A method, apparatus and computer instructions for hardware assist for autonomically patching code. The present invention provides hardware microcode to a new type of metadata to selectively identify instructions to be patched for specific performance optimization functions. The present invention also provides a new flag in the machine status register (MSR) to enable or disable a performance monitoring application or process to perform code-patching functions. If the code patching function is enabled, the application or process may patch code at run time by associating the metadata with the selected instructions. The metadata includes pointers pointing to the patch code block code. The program code may be patched autonomically without modifying original code.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and, in particular, to a method and system for improving performance of a program in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for hardware assist for autonomically patching code.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional computer system, the processor fetches and executes program instructions stored in a high-speed memory known as cache memory. Instructions fetched from cache memory are normally executed without much delay. However, if the program instruction code requires access to data or instructions located in a memory location other than the high-speed cache memory, a decrease in system performance may result, particularly in a pipelined processor system where multiple instructions are executed at the same time.
Such accesses to data and/or instructions located in a memory location other than the high-speed cache memory may occur when the code of the computer program being executed is not organized to provide contiguous execution of the computer program as much as possible. That is, for example, when the computer program is not organized such that basic blocks of code are not organized in memory in the same sequence in which they are executed. One common approach to reduce the negative impact on system performance is to reorganize program code such that data or instructions accessed or executed by a computer program may be grouped together as close as possible.
Various approaches are known in the art to better organize program code. One approach is proposed by Heisch in "PROFILE-BASED OPTIMIZING POSTPROCESSORS FOR DATA REFERENCES" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,712). Heisch teaches optimization of programs by creating an instrumented program to capture effective address trace data for each of the memory references, and then analyzing the access patterns of the effective trace data in order to reorder the memory references to create an optimized program. The instrumented program generates an improved memory address allocation reorder list that indicates an optimal ordering for the data items in the program based upon how they are referenced during program execution.
Another approach to optimize program code is suggested by Pettis et al. in "METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING COMPUTER CODE TO PROVIDE MORE EFFICIENT EXECUTION ON COMPUTERS HAVING CACHE MEMORIES" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,794). Pettis teaches running program code with test data to produce statistics in order to determine a new ordering for the code blocks. The new order places code blocks that are often executed after one another close to one another in the memory. However, the above approaches require modification of the original code. That is, the above approaches require that the code itself be modified by overwriting the code.
Moreover, when a portion of code is determined to be in need of patching, the code is typically modified so that that original code is shifted downward in the instruction stream with the reorganized code being inserted above it in the instruction stream. Thus, the original code is again modified from its original form.
Code patching may apply to various types of performance optimization functions. For example, the program may determine to reorganize code at run time. In addition, when a computer system is running slow, code patching may be used to switch program execution to an instrumented interrupt service routine that determines how much time the system is spending in interrupts. Furthermore, when a performance monitoring program wants to build a targeted instruction trace for specific instructions, code patching may also be used to hook each instruction block to produce a trace.
It would be advantageous to have an improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions for autonomically patching code by selectively identifying branch instructions or other types of instructions to optimize performance, and providing a pointer indicating where to branch without modifying the original program code.

Autonomic method and apparatus for hardware assist for patching code


An image sensor and a method of operating an image sensor to achieve a substantially uniform power signature. An array of pixels may be scanned using analog sensing circuitry to obtain an analog sensor output. The scanning is performed over a first time interval. The analog sensor output is converted to a digital data output using digital logic circuitry. The converting occurs over a second time interval that is subsequent to the first time interval and may be substantially the same duration as the first time interval. While the array of pixels are being scanned, the digital logic circuitry is operated over the first time interval and substantially coincides with the scanning of the array of pixels.

