging studies is with the detection of spinal disc degeneration by the use of plain X-rays, MR images and discograms. However, these applications yield poor diagnostic performance with an unacceptably high proportion of testing events yielding either inconclusive or false positive/false negative diagnostic results (Lawrence, J. S. (1969) Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 28: 121-37; Waddell, G. (1998) The Back Pain Revolution. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone Ch 2 p 22; Carragee et al. (2006) Spine 31(5): 505-509, McGregor et al. (1998) J Bone Joint Surg (Br) 80-B: 1009-1013; Fujiwara et al. (2000(a)) Journal of Spinal Disorders 13: 444-50).
Purely qualitative methods for visualizing joint motion have been available for some time using cine-radiography (Jones, M. D. (1962) Archives of Surgery 85: 974-81). More recently, computer edge extraction of vertebral images from fluoroscopy has been used to improve this visualization for use in animations (Zheng et al. (2003) Medical Engineering and Physics 25: 171-179). These references do not, however, provide for any form of measurement or identification of objectively defined motion abnormalities, and therefore is of very limited diagnostic value other than in the detection of grossly and visibly obvious abnormalities that would be detectable using static image analysis methods. Without any quantitative or objective measurement parameters defined, it is impossible to utilize such approaches in comparative analyses across wide populations of subjects, which is required for the purpose of the producing definitive diagnostic interpretations of the results as being either "normal" or "unhealthy". Further, there have been no diagnostically useful validations of qualitative motion patterns that are generally absent in non-sufferers but present in subjects suffering from known and specific joint functional derangements or symptoms, or vice versa.
A method for determining vertebral body positions using skin markers was developed (Bryant (1989) Spine 14(3): 258-65), but could only measure joint motion at skin positions and could not measure the motion of structures within the joint. There have been many examples skin marker based spine motion measurement that have all been similarly flawed.
Methods have been developed to measure changes to the position of vertebrae under different loads in dead subjects, whose removed spines were fused and had markers inserted into the vertebrae (Esses et al. (1996) Spine 21(6): 676-84). The motion of these markers was then measured in the presence of different kinds of loads on the vertebrae. This method is, however, inherently impractical for clinical diagnostic use. Other methods with living subjects have been able to obtain a high degree of accuracy in measuring the motion of internal joint structures by placing internal markers on the bones of subjects and digitally marking sets of static images (Johnsson et al. (1990) Spine 15: 347-50), a technique known as roentgen stereophotogrammetry analysis (RSA). However RSA requires the surgical implantation of these markers into subjects' internal joint structures, requires the use of two radiographic units simultaneously, and requires a highly complicated calibration process for every single test, and therefore is too invasive and too cumbersome a process for practicable clinical application.
Cine-radiography of uncontrolled weight-bearing motion (Harada et al (2000) Spine 25: 1932-7; Takavanagi et al. (2001) Spine 26(17): 1858-1865) has been used to provide a set of static images to which digital markers have been attached and transformed to give quantitative measurement of joint motion. Similar measurement of joint motion has been achieved using videofluoroscopy (Breen et al. (1989) Journal of Biomedical Engineering 11: 224-8; Cholewicki et al. (1991) Clinical Biomechanics 6: 73-8; Breen et al. (1993) European Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 3(5): 182-90; Brydges et al. 1993). This method has also been used to study the effects on joint motion of weightlifting (Cholewicki, J. and S. M. McGill (1992) Journal of Biomechanics 25(1): 17-28). The prior art using this method involves a manual process in which internal joint structures are marked by hand with digital landmarks on digital image files of consecutive frames of videoflouroscopy recordings of a subject's joint motion. A computer then automatically determines the frame-to-frame displacement between such digital landmarks to derive quantitative measurements of the motion of joint structures (Lee et al. (2002) Spine 27(8): E215-20). Even more recently, this approach has been accomplished using an automatic registration process (Wong et al. (2006) Spine 31(4): 414-419) that eliminates the manual marking process and thus reduces the laboriousness of the previous processes. However both of these methods, as well as all of the other methods mentioned in this paragraph, studied the motion of joints based on the imaging of uncontrolled, weight-bearing body motion.
Using uncontrolled, weight-bearing motion to derive quantitative measurements of joint motion confounds the diagnostic interpretation of such measurements so as to render them diagnostically useless. The diagnostic interpretation of such measurements would normally be based on a comparative analysis of joint motion measurements across a wide population of subjects, and would strive to identify statistically significant differences in these measurements between "normal" and "unhealthy" subjects, such that any given subject can be classified as "normal" or "unhealthy" based on that subject's joint motion measurement values. For such purposes, it is necessary to reduce the background variability of measurements across tested subjects as much as possible, so that any observed difference between "normal" and "unhealthy" subjects can be definitively attributable to a specific condition. Not controlling the motion that is being studied introduces variability into these comparative analyses due to differences that exist across testing subjects with respect to each subject's individual range of motion, symmetry of motion, and regularity of motion. These differences affect the joint motion of each subject differently, and collectively serve to create wide variability among joint motion measurements across subjects. Controlling for these factors by ensuring a consistent, regular, and symmetric body part motion during diagnostic testing serves to minimize the effects of these factors on a subject's relevant joint motion measurements, thereby reducing the variability of such measurements across subjects and therefore increasing the likelihood that such measurements will yield useful diagnostic results.
In addition to failing to control motion during testing, not accounting for the involvement and effects of muscles that are acting when a subject moves under their own muscular force while in a weight-bearing stance further adds to this variability by introducing such inherently variable factors such as the subject's muscle strength, level of pain, involuntary contraction of opposing muscle groups, and neuro-muscular co-ordination. Taken together, all of these sources of variability serve to confound diagnostic conclusions based on comparative analyses by making the ranges of "normal" and those of "abnormal" difficult to distinguish from one another other in a statistically significant way. Such an inability to distinguish between "normal" and "unhealthy" subjects based on a specific diagnostic measurement renders such a measurement diagnostically useless, as has been the case heretofore in the prior art which has focused on measurements of uncontrolled joint motion measured in subjects in weight-bearing postures and moving their joints through the power of their own muscles and in an uncontrolled fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,271 discloses a tilting table capable of some movement to keep an iso-center at a fixed position. U.S. Pat. No. 7,343,635 describes a multi-articulated tilting table which positions and supports a subject during examination and treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,641 to Breen discloses a device for controlling joint motion and minimizing the effects of muscle involvement in the joint motion being studied. This device minimizes variability among joint motion measurements across wide populations of subjects. As a result, comparative analyses of such measurements can be performed to determine statistical differences between the motion of "normal" and "unhealthy" subjects which in turn can provide a basis for determining the statistical confidence with which any given subject could be considered "normal" or "unhealthy" based solely on joint motion measurements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,208 to Toomin et al. developed a method for measuring muscle dysfunction by means of collecting muscle activity measurements using electrodes in a pattern across a subject's back while having the subject perform a series of poses where measurements are made at static periods within the movement. These electromyographical readings of "unhealthy" subjects were then compared to those of a "normal" population so as to be able to identify those subjects with abnormal readings, however does not provide for a method to report the results as a degree of departure from an ideal reading, instead can only say whether the reading is "abnormal". U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,395 added an additional advantage to this method for determining muscle dysfunction by using the same method, yet adding the ability to better normalize the data by employing a more accurate reading of the thickness of the adipose tissue and other general characteristics that might introduce variability into the readings, as well as the ability to quantify how abnormal a subject's electromyographical reading is as compared to a "normal" population.
Joint muscle activity has been evaluated using electromyography in combination with some type method or device to track the surface motion of the joint. In one study, visual landmarks were used to help the subject more consistently reproduce a tested motion so as to standardize the joint motion and eliminate variability. (Lariviere, C 2000) However, visual land marking methods to not yield as "standardized" a motion as can be achieved with motion that is mechanically controlled, and measurements of the motion of internal joint structures based on surface motion measurements are too variable to be of significant clinical utility.
Another study used electromyography in conjunction with the use of a goniometer, a device that measures the surface motion of external body parts so as to link the muscle activity signals with precise surface motion measurements. (Kaigle et al. (1998) Journal of Spinal Disorders 11(2): 163-174). This method however does not take into consideration the motion of internal joint structures such that a determination as to the specific cause of joint dysfunction cannot be evaluated.
Electromyographic measurements taken during weight-bearing joint motion, with simultaneous recording of the motion of the body part using goniometers and also with simultaneous recordings of the motion of internal joint structures through the tracking of surgically-implanted metal markers, has been used to correlate muscle activity with the motion of joints and internal joint structures (Kaigle, supra). However this approach studied joint motion that was uncontrolled and required an invasive surgical procedure to place the metal markers, and thus were neither useful nor feasible for clinical diagnostic application.
Electromyography has also been used in conjunction with a device that provides transient force perturbation so as to observe whether there is a difference between subjects with low back pain and those without low back pain to determine how their muscles respond to such a force. (Stokes, Fox et al. 2006) The objective was to determine whether there is an altered muscle activation pattern when using a ramped effort. This approach however does not address the issue of which discrete muscle group or groups might account for the difference between activation patterns in subjects with joint dysfunctions and those without. Furthermore, this method does not take into consideration the internal structural joint motions and thus provides an incomplete set of information upon which to draw diagnostic conclusions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In a scheduling apparatus, a packet start time with respect to an input packet is calculated, and a slot corresponding to the packet start time is selected from a scheduler including a plurality of slots. Whether to store the packet in the selected slot in consideration of the number of packets stored in the selected slot and the number of packets corresponding to virtual ports corresponding to the input packet is determined, and here, the virtual port is an output port of a switch device which is connected to the outside and does not have a scheduling function.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packet scheduling method and apparatus and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for performing packet scheduling in consideration of a port of a different switch, as a virtual port.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As wireless Internet services have been activated, wireless Internet traffic has been rapidly increased. A wireless communication resource is limited in a bandwidth of a public frequency, and thus, in order to accommodate fast-growing traffic, communication resources are required to be expanded and supplemented, for example, additional installation of base stations and the like.
Supplement of communication resources through expansion of base stations and the like is fit to further accommodate low-quality best effort service traffic such as Internet traffic, but causes a problem accommodating high-quality traffic such as voice communication or the like. That is, due to a great amount of Internet traffic, voice traffic is delayed to cause voice communication to be cut off, and the like. Thus, in a wireless access network in which wireless Internet traffic and voice traffic are mixedly used and transferred together, traffic scheduling is required, namely, quality of traffic should be classified according to types of traffic, and high-quality real time traffic such as voice communication should be preferentially transferred.
However, a small packet switch installed in an existing base station does not have a scheduling function based on quality grade, so there is a difficulty in replacing small packet switches of numerous base stations with packet switches having a scheduling function in order to enhance communication quality.
In addition, an existing scheduling apparatus performs packet scheduling according to a service grade in a switch system, complying with quality of communication service, but when it interworks with a packet switch without a scheduling function, communication quality is drastically degraded overall. Thus, in order to control communication quality on the whole, all switches connected are required to have a function of scheduling traffic according to a service type, making it difficult to manage quality.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Packet scheduling method and apparatus considering virtual port