A traditional digital camera includes an image sensor and processing circuitry for converting an optical image into digital data that can be stored or transmitted for viewing. Some image sensors perform analog optical sensing and digital logic processing on the same integrated circuit (IC). In some cases, the physical packaging of the IC is minimized to provide an image sensor that can placed in compact digital camera devices.
However, due to the physical and electrical integration the digital logic with the analog optical sensing, operations performed within the digital logic may generate interference or electrical noise that affects the analog operations. In some cases, the interference or noise produces a visible artifact or in a digital image that may be distracting or undesirable.
One traditional solution to reduce the effects of interference is to physically isolate the analog sensors from the digital logic processing. However, the increasingly compact physical packaging constraints may limit the amount of physical separation that can be accommodated. That is, to achieve sufficient physical isolation between the analog and digital portions of an image sensor, the size of the image sensor may be too large to fit into the limited space available in some types of digital cameras. This is particularly true for digital cameras that are integrated into a mobile telephone or other portable electronic device. Additionally, increasing demands in the processing capabilities of the on-board digital logic processing may further exacerbate interference problems between the circuitry.
Thus, there is a need for a system and technique for reducing the effect of digital logic interference on the quality of a digital image. The techniques disclosed herein can be used to produce a digital image having reduced or minimized visual artifacts without significantly increasing the size of the sensor or the drawbacks of some traditional noise reduction techniques.

Image sensor having a uniform digital power signature


State information of a user is detected via a biometric information sensor and is stored, in a nonvolatile memory, in association with a content identifier of content that is being reproduced for the user when the state information is detected. An information request, including the state information of another user at another terminal apparatus, is generated and transmitted. Provided information transmitted in response to the information request is received and provided to the user. When an information request is received by the user, information is extracted from the nonvolatile memory based on the state information of another user. Provided information that is based on the extracted information is transmitted to another user.

Various services using the Internet have been provided, for example, a download service of music data (music content) through the Internet and an Internet shopping service enabling a user to purchase an item by transmitting an order through the Internet.
In the music data download service and the Internet shopping service, music data and items that would be liked by a user are introduced and recommended based on a music data download history and an item purchase history. Such provision of information is advantageous for both a provider and a user. That is, a service provider can use it for sales promotion, whereas a user of the service can save time to collect information.
Also, a trend of tastes of users is recognized in view of download histories of users who downloaded the same music data or purchase histories of users who purchased the same item, thereby specifying and recommending music data or item to be recommended. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-3356 discloses a technique of visually displaying similarity in interest on a two-dimensional distance plane by considering interest states of users to be provided with information through the Internet.
By using the technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-3356, a similar user can be easily found, and information required by oneself can be easily searched for based on the interest of the similar user. That is, a user can actively search for and obtain necessary information, while the user can be only provided with recommendation information or the like from a provider in the related art.

Information recommendation system based on biometric information


The invention concerns a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic module comprising at least two electrically connected photovoltaic cells, each photovoltaic cell (4i) being multi-layered structure disposed on a substrate (6) having down-web direction (X) and a cross-web direction (Y). The method comprises providing a plurality of spaced-apart first electrode strips (8i) over the substrate (6), each first electrode strip extending along the cross-web direction (Y), and providing, over the first electrode strips layer, at least one insulating strip (14a, 14b) of an insulator material extending along the down-web direction (X), each insulating strip defining a connecting area and an active area. A functional stack (20) comprising a full web coated layer of photoactive semiconductor material is formed over the first layer and within the active area. A plurality of spaced-apart second electrode strips (28i) are provided within the active area, each second electrode strip extending along the cross-web direction (Y), so as to form photovoltaic cells and a photovoltaic module is formed by electrically connecting at least two adjacent photovoltaic cells, by extending over the insulating strips (14a, 14b) electrical connection patterns to electrically connect, within the connecting area(s), the second electrode strip of an photovoltaic cell to the first electrode strip of an adjacent photovoltaic cell.

A photovoltaic cell is an electronic component which when exposed to light (photons), produces electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect which is at the origin of the phenomenon. The obtained current is related to the incident light power. The photovoltaic cell delivers a DC (direct current) voltage.
The photovoltaic effect is, for a photovoltaic cell, obtained by means of the properties of semiconductor materials.
By the expression of "semiconductor" is meant a material which has the electrical characteristics of an insulator, but for which the probability that an electron may contribute to an electric current, although small, is non-negligible. In other words, the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor is intermediate between the electrical conductivity of metals and the electrical conductivity of insulators.
The invention belongs more particularly to the field of organic photovoltaic cells and modules; such organic photovoltaic field is often designated by its acronym OPV for "organic photovoltaic."
An organic photovoltaic cell is a particular photovoltaic cell, formed as a multi-layered structure having a first electrode layer, or bottom electrode, of a first electrically conductive material, at least one active layer and a second electrode layer, or top electrode, of a second electrically conductive material, wherein the active layer is made of organic molecules or polymers forming a photoactive semiconductor material.
A semiconductor is considered as organic as soon as the semiconductor comprises at least one bond being part of the group formed by covalent bonds between a carbon atom and a hydrogen atom, covalent bonds between a carbon atom and a nitrogen atom, or further bonds between a carbon atom and an oxygen atom.
Organic semiconductor materials have a forbidden band, the width of which delimits the minimum energy to be provided to an electron for having it pass from a fundamental state to an excited state. The energy for example is provided as light energy.
A single OPV cell generates a given voltage and a given electrical current when it is exposed to light.
In order to increase the DC voltage produced with solar energy, it is known to electrically connect in series a plurality of photovoltaic cells. For example, an organic photovoltaic module is formed by electrically connecting a plurality of organic photovoltaic cells.
Manufacturing organic photovoltaic modules composed of electrically connected organic photovoltaic cells can be achieved by "roll-to-roll" (R2R) methods, as described in article "Polymer solar cell modules prepared using roll-to-roll methods: Knife-over-edge coating, slot-die coating and screen printing" published in "Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells", April 2009. Such methods allow continuous and efficient manufacturing, since the substrate is presented as a large roll of tens or hundreds of meters wounded according to the longitudinal direction, and the coating of the layers is applied quasi-continuously on the substrate while unwinding the substrate.
The organic photovoltaic cells known as an inverted structure are formed as a multi-layered structure of five layers, on a PET (polyethyleneterephtalate) substrate having a down-web direction, or longitudinal direction, and a cross-web direction, or transversal direction. The layers are formed by patterning or coating according to the longitudinal direction to produce a plurality of substantially parallel photovoltaic cells along the longitudinal direction. The cells have a given width, and a lateral displacement is applied to electrically connect the bottom electrode layer of a cell to the top electrode layer of a following cell in the longitudinal direction.
The lateral displacement applied in order to achieve the electrical connection between photovoltaic cells is also disclosed in patent application WO 2013/152952 A1. In order to perform an electrical connection according to this method, the lateral displacement needs to be performed with great precision, which makes the manufacturing process complex.
Other methods comprised in the state of the art propose using patterning techniques such as a shadow mask to alleviate the necessity of perfect alignment. However, such methods hinder the advantage of improved process available through continuous manufacturing methods such as R2R methods.
The invention aims to remedy to the drawbacks of the prior art.