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Systems and methods are disclosed for annotating and visualizing a damage scene. In various aspects, one or more immersive multimedia images are generated and associated with a damage scene. The immersive multimedia image(s) may be augmented with annotation(s) to create annotated immersive multimedia image(s). The annotated immersive multimedia image(s) may be visualized using a using a virtual reality (VR) device, where the damage scene and the annotation(s) of the annotated immersive multimedia image(s) can be viewed via the VR device.

The traditional description of damage events typically relies on witness statements, and, in some instances, two dimensional (2D) pictures, used to describe the location, scene, time, and/or individuals or things involved in the damage event. Damage events can relate to a moving or parked automobile accident, a household fire, a household water damage event, or any other damage event, which each typically include damaged items, such as a damaged vehicle or damaged home. Damage events can include damage scenes and damaged items, including an automobile accident that occurred at an intersection resulting in damaged vehicles, or a house fire that occurred at a home owner's household resulting in a damaged room or room(s). Typically, such events happen suddenly, and in some cases, with few or no witnesses, such as a water damage event in a household basement.
Accordingly, a problem arises during the aftermath of such events, where witness statements, or two dimensional (2D) pictures taken at different times, such as before, during or after the event, do not coincide or are otherwise inconsistent to provide a holistic understanding of the damages event. Such inconsistent witness statements or pictures can make it difficult to understand the timing, scenery, facts, or other circumstances that caused the accident or describe or show how the item was damaged. For example, this can create issues for companies or individuals involved in remedial or other post-damage event services, such as insurance companies or repair services, in determining the cause of damage or otherwise determining or recreating the scene or environment when or at what location the related damage event occurred.

Systems and methods for visualizing an accident scene

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company


A fluorescence microscope (10) includes a sample illumination beam path including a source (9) for illumination light, a first wave front modulator (24) for providing the focused illumination light (8) with a central intensity minimum, a beam splitter (26) and a second adjustable wave front modulator (34) arranged in a pupil plane (30) of an objective (20). A first detection beam path section including the second wave front modulator (34) and a telescope (11) and ending at the beam splitter (26) coincides with the sample illumination beam path. A separate second detection beam path section includes a detector (38) for luminescence light from a sample. The telescope (11) images a first pupil (31) formed in the pupil plane (30) in a smaller second pupil (32), and transfers a beam of the illumination light (8) collimated in the second pupil (32) into an expanded beam collimated in the first pupil (31).

An active transmissive phase modulation element and a microscope comprising an objective and such a phase modulation element are known from United States patent application publication US 2015/0 338 639 A1. The phase modulation element is arranged perpendicular to the optical axis in a plane of a pupil which is provided by imaging the back aperture of the objective by means of a relay optics because the back aperture of the objective is generally not accessible as such. The phase modulation element is located in a beam path section which both belongs to an illumination beam path and to a detection beam path. Thus, both collimated illumination light and light emitted out of the sample and collected by the objective pass through the modulation element which modifies the phase of the illumination light for correcting sample-induced aberrations and which also partially corrects aberrations of the light emitted out of the sample. US 2015/0 338 639 A1 also proposes the use of a deformable mirror, i.e. a phase modulation element operating in reflection mode. However, no particular instructions are given with regard to how to integrate such a mirror in the beam paths, or even how to preferably integrate the transmissive phase modulation element in the beam paths.
Japanese patent application publication JP 2004 341 394 A discloses a laser scanning fluorescence microscope comprising a deformable mirror for correcting aberrations which occur in imaging structures within a medium, i.e. not at the surface of the medium. The deformable mirror is arranged in a pupil plane in a beam path section which both belongs to an illumination beam path and a detection beam path. In this common beam path section of the detection beam path and the illumination or excitation beam path, a scanner is arranged in a further pupil plane. The two pupil planes mentioned are imaged onto each other by means of a relay optics at a same size, i.e. at a scale of 1:1. The disclosure of JP 2004 341 394 A starts from a prior art system applying an aberration correction by means of a deformable mirror, only. The applicant of JP 2004 341 394 A states that this prior art system does not allow for a sufficient correction, particularly for off-axis focus positions, and that this problem is solved by combining a deformable mirror with an objective of a special design.
A laser scanning fluorescence microscope known from European patent application publication EP 1 372 011 A2 and United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,633,053 B2, which belong to the same patent family, comprises a laser providing illumination light, a beam splitting mirror reflecting the illumination light and being transparent for detection light, and a polarization beam splitter. Depending on the polarization of the illumination light, the polarization beam splitter directs the illumination light into a first or a second branch of an illumination beam path. In each of the two branches, the respective illumination light is directed through a quarter wave plate and a zoom optics onto an active wave front modulator which is made as an adaptive reflective element, like, for example, as a mirror with a segmented adjustable mirror surface or as a membrane mirror. The zoom optics serves for adapting the aperture of the respective adaptive element to the aperture of a microscope objective. The respective illumination light reflected by the adaptive reflective element is redirected to the polarization beam splitter. By passing two times through the respective branch comprising the respective zoom optics and the respective associated quarter wave plate, the polarization of the respective illumination light is rotated by 90°. Thus, the partial light beam deflected when incident on the beam splitter passes through the beam splitter when incident in the opposite direction without deflection, and the partial light beam not deflected when incident on the beam splitter is deflected by the beam splitter when incident in the opposite direction. In this way, both partial light beams are coaxially coupled into a further common part of the illumination beam path. A lens arranged in this further common part images the planes of the wave front modulators in a plane conjugated to the back aperture of the objective. A scanning device is arranged in this conjugated plane. The illumination beam path is focused in or on a sample via a scan optics, a tube lens and an objective. Light emitted out of the sample, for example fluorescence light, is collected by the microscope objective and, depending on its polarization, takes a path opposite to the illumination light so that detection light of both polarizations coaxially emerges out of the polarization beam splitter in opposite direction to the incident illumination light. The detection light then passes through the beam splitting mirror and is directed to a confocal detection device. In contrast to coupling light into an adaptive optical system via a beam splitter as previously known, the arrangement of EP 1 372 011 A2 allows for a loss-free coupling-in. An alternative device comprises one active wave front modulator in the illumination beam path, only, and a further alternative device comprises two active wave front modulators, one of which being arranged in the illumination beam path, only, and the other of which being arranged in the detection beam path, only.
International patent application publication WO 2018/042 056 A1 and United States patent application publication US 2019/0 195 800 A1, which belong to the same patent family, relate to a method of adjusting different elements of a usual STED microscope. These documents inter alia describe the general design of such a STED microscope. It is pointed out here that an active or adaptive optics, like for example a liquid crystal technology based wave front modulator, usually designated as a SLM, a deformable mirror or a MEMS element may be arranged in the beam path of excitation light and/or of fluorescence inhibition light and/or of fluorescence light, and be operated by an adjustment device for adjusting the laser scanning microscope. Provisions for stabilizing the adjustment of the beam paths, like, for example, provisions for avoiding the influences of angle errors of the beam path with regard to each other, are not proposed. As an STED microscope which essentially corresponds to that one depicted in WO 2018/042 056 A1 is shown in accompanying FIG. 1 and described in a corresponding text part of this description, no further remarks are made at this point.
Lenz, Martin O. et al. "3-D stimulated emission depletion microscopy with programmable aberration correction", J. Biophotonics 7, No. 1-2, 29-36 (2014), disclose a special STED microscope comprising a reflective active wave front modulator arranged in a depletion beam path and based on liquid crystal technology. An active partial surface of the wave front modulator is arranged in a pupil or intersects a pupil at an angle. By means of a relay optics including a mirror and a quarter wave plate, this pupil is imaged onto a second active partial surface of the wave front modulator such that this second active partial surface is also arranged in a pupil or intersects a pupil at an angle. Each of the two partial surfaces serves for modulating one of two orthogonal polarization directions of depletion light. Both pupils are generated by imaging a back aperture of an objective by means of lenses which are exclusively arranged in the depletion beam path.
The dissertation "Intelligent-Illumination STED" by Jorn Heine, Gottingen 2017 (downloadable at http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-1735-0000-002E-E3B0-E) discloses a further STED microscope which comprises two excitation lasers. Means for forming a depletion beam include a wave front modulator based on liquid crystal technology designated as a SLM. One half of the SLM is used for forming a first component of the depletion beam having a first polarization, and the other half of the SLM is used for forming a second component of the depletion beam having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. This function is achieved by a compact optical installation in which the incident depletion beam impinges on the first half of the SLM which modulates and reflects a first component and which does not modulate but also reflects the second component of the depletion beam. Next, the polarizations of both components are rotated by 90°. Afterwards, both components impinge on the second half of the SLM which now modulates and reflects the previously not modulated component whereas it does not modulate but reflects the component modulated at first. This installation comprising the SLM has the same function as the device described above and known from Lenz, Martin O. et al. "3-D stimulated emission depletion microscopy with programmable aberration correction", J. Biophotonics 7, No. 1-2, 29-36 (2014) but is more compact. However, it has the disadvantage, that in no case both halves of the SLM may exactly be arranged in a pupil plane. In the STED microscope, both halves of the SLM are close to a pupil plane at same distances to that pupil plane. Further, the dissertation discloses a microscope comprising a relay optics between a scan lens of a quad-scanner which is a scanner of a special design particularly suited for STED and MINFLUX microscopy, on the one hand, and a dichroic mirror serving for coupling-in the depletion light in a common beam path for excitation, depletion and fluorescence light, on the other hand.