Method of manufacturing printed photovoltaic modules


An electronic color still video camera having an electro-developing recording medium and a color filter includes a photographing lens system for forming an optical image on the filter, an optical lens system for forming the optical image, formed on the filter, in an image-forming plane of the medium to record and develop the optical image therein, and an image reader for optically reading to obtain image data from the recorded and developed image of the medium. The image reader includes a light source having a light emitting surface arranged parallel with the image-forming plane of the medium such that light beams emitted from the light emitting surface of the source are perpendicularly directed to and are passed through the image-forming plane, and an image sensor having a light receiving surface oriented in the same direction as the light emitting surface of the source. The optical lens system is arranged such that the light beams passing through the image-forming plane of the medium are directed to and focused at the light receiving surface of the image sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic color still video camera having an electro-developing recording medium in which an optical image obtained through a photographing lens system is electronically and directly recorded and developed as a visible image in very little time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, silver halide photographic material is generally used as a material for recording an optical image. Silver halide photographic material has high optical sensitivity and high resolution, and the economical efficiency thereof is excellent. However, silver halide photographic material has drawbacks in that not only is the developing process cumbersome but also a visible image cannot be obtained at the same time that the photograph is taken. A dry-type developing method has been developed to simplify the developing process. However, simultaneous development in which a visible image is obtained upon photography is impossible in the dry-type developing method.
On the other hand, non-silver-halide photographic materials, such as electrophotographic materials, diazotype photographic materials and free-radical photographic materials, and so on are known. In these materials, however, there is no material which has advantageous characteristics like silver halide photographic material, while being able to simultaneously develop and keep a visible image. Note that, electrophotographic materials have been used mainly in copying machines, since they can perform dry-type development and can simultaneously develop an electrostatic latent image, which is obtained by exposure, using toner.
Recently, an electrophotographic material has been developed, in which an optical image can be electronically and directly recorded and developed as a visible image in no time, the image so developed being similar to one obtained in a silver halide photographic material. A recording medium formed of such a recording material, in which a visible image is electronically and directly recorded and developed, is referred to as an electro-developing recording medium hereinafter.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-2280 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,156 disclose one type of electro-developing recording medium comprising an electrostatic information recording medium and an electric charge keeping medium. The electrostatic information recording medium includes a photoconducting layer and an inorganic oxide material layer, and the electric charge keeping medium includes a liquid crystal display, both the mediums being combined to face each other with a small gap therebetween. In use, a voltage is applied between the electrostatic information recording medium and the electric charge keeping medium, and an optical image is formed on the electrostatic information recording medium during the application of the voltage. An electric charge distribution is produced over the electrostatic information recording medium in accordance with a light intensity distribution of the optical image formed thereon, so that the intensity of an electric field acts on the liquid crystal of the electric charge keeping medium in accordance with the electric charge distribution. Thus, an image derived from the optical image is reproduced in the electric charge keeping medium as a visible image. Namely, as soon as the optical image is formed on the electrostatic. information recording medium, the image is developed in the electric charge keeping medium.
When the electric charge keeping medium is constituted as a memory type liquid crystal display, the developed visible image can be kept therein even if the electric field is eliminated from the electro-developing recording medium. In the memory type liquid crystal display, the developed image can be erased by heating it to a given temperature. In this case, the same electro-developing recording medium can be repeatedly used for photographing.
In an electronic still video camera having the electro-developing recording medium, there is necessarily provided an image reader comprising a CCD line sensor for electronically reading image signals from a developed image of the electro-developing recording medium, and the read image signals obtained from the CCD image sensor may be processed in various manners. For example, the read image signals may be stored in a second recording medium such as an IC memory card, a floppy disk, a hard disk or the like. Also, the read image signals may be transferred from the camera to an external processing device such as a computer, a TV monitor and so on.
The provision of the image reader results in the camera being bulky, because the image reader further comprises a light source for illuminating the developed image of the electro-developing recording medium, and an optical system for focusing the illuminated image at a light receiving surface of the CCD line sensor, and because the image reader must be moved such that the developed image of the electro-developing recording medium can be scanned with the light source associated with the CCD line sensor.
Furthermore, when the electronic still video camera having the electro-developing recording medium is constituted as an electronic color still video camera, a color filter having at least two different colors and being regularly arranged in a matrix-like manner must be provided in the vicinity of the electro-developing recording medium and therefore, the image reader. This results in a further bulkiness of the camera. Accordingly, it is desirable that the image reader and the color filter be compactly arranged for the electronic color still video camera's bulkiness to be reduced.