German Patent DE 100 63 276 C2 and United States patents U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,236 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,161 B2, which all three belong to the same patent family, disclose a STED microscope and relate to a laser scanning STED microscope which focuses a depletion beam onto a first focal area such that the first focal area overlaps with a different second focal area of an excitation beam. The STED microscope comprises elements for correcting longitudinal and transversal color aberrations between the excitation wave length and the depletion wave length particularly occurring in a scanning optics and an objective. These elements shall ensure that the overlap between the two beams remains constant during scanning. For this purpose, at least one adaptive optical element, like, for example, a deformable mirror is used. In these patents, different basic arrangements of adaptive optical elements are listed. For example, it is proposed to use an LCD element as the adaptive optical element, i.e. an SLM like in the dissertation of Jorn Heine, and to arrange this LCD element in the depletion beam path in a Fourier plane to the focal plane, i.e. in an image plane with regard to the back aperture of the objective. This element shall be readjusted during scanning to compensate for position dependent aberrations caused by the optics. German patent application publication DE 10 2011 055 367 A1 and United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 9,291,562 B2, which belong to the same patent family, describe a method and an apparatus for tracking particles in a sample. The apparatus particularly comprises an excitation laser, beam forming means, beam shifting means for laterally shifting an excitation focus in a sample plane, a sample shifting device for axially shifting a sample, an objective and a detection device for detecting fluorescence light. The beam forming means have the effect that the excitation beam forms an intensity distribution with a central zero point in the focus. The intensity distribution may, for example, correspond to a STED donut. This setup essentially corresponds to a setup which is also used for MINFLUX microscopy.
The MINFLUX method is described by Francisco Balzarotti et al. "Nanometer resolution imaging and tracking of fluorescent molecules with minimal photon fluxes", arXiv:1611.03401 [physics.optics] (2016), inclusive of the supplemental material, and in a paper by the same authors and with the name title published in Science, Vol. 355, Issue 6325, 606-612 (2017). MINFLUX microscopy is a method of determining the positions of individual fluorophores in a sample. For applying this method, it is essential that the position of one fluorophore in the sample which is to be determined at a high precision is upfront determined by means of another method than MINFLUX at a precision of the diffraction limit or better, like, for example, by means of a known method of localization microscopy. In MINFLUX, this previously determined position of the fluorophore is used. An intensity distribution having a central zero point, like, for example, a donut-shaped distribution or a one-dimensional distribution, is used for scanning a region around the predetermined position at several sampling points. At all sampling points, the fluorophore is comparatively close to the intensity minimum. From the measured intensity values of the fluorescence light emitted by the fluorophore, the position of the fluorophore can be determined at a higher precision than in the upfront determination. Starting from this determination of the position of the fluorophore at the higher precision, the step of scanning can be repeated at a smaller distance of the sampling points and with a more precise centering with regard to the actual position of the fluorophore. The MINFLUX principle is based on scanning a fluorophore with an intensity minimum. The MINFLUX principle can be realized with donut-shaped intensity profiles and with intensity profiles resulting from standing waves and also with one-dimensional intensity profiles. MINFLUX can also be applied for tracking fluorescent particles, wherein the period of time available for scanning the region around the respective temporary position of the fluorescent particles depends on the velocity of the fluorescent particles.
The setup depicted in the publication by Balzarotti et al. comprises the elements mentioned above when referring to DE 10 2011 055 367 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,291,562 B2. In the above-mentioned supplementary materials for the first publication, electro-optical deflectors and piezo-electrically tiltable mirrors are mentioned as beam shifting devices for laterally shifting an excitation focus. The microscope disclosed comprises a plurality of different beam paths. There is one beam path section in which both the illumination light and the detection light are guided. A telescope which is not described further is arranged in this beam path section. Further, this beam path section includes the above-mentioned piezo-electrically tiltable mirror in a pupil plane. The available scanning range (about 20×20 pmt) is indicated, the scanner type is named (PSH-10/2, i.e. a device by piezosystem jena GmbH) and the objective used (HCX PL APO 100×/1.40−0.70 Oil CS, Leica Microsystems GmbH) is also named. From this information, in combination with data sheet figures for the scanning angle of the tiltable mirror (+/−4mrad), it can be deduced that the telescope images a pupil located between the objective and the telescope into a pupil plane of the tiltable mirror in a magnifying way and transfers a collimated beam incoming in the telescope via the tiltable mirror into a beam of a reduced cross section running towards the objective behind the telescope. A vortex wave plate is mentioned as the beam forming means which causes that the excitation beam forms an intensity distribution having a central minimum in the focus. The possibility of determining the position of the fluorophore in three dimensions by means of the MINFLUX method is mentioned by Balzarotti et al. as a straight forward add-on which could, for example, be realized by means of a z-donut. However, no particular instructions for realizing this add-on are given.
In a paper "MINFLUX nanoscopy delivers multicolor nanometer 3D-resolution in (living) cells" by Klaus C. Gwosch et al. published on the Preprint Server bioRxiv in August 2019 (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/734251), an actual realization of three-dimensional imaging by means of MINFLUX is described both with regard to the method and with regard to the apparatus used. The setup of the apparatus essentially corresponds to that one described by Balzarotti et al. A white light laser is added, and, instead of the vortex wave plate, an active element which will be further described below is used as the beam forming means. Further, it is shown how, by means of MINFLUX, three-dimensional imaging may simultaneously be executed with fluorophores of two different emission wave lengths, i.e. with fluorophores which can be spectrally separated in detection. The apparatus comprises an excitation laser, an amplitude modulator, an active wave front modulator, and an electro-optical x-y-z-shifting device consisting of electro-optical shifting devices for shifting in x- and y-direction and an electrically controllable lens of variable focal length in the illumination beam path. The type of the wave front modulator is indicated such that it can be identified as a reflective liquid crystal based modulator. This wave front modulator is used to selectively adjust the wave front of the excitation light such that the sample, through an objective, is either subjected to an intensity distribution without central zero point, to a donut or to an intensity distribution having a central, axially delimited zero point, i.e. a so called 3D donut. At a dichroic mirror, an activation beam path is coupled into a common activation and illumination beam path. Both the activation and the illumination beam path are coupled into the sample via a tiltable mirror for scanning the sample and an objective. In opposite direction to the illumination beam path, fluorescence light emitted out of the sample is directed through the objective and via the tiltable mirror, and it is coupled out of the illumination beam path and directed towards a detection device via a further dichroic mirror.