Electronic color still video camera having electro-developing recording medium


Systems, apparatuses, and methods for low wander timing generation and/or recovery are disclosed here. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a communication system for high speed communications between a first location and a second location. The communication system, may include a transmitter module at the first location associated a first clock. The transmitter module may further include a phase detector module that is operable to generate a one or more data bits to indicate phase offset between the first clock and a second clock, the first clock can be associated with a transmission rate and the second clock can be associated with a network link rate and/or a receiver module at the second location associated with the second clock. The receiver module may be coupled to the transmitter module via a network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications and more particularly to circuits and methods for providing low wander timing generation and recovery.
2. Description of Related Art
Synchronizing modulation and demodulation frequencies is made difficult by the physical separation of communication devices where each device is conceivably driven by its own local clock. Take for example, current asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) systems. Current ADSL systems operate according to Discrete Multitone (DMT) frequency multiplexing where generally the central office (CO) modem generates this master clock signal. All corresponding client modems must recover the master clock signal from downstream data for processing such as sampling, demodulation, and transmission of upstream data. While modern clocks can be manufactured with considerable accuracy, difficulties in locking remote clocks and minute differences in manufacture and calibration has to date prevented the manufacture of a high-speed modem of the highest possible performance.
Prior Art FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communications system 10 including a transmitter 20, a receiver 22, a network 24 bi-directionally coupling the transmitter 20 and the receiver 22, and a network link clock 26. The communications system 10 illustrates one possible solution to the synchronization problem described above. In the communications system 10, both the transmitter 20 and the receiver 22 attempt to synchronize on one clock, an analog front end (AFE) or network link clock 26 having a clock signal R1. Although theoretically sound, those skilled in the art will recognize that the network link clock is simply not a viable solution for a high speed modem as jitter and wander still degrade the clock signal preventing accurate synchronization.
It is good practice to separate the network link clock that governs the transmission of data between the transmitter and the receiver from the master clock that governs the data generation source. In this way the quality of transmission within the network link 24 can be designed independently of the quality of the master clock. The difficulty inherent in this separation of clock domains is that the master clock has to be faithfully reconstructed at the receiver side to provide correctly timed, synchronous output data.
Timing recovery is therefore required at the receiver side. In timing recovery, a receiver synchronizes a local clock with a master clock present at the transmitter via phase information contained directly or indirectly in the transmitted data stream. The data modulation and demodulation process that carries the data information over the link 24 may also necessitate the two sides to use a common network link clock if the link 24 is a synchronous communication link. Receiver synchronization to the network link clock is well understood to the skilled in the art and is not going to be described here.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communications system 50 implementing timing recovery of the master clock according to prior art. As will be described below, the communications system 50 recovers timing directly from the received data. The communication system 50 includes a master clock 58, a transmitter 60, a receiver 62, a network 64 bi-directionally coupling the transmitter 60 and the receiver 62, a First In First Out (FIFO) buffer 66, a control circuit 68, and a receiver clock 70. The receiver clock 70 is selected having a rate R2 known to be substantially equivalent to but slightly greater than R1, for reasons explained below.
The transmitter 60 transmits data via the network 64 at a rate R1 provided by the master clock 58 resident at the transmitter, or transported through the transmitter sourced by other network master transmitters. Data received at the receiver 62 is provided to and synchronized out through the FIFO buffer 66 at a recovered rate R1′, which is an estimate of the transmitter rate R1. The rate R1′ is obtained by the communications system 10 as follows. The FIFO buffer 66, synchronizing the data through the buffer clocked by the signal R1′, generates a signal indicative of the available buffer capacity. Available buffer capacity is indicative of the phase error between R1 and R1′ in that the FIFO buffer 66 filling up indicates that R1′ is slower than R1, and vice versa. The control circuit 68 operates on its inputs R2 and the FIFO buffer 66 error signal to generate the recovered signal R1′.
Unfortunately, the communications system 50 of FIG. 2 suffers in that a wander error will only be corrected once sufficient information is extracted from the data, which means the receiver clock can wander quite sometime before being corrected. Jitter may simply not be corrected.
What is needed is a timing generation and recovery scheme with sufficient precision to support a high-speed modem communication system.

Low wander timing generation and recovery


A method for storing data in memory, in particular adaptation data, includes reading the data out of a first, volatile memory and storing the data in a second, nonvolatile memory. The frequency with which data are stored in the second memory, in particular an EEPROM, is reduced by providing that the data are written in alternation into at least two different memory regions. Moreover, a storage operation of the data occurs only at predetermined time intervals and at a speed of the motor vehicle that is below a predeterminable limit speed. Preferably, a storage operation is performed only when the temperature of the second memory is below a limit temperature.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for storing data, in particular adaptation data, in memory, in which the data are read out of a first, volatile memory and stored in a second, nonvolatile memory.
In order to execute control programs, a control unit requires data, in particular control data, which are written into a read only memory (ROM) as basic data, for instance by a motor vehicle manufacturer. During the service life of a control unit, the operating parameters of the apparatus, in particular the internal combustion engine, to be controlled by the control unit vary, so that data are ascertained on an ongoing basis and stored in a memory as adaptation data, which are then accessed instead of the basic data by the control unit. In this way, it becomes possible to adapt the control programs to changes in the operating parameters of the apparatus to be controlled.
It is already known to store the adaptation data in alternation in various memory regions. Each time data are stored in a predetermined memory region in a backup data block, backup data are stored, and the backup data stored in the previous storing operation are erased. The more often the data are stored, the greater is the likelihood that an error will occur upon storage in the memory.


A method for sound control of audio signals within a defined frequency range in which the gain of the audio signals is varied using a control element and the filter quality factor and/or the mid-frequency of the audio signals are varied simultaneously by the same control element used to control the gain.

This invention relates to methods for controlling the sound of audio signals within a defined frequency range in which the gain of the audio signals is varied.
In conventional audio equipment, in particular for motor vehicles, audio sound settings are carried out using a rotary knob to vary the gain of the audio signals in the bass range or the treble range. In this case, however, the mid-frequency and the filter quality factor, which characterizes the bandwidth at a specific gain level separation from the maximum gain level, are not controllable but are set in advance.
This conventional arrangement has the disadvantage that the determination of the mid-frequency value and of the filter quality factor are subject to different sensitivities by different people and what is correct for one person is, for example "too soft", "too spongy" or "too hard or too dry" for others.