From Japanese laid open publication JP H11-326 860, both laser fluorescence microscopes scanning by means of a movable sample stage and laser scanning microscopes which have active wave front modulators for correcting aberrations which are, for example, induced by a sample and depend on an axial scanning position and/or for adjusting an axial focus position in the sample are known. In an arrangement depicted for illustrating the basic principle, a detection beam path and an excitation beam path, when viewed along the excitation beam path, are merged at a dichroic mirror into a common infinity beam path. The common beam path is guided through a telescope expanding the beam diameter to a desired size, a transmissive active wave front modulator being located in the expanded beam path. In the further course of the common beam path, an objective is arranged for focusing illumination light onto or into a sample, wherein no further optical element is located between the wave front modulator and the objective. A confocal laser microscope having a scanning stage, which differs from the above-described setup only due to the scanning stage being mentioned and due to the depiction of the detection device as a confocal detection device is depicted as one embodiment of this invention. As a further embodiment, a confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscope is depicted which comprises one wave front modulator in each of the excitation beam path and the detection beam path. Further, a multi photon laser scanning fluorescence microscope is depicted. None of the embodiments, when viewed in detection direction, comprises a common detection and excitation beam path section extending behind the scanner and comprising a telescope scaling down when viewed in detection direction.
Rueckel, M. et al. "Adaptive wavefront correction in two-photon microscopy using coherence-gated wavefront sensing", PNAS, Vol. 103, No. 46, 17137-17142 (2006) disclose a two photon microscope comprising a device for correcting sample-induced aberrations. The device comprises a deformable mirror in an illumination beam path. A section of the illumination beam path which inter alia includes the microscope objective is additionally used to direct light reflected at a calibration object onto a CCD detector. In the direction towards the CCD detector, a telescope is arranged behind the deformable mirror, the telescope reducing the beam diameter such that the beam diameter is larger on the mirror side of the telescope than on that side of the telescope facing away from the mirror. The CCD detector is arranged in a plane conjugated to a back aperture of the objective. On the CCD detector, the reflected light which is no fluorescence light is superimposed for interference with light guided through an interferometer setup. From the interference pattern, conclusions are drawn with regard to the sample-induced aberrations which are corrected for by means of the deformable mirror.
International patent application publication WO 2014/029978 A1 and United States patent U.S. Pat. No. 9,575,302 B2, which belong to the same patent family, disclose a scanning laser fluorescence microscope designed as a STED microscope and comprising: elements forming an excitation beam path which focuses excitation light for exciting fluorescence within a sample into the sample; elements forming a depletion beam path which focuses depletion light for causing stimulated emission of excited fluorophores and thus for inhibiting fluorescence into the sample coaxially with regard to the excitation light in such a way that the intensity of the depletion light has a local intensity minimum on the optical axis and which particularly focuses the depletion light in such a way that a so called STED donut evolves in the focal plane; elements forming a detection beam path which includes a confocal detection device for confocal detection of fluorescence of the sample; an objective which is a part of all three previously mentioned beam paths and configured for both focusing the beam bundles directed onto the sample into the sample and collecting and guiding fluorescence light into the detection beam path; a dichroic mirror which merges the excitation beam path and the depletion beam path in their course towards the sample and which couples the fluorescence light running along the detection beam path out of the depletion beam path, the dichroic mirror beam arranged in a beam path section in which all three beam bundles are collimated; and a piezo stage translatable in all three spatial dimensions on which samples to be imaged can be located and which is configured for shifting the samples to be images relative to a focal area of the objective and for, thus, allowing for scanning the sample in all three spatial dimensions. This setup is also described by Travis J. Gould et al. "Adaptive optics enables 3D STED microscopy in aberrating specimens"; OPTICS EXPRESS, Vol. 20, No. 19, 20999-21009 (2012).
Further, the microscope according to WO 2014/029 978 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,575,302 B2 comprises a wave front modulator, particularly a liquid crystal technology based reflective wave front modulator, in the following called SLM (being an abbreviation of the standard term "spatial light modulator"), in its depletion beam path, the wave front modulator being located and configured such that it can modulate depletion light impinging thereon with regard to its phase in such a way that, after passing through further elements of the depletion beam path and focusing by the objective, forms an STED donut in the focus, on the one hand, and provides the depletion light with further modulations to achieve that aberrations caused by the sample, like, for example, by a mismatch of a refraction index of the sample and a refraction index of the immersion medium, can be compensated for in focusing into the sample so that, even in deeper areas of the sample, a high focus quality is achieved, on the other hand. According to the description of WO 2014 029978 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,575,302 B2 the SLM is arranged in a pupil, i.e. in a plane conjugated to the back aperture of the objective, wherein the reflective surface of the SLM is inclined with regard to the plane of this pupil.
Further, the microscope according to WO 2014/029 978 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,575,302 B2 comprises a reflective wave front modulator in its excitation beam path, which, like the previously mentioned SLM, is arranged in a pupil. In one embodiment, the wave front modulator is only arranged in the excitation beam path and made as an SLM; in another embodiment, the wave front modulator is arranged between the above-mentioned dichroic mirror and the objective, and it is thus not only in the excitation beam path but also in the depletion and in the detection beam path. In this case, the wave front modulator is made as a deformable mirror. In both cases, the wave front modulator is configured to compensate for aberrations as explained above with reference to the depletion beam path. In the latter case with deformable mirror in all beam paths, the wave front modulator compensates for aberrations in all beam paths, and the SLM only located in the depletion beam path is used for beam forming, i.e. for forming the STED donut and for compensating for aberrations of the depletion beam path. Even if this is not explicitly described, it is clear to one skilled in the art, that this relates to the compensation of remaining aberrations which are not yet compensated for by the deformable mirror. Whereas the embodiments which are mentioned here at first are described in WO 2014 029978 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,575,302 B2 in detail, the embodiment mentioned here at last is only generally outlined with reference to general skill in the art.
It is a common feature of the above-described prior art scanning laser fluorescence microscopes, which are realized as simple confocal microscopes, STED microscopes or MINFLUX microscopes, that they have a beam path section in which the detection beam path and the illumination beam path coincide but are oriented in opposite directions. In STED microscopes, there also is a beam path section in which at least two illumination beam paths overlap, one of which being configured for illuminating the sample with a focus having a central intensity minimum. In MINFLUX microscopes, an illumination beam path which is configured for illuminating the sample with a focus having a central intensity minimum coincides with a detection beam path in a common beam path section. With reference to STED microscopes, the above-mentioned patent application publications WO 2018/042 056 A1 and US 2019/0 195 800 A1 address an essential problem, namely the problem of adjusting the individual beam paths with regard to each other in such a way that they coincide as exactly as possible in the common beam path section or in such a way that the projections of excitation focus and STED focus into the confocal detection plane coincide as exactly as possible and are centered there within the confocal pinhole. The patent application publications disclose options how such an adjustment may automatically be executed. In practice, such an automatic adjustment is of relevance also for the reason that a misalignment of the individual beam paths may also occur during the operation of a microscope, for example due to thermal influences. Tiltings of the dichroic mirrors used as beam couplers or splitters which occur with time here result in that the individual beam paths, after their merger, do not exactly run on one axis in a same direction but have an angle offset with regard to each other.
There still is a need of a scanning laser fluorescence microscopes configured to illuminate a sample with illumination light having a focus with a central intensity minimum in which influences of an angle offset between at least one illumination beam path for illumination light and an detection beam path on the quality of the imaging are minimized and in which the quality of adjustment of the beam paths with regard to each other is enhanced.

Fluorescence microscope with stabilized adjustment and group of components and module for upgrading a fluorescence microscope


An apparatus, system, and method for determining clipping distances are described. In one embodiment, a graphics processing apparatus includes a clipping unit and an instruction memory connected to the clipping unit. The instruction memory includes a clipping program to direct the clipping unit to perform clipping operations. The clipping program includes a clipping distance instruction to determine a clipping distance with respect to any of a set of clipping planes.

Conventional graphics processing systems sometimes implement techniques for clipping graphics primitives. Clipping typically refers to a set of operations that determine which portion of a graphics primitive is to be displayed with respect to a set of clipping planes. Various techniques have been developed for clipping graphics primitives. Examples of these techniques include the Cohen-Sutherland technique, the Liang-Barsky technique, the Sutherland-Hodgeman technique, and the Weiler technique. Of these techniques, the Sutherland-Hodgeman technique is perhaps the most commonly used.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a graphics primitive 100 that is clipped in accordance with a conventional clipping technique, such as the Sutherland-Hodgeman technique. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the graphics primitive 100 is defined by a set of vertices (V0, V1, V2), such that different pairs of the vertices define various edges of the graphics primitive 100. For example, the pair of vertices (V0, V1) define an edge 102 of the graphics primitive 100. In the illustrated example, each vertex Vi is represented by a set of coordinates (xi, yi, zi, wi) in homogeneous space. For example, the vertex V0 is represented by a set of coordinates (xo, yo, zo, wo), and the vertex V1 is represented by a set of coordinates (xl, yl, zl, wl).
Referring to FIG. 1, the graphics primitive 100 is clipped with respect to a particular clipping plane 104 that defines a viewing region. The clipping plane 104 can be, for example, a left plane (i.e., x=−w plane), a right plane (i.e., x=+w plane), a bottom plane (i.e., y=−w plane), a top plane (i.e., y=+w plane), a near plane (i.e., z=−w plane), or a far plane (i.e., z=+w plane). To clip the graphics primitive 100 with respect to the clipping plane 104, the conventional clipping technique determines a clipping distance di of each vertex Vi with respect to the clipping plane 104. If the vertex Vi lies inside of the clipping plane 104, the clipping distance di is typically assigned a positive value. On the other hand, if the vertex Vi lies outside of the clipping plane 104, the clipping distance di is typically assigned a negative value. For example, to clip the edge 102 with respect to the clipping plane 104, the conventional clipping technique determines a clipping distance d0 of the vertex V0 as well as a clipping distance d1 of the vertex V1. Once the clipping distances d0 and d1 are determined, the conventional clipping technique determines a new vertex Va, which corresponds to an intersection of the edge 102 with respect to the clipping plane 104. In particular, the new vertex Va is represented by a set of coordinates (xa, ya, za, wa), which are determined based on the clipping distances d0 and d1, the set of coordinates (xo, yo, zo, wo), and the set of coordinates (xl, yl, zl, wl).
Conventional clipping techniques are commonly implemented using micro-code, such that a clipping program specifies a sequence of clipping operations to be performed. In accordance with such implementation, a processing time to clip a graphics primitive is typically dependent upon a complexity and a size of the clipping program. Unfortunately, a conventional clipping technique typically involves performing different types of operations for different clipping planes, and implementing these operations using micro-code often results in a clipping program that is undesirably complex and long.
For example, in the case of the Sutherland-Hodgeman technique, operations to determine a clipping distance di of a vertex Vi is typically dependent upon which clipping plane is involved. The following represents a portion of a conventional clipping program to determine the clipping distance di:                (1) If left plane                    then di=wi−xi                          Else branch        (2) If right plane                    then di=wi−xi                          Else branch        (3) If bottom plane                    then di=wi−yi                          Else branch        (4) If top plane                    then di=wi+yi                          Else branch        (5) If near plane                    then di=wi−zi                          Else branch        (6) If far plane                    then di=wi+zi As can be appreciated, the clipping program includes separate sets of instructions and multiple branches to account for different clipping planes. As a result, the clipping program can be slow to execute, thus translating into a processing time that is longer than desired. Also, the processing time can be relatively unpredictable, particularly since a number of branches to be performed is dependent upon which clipping plane is involved. In addition, a size of the clipping program can lead to inefficiencies in terms of enhanced storage requirements.
It is against this background that a need arose to develop the apparatus, system, and method described herein.

Apparatus, system, and method for determining clipping distances


Techniques are generally described related to a flash-based buffer management strategy. One example method to manage a buffer for a computer system may include maintaining a page-action list for monitoring a plurality of operations being executed on the computer system and utilizing a plurality of buffer pages of the buffer. An example page-action list may contain a hot-access queue for recently accessed buffer pages and a cold-access queue for less accessed buffer pages. The example method may also include, upon a determination that the buffer is full, identifying a victim buffer page from the plurality of buffer pages for eviction and evicting the victim buffer page from the buffer. The victim buffer page may be selected from the cold-access queue and based on a page weight, which is calculated based on a page state of the specific buffer page and a page hotness prediction for the specific buffer page might be accessed by an incoming operation.

Buffer management is a core component of a computer system and its operating system. A buffer management scheme may adopt a specific buffer replacement policy to improve the performance of the computer system or an application (e.g., a file system or a database system). For a computer using conventional disk-based storage system, many buffer replacement policies mainly aim at reducing the rate of buffer misses which may cause excessive accesses to the disks. To minimize the miss rate, the conventional buffer replacement policies may place equal emphasis on both the read and write operations, and may not distinguish the impacts to the buffer memory from these read and writes operations.
Comparing to the conventional disk-based storage systems, flash disks may have a read-write asymmetry, which means a write operation on a flash disk may be an order of magnitude slower than a read operation on the flash disk. The conventional buffer replacement policies may give higher priority to dirty pages, and are mostly based on the current page state of the buffer pages. However, these conventional buffer replacement policies that are designed for disk-based storage systems may no longer be optimized for flash-based storage systems.

Buffer management strategies for flash-based storage systems


The present invention is a bracket connector for a water supply system having a ballast pipe supporting a conduit with a plurality of dispenser valves. The three piece bracket connector includes a bottom or saddle receiving portion attached on the conduit and keyed to a vertical wall of the conduit saddle, a middle or ballast receiving portion having arms for receiving and holding the ballast pipe, and a top portion for fitting between the arms whereby the three portions form a bracket connector body having a substantially continuous external surface for minimizing the accumulation of particulate. By keying the saddle receiving portion on the wall of the conduit saddle, the dispenser valves are maintained in a perpendicular alignment with the ground. The bottom and middle portions are interconnected by a tongue and slot arrangement which extends across substantially all of the width of the bracket connector, thus distributing the weight of the conduit across the tongue and slot interconnection. Also, a nub of the middle portion clicks into a recess of the bottom portion and latches the tongue in the slot. The single piece bracket connector includes two arms which flex outwardly to receive the ballast pipe and water conduit. Fingers at the lower ends of the arms are keyed to the wall of the saddle portion and thereby align the bracket connector vertically with the saddles and the ground.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to water supply systems for small animals and the like. Specifically, the field of the invention is that of devices for connecting conduit and ballast portions of such a water supply system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The proper provision of water is essential for safe and efficient nurturing of fowl and small animals, for example in raising chickens. The proper amount of water is critical to develop the chickens quickly for consumption, and is at least as important as food. Water is important in terms of cost because chickens receiving more water consume less food. In addition to the chickens needing water to grow, water may provide other benefits, for example, medicine and vitamins may be added to provide the chickens beneficial nutrients. However, problems with the water supply may adversely affect the chickens. Leakage in the water supply system may foster bacteria growth and infection, and left unchecked may flood the hen house and drown the chickens. Therefore, water accumulating on the floors of the hen house should be avoided. If too much water is dispensed each time the valve opens, then the excess water may wet the chicken and wet the litter which fosters bacteria and mold and thereby endangers the health of the chickens.
A water supply system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,284,036, 4,491,088, 4,589,373, and 4,637,345 solves many of the aforementioned problems, and each of these patents is expressly incorporated by reference herein. These patents describe a valve for providing water to chickens and the like while minimizing the leakage of water. The valve disclosed in the aforementioned patents has a tubular body with a tapered lower bore which is sealed by a pin having a head resting on a rubber cup on the inside lower surface of the valve. A metal ball sets on the head, and a three ring seal is formed by the head abutting the cup and the ball abutting two seats of the cup. The ball may be unseated by tilting the pin and moving it out of axial alignment with the body, so that the head rests only on a small portion of the cup, and the ball is raised to move it out of engagement with the other seats. Only a small amount of water is able to flow through the restricted gaps between the ball and the cup when the pin is tilted, and the water droplet so formed flows along the pin to its bottom. The pin is a shiny metallic element which attracts the attention of chickens. Normally, a chicken moves the pin with its beak, and the valve allows a small water droplet to pass so that the chicken may easily consume the droplet as it flows down the pin.
The valve is mounted on the underside of the water supply system conduit at predetermined positions. A lateral projection of the valve body includes a shank with a hook for attaching over a part of an integral valve seating portion of the conduit. In order to operate properly, the valve should be positioned relatively perpendicularly with respect to the ground. More specifically, when the pin head is seated on the cup, the axis of the pin should be perpendicular with the ground. This arrangement results in the force of gravity uniformly pressing the head of the pin onto the rubber cup to form one of the three seals, and when the head is so disposed then the ball is also in contact with the other two sealing positions.
The conduit is attached to the underside of a ballast pipe by a wrap connector. The wrap connector is made of the same material as the conduit, e.g. plastic or ABS material which is food grade material, and is sonically welded to the conduit. The ballast pipe may be a rigid elongate element, such as a galvanized steel pipe. The wrap connector is bolted to the ballast pipe and thus holds the conduit in spaced relation below. Fingers at the top of the wrap connector are used to hold an electrically conductive cable which serves as an anti-roosting device. The wrap connector includes two initially separate upper and lower portions. The lower portion has a hook on one side for locking with a slot of the upper portion. A bolt extends through each portion on the opposite side of the slot and hook, and is threadably engaged by a nut to couple the upper and lower portions together. A more detailed description of the wrap connector, as well as a hanger system to suspend the water supply system, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,462, entitled "HANGER FOR WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION" , filed Dec. 14, 1989, Ser. No. 07/429,226, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is explicitly incorporated by reference.
The above described water supply system may be suspended from the ceiling of a chicken house. When suspended, the hinge portion of the wrap connector, near the hook and slot, receives stress from the load of the conduit which is filled with water. The structural integrity of the wrap connector securely absorbs the stress, and assuming that the lower portions of the wrap connector are properly connected to the conduit, the valves are maintained in a perpendicular position. Thus the system provides water to chickens quite well, minimizing water spillage or buildup.
To further combat the chance of infection or contamination, these systems may be periodically cleaned by use of harsh disinfectants such as quaternary ammonia or iodine. However, cleaning with such a disinfectant may damage stressed portions of the wrap connector, for example at the hinges of the wrap connector where only a limited portion of plastic holds the upper and lower portions together. The hook and slot arrangement which joins the upper and lower portions at one side allows only a fraction of the width of each portion to support the jointure. The disinfectant may weaken the structural integrity of the limited portions of the wrap connector body near the hook and slot and eventually may cause breakage. Thus, periodic cleaning of a structurally secure water supply system with harsh disinfectants may weaken the structural integrity of the plastic wrap connector at the portions which receive stress.
Another difficulty with prior art wrap connectors is that the exterior surface of the wrap connector has dips, crevices, holes, and other structures which allow particulate to accumulate and are difficult to clean out. These structures are difficult to clean because they require spraying of cleansing water at various angles to reach every dip and crevice.
The prior art wrap connectors may also present problems with manufacture and delivery of the system. In manufacture, the prior art wrap connectors often include irregular shapes which are difficult to fabricate, and many wrap connectors are made from relatively expensive materials. In assembling the wrap connector to the conduit, the bottom portion must be carefully aligned with the valve seating portions of the conduit before sonically welding to ensure that the wrap connector properly aligns the valve with the ballast pipe. Regarding storage, the prior art wrap connectors require about twice the storage space for shipment than the conduit itself because of the sonically welded lower portions of the wrap connector which extend from the conduit.
Further difficulty with prior art wrap connectors involves how the prior art systems respond to sudden temperature variation, for example by steam cleaning the system. When the steam is forced through the conduit, the plastic of the conduit rises in temperature much more than the metal ballast pipe, and the plastic material has a higher expansion coefficient than the metal. This results in the plastic conduit expanding much more than the metal during the steam cleaning. The expansion and subsequent contraction of the plastic material may cause breakdown of the plastic conduit. After the expansion and contraction caused by the sudden temperature variation, the plastic conduit may not return to its original shape but rather may assume a less structurally sound shape.
What is needed is a connector for water supply systems which better withstands treatment by harsh disinfectants.
Also needed is a connector which allows less particulate accumulation and is easier to clean.
A further need exists for a connector which facilitates manufacture and storage.
An additional need exists for a connector which allows for expansion and contraction of the conduit in response to sudden temperature variation.

Bracket connector for a water supply system


A coffin transport block is provided. The coffin transport block includes a body portion with a top end and a bottom end. Protruding from the top end is a first node and a second node forming a top channel in between. Protruding from the bottom end is a first node and a second node forming a bottom channel in between. A method of use includes the following. The coffin lid may be opened to place the cadaver within the coffin and to prepare the cadaver. The bottom end of the coffin transport block may be placed on a coffin edge so that the coffin edge is within the bottom channel. The lid may be placed on the top end so that the lid edge is within the top channel, thereby propping the coffin in an open position. The cadaver may then be transported to the funeral with the lid of the coffin semi-opened, which prevents the preparation of the cadaver from being disturbed.

The present invention relates to the transportation of coffins and, more particularly, to a portable block for propping open a lid of a coffin during transportation.
Currently, cadavers are transported from the prep area to the viewing funeral area after the cadaver has been prepared. Preparation of the cadaver includes dressing the cadaver with clothing and preparing makeup and a hair style of the cadaver for viewing. To prevent the disruption of the prepared cadaver, it is desirable to keep the coffin open during the transportation from the prep area to the funeral home or viewing area. However, there is currently no device that may be used to do so.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that keeps the coffins open during transportation.

Method of propping a coffin lid open during transportation of a coffin


A one-piece back support for a chair. The support includes a substantially integral backing member having a front side, a back side, and top and bottom edges. The backing member defines, on its front side, a substantially vertical, concave channel. The channel communicates with the bottom edge of the backing member and terminates proximate the center of the backing member. The channel is sized and shaped to receive a "T"-shaped support member so that the backing member is supported by the support member. The backing member, in view of the manner of mounting, can be pivoted about the support member, the channel including laterally extending notches. Such notches project from the main channel portion at its end generally centrally located within the backing member. The "T" portion of the support member is, thereby, received within the channel and notches. The support also includes means to limit the extent to which the backing member can be pivoted with respect to the support member.

This invention relates to back rests or back supports for a chair. More particularly, this invention relates to one-piece back supports for a chair, such as an office chair. Yet more particularly, this invention relates to one-piece back supports or back rests for a chair having a unique configuration and arrangement of component parts which make it economical to manufacture, and which provide enhanced safety in use and mitigation of failure modes when a chair using the invention is abused or is occupied by larger person.
Conventional chair back rests comprise, from back to front, a vertical support which is attached in some fashion to, the back side of a backing member. The backing member then has located on its remaining front side, a pad. The vertical support holds the backing member in place and supports the back or dorsal side of an occupant of the chair. The pad, placed between the backing member and an occupant of the chair, provides comfort and support to the chair's user.
Conventional chair back rests as described above have shown a particularly unfortunate failure mode, especially when used by larger persons. When a large or heavy person leans backward in a conventional chair, substantial force is exerted against the back support. The backward force, generally being exerted against the top and upper portion of the back support, tends to bend or leverage the upper portion of the back support against the verticle support member. Because there is no restraining force applied against the lower portion or base of the back rest, the back rest is inherently leveraged, bent, or pivots against its verticle support at its structurally weakest point. Conventional back supports, generally being supported in their middle on their back side (i.e., the side away from the chair user) tend to break in what has been referred to as a "half moon" failure mode in response to this force. The "half moon" refers to the shape of a crack or break in the backing member. Such a failure mode, if sudden and complete, potentially permits the vertical support member to pass through the backing member and possibly injure the user.
The present invention mitigates one of the possible failure modes of conventional chair back supports in utilizing a unique arrangement of vertical support and backing member. The aforementioned "half-moon" failure mode is mitigated because the structurally strongest portion of the present invention is located where this failure mode is likely to occur. In addition, the present invention, in a preferred embodiment, permits the utilization of relatively inexpensive, composite materials.


Management of heterogeneous data sources is described. In accordance with an embodiment method, a plurality of heterogeneous data sources is identified (410). The plurality of heterogeneous data sources can represent static data sources and management data streams received from servers for network management. The data sources can be encapsulated into data source containers (420). Each data source container can encapsulate a separate data source and can be mapped into an interdependent source graph (430). The interdependent source graph can include object links between the data source containers, the object links representing relationships existing between the data source containers. The interdependent source graph can be queried by traversing the interdependent source graph using data source container relationships to obtain management information about at least one of the data sources (440). Management information obtained while querying can be rendered to a management program on the management server to provide a unified view of the management information (450).

Managing services in networked environments often may involve acquiring information from multiple diverse sources. The information can be collected from the sources and processed to determine whether or not the current state of the service conforms to a desired policy or set of policies. If the state does not conform to one or more policies, changes to a service's configuration or to a resource level may be made.
Examples of diverse data sources from which information may be acquired include: live performance data from applications and operating systems in a network environment, historical business performance data, application and operating system logs, Configuration Management Databases (CMDB), application configuration models (e.g. SAP system landscape models, etc.), infrastructure models, customer data including Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) and billing data, and so forth.
A common approach to collecting data from various data sources is to write specific integration code to extract data from each particular data source. The data can then be presented as a fixed model in which relationships between the components of the model are fixed by the integration code. However, writing code for each data source can be time consuming, error prone, and expensive. A model in which the relationship between components is fixed a priori is inflexible. Such a model is unlikely to be suitable for a wide variety of management applications because systems and administrators cannot always predict which information or relationships are going to be needed by management applications and policies. This means that management applications have to do complex processing on the data and/or model to deduce the relationships of interest to the management application. Writing code to do this processing can also be time consuming, error prone, and expensive.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An integrated circuit including solder balls containing an elastic or resilient material core, a hard or rigid shell substantially enclosing the core, and an electrical contact layer substantially enclosing the shell. The elastic or resilient core serves as a stress buffer layer in a wafer level package (WLP) integrated circuit. The elastic or resilient material core may include an organic plastic material, such as a Divinilbenzene cross-linked co-polymer of relatively high resistance. This material has a relatively good elongation property so that it can effectively absorb forces exerted upon the integrated circuit by, for example, the flexing of a printed circuit board (PCB) or other structure to which the integrated circuit is attached. The hard or rigid shell serves to contain the elastic or resilient core and may include copper. The electrical contact layer serve to provide a good adhesive electrical contact to an under bump metallization (UBM) layer, may include a lead free, Tin-Gold (SnAg) material.

Integrated circuits are continuously undergoing development to provide smaller footprints while providing the same or higher circuit densities. Additionally, the packaging of integrated circuit is also continuously undergoing development to provide packages only slightly larger than the integrated circuits they are housing. For instance, integrated circuit packages using wire bonds connected to a lead frame, that typically require a relatively large footprint, are generally being replaced with chip scale packages (CSP), such as wafer level packages (WLP), wherein the size of the package is substantially the same or slightly larger than the integrated circuit it houses.
In a typical wafer level package (WLP), solder balls are attached to an integrated circuit such that the solder balls are electrically connected to the respective bond pads of the integrated circuit. In one implementation, the solder balls are electrically connected to bond pads by way of only an under bump metallurgy (UBM) layer. This is typically referred to as the bump on pad (BOP) implementation. In another implementation, solder balls are electrically connected to bond pads by way of the UBM layer and a redistribution layer (RDL). The redistribution layer (RDL) allows the pattern of the solder bumps to be different than the pattern of the bond pads of the integrated circuits.
In some packaging configurations, such as in flip chips, the integrated circuit is typically flipped up-side-down so that the solder bumps face downward, and placed on a printed circuit board (PCB). The integrated circuit and PCB are then heated to reflow the solder, thereby electrically attaching the solder balls to electrical contacts on the PCB. The PCB is typically made out of a generally flexible substrate. During manufacturing, handling, and operation, the flexible substrate bends and absorbs much of the forces to which it is subjected. However, the bending of the flexible substrate creates stress around the region where the solder balls attach to the integrated circuit. Sometimes the stress causes permanent damage to the integrated circuit.

Wafer level package integrated circuit incorporating solder balls containing an organic plastic-core