Method for controlling the sound of audio signals within a frequency range


In a computer graphics display system, a method and processor are disclosed for drawing one of a concave polygon, self-intersecting polygon and polygon with polygonal hole. Pursuant to the method, a mask buffer organized into an M.times.N plurality of addressable constituent pixels is used. The method includes the steps of: masking the pixels of the mask buffer corresponding to the boundary of the polygon and drawing the pixels in the frame buffer of the display system corresponding to the boundary of the polygon; masking the pixels in the mask buffer corresponding to the interior of the polygon while preserving the masked pixels in the mask buffer corresponding to the polygon boundary; and drawing the pixels in the frame buffer corresponding to the interior of the polygon with reference to the masked polygon interior pixels in the mask buffer. Further processing steps include: tessellating the polygon into a set of triangles; determining the orientation of each of the triangles definitive of the decomposed polygon; and processing the pixels in the mask buffer corresponding to the interior of each triangle such that interior pixels of adjacent triangles of the same orientation are masked while interior pixels of adjacent triangles of different orientation are unmasked within the triangles' region of overlap. Specific algorithms are described for the above masking and drawing steps. In addition, a display processor implementing the described method is also provided.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to computer graphics display systems, and more particularly, to an improved method and processor for drawing one of a concave polygon, self-intersecting polygon and polygon with polygonal hole, to a graphics display means including a frame buffer for storing individual pixels for each of a plurality of lines to be displayed on a display monitor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, computer graphics display systems are computer systems which generate and display graphic images on a raster scan display device. Such graphic images are derived from digital data stored in the system's memory. The data is typically stored in the form of points in a two or three-dimensional coordinate system, wherein the points correspond to the vertices of polygons, such as triangles. The polygons form the "building blocks" of larger objects which are the ultimate display objects. Also stored with the vertex data are parametric values, i.e., intensity, or other values that permit computation of intensity such as surface color, surface reflectivity, transparency, light sources, and normal vectors.
For a given object, this data is stored in the form of a list of instructions, called a "display list". To convert such a display list to an actual image on a raster scan display, a display processor is provided which reads the list from memory, processes the data and then writes raw pixel data to the frame buffer. In raster scan real time the frame buffer is read, and the resulting data stream is converted to an analog video signal which is sent to the display device.
The present invention relates to the functions provided in the display processor portion of such computer graphics systems. Specifically, the invention relates to the generation of data relating to a third parametric value for all pixel values of a displayed triangle, based on the position of the pixels and on other data relating to the third parameter. For example, in the so-called shading problem, shading information for a given triangle may be provided to the display processor in the form of light intensity of the vertices of the triangle. Alternatively, the display processor may be provided the parameters of the object surface, the surface orientation, and the specified light model. The display processor must then, for each pixel associated with the triangle, compute a light intensity value based on the values provided.
A special case of the shading problem exists where the polygon to be shaded comprises a concave polygon, a self-intersecting polygon or a polygon with a polygonal hole (collectively referred to herein as "concave polygons"). The problem of concave polygon shading has been treated in two principal ways, namely: (1) decomposition of the polygon into convex pieces; and (2) use of a scan-line algorithm.
In the first approach, each convex piece definitive of the decomposed polygon is shaded independently. This technique is described in "Triangulating a Simple Polygon," by M.R. Garey et al., Information Processing letters, (June 1978), pp. 175-179. Another example is described in "Surface Triangulation for Picture Production," by B. Wordenweber, IEEE CG&A (November, 1983), pp. 45-51. The major disadvantage of this technique is the reduced system performance experienced due to an increase in processing time, especially when no additional vertices are introduced during the decomposition procedure. If the generation of additional vertices is allowed, a linear-time behavior for the number of vertices can be obtained. However, the process is still time consuming. An example of this alternative approach is discussed in "A Linear-Time Algorithm for Triangulating Simple Polygons," by R.E. Tarjan and C.J. Van Wyk, PROC Eighteenth Annual ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (1986) pp. 380-388. Also, the introduction of additional vertices should be avoided if the edge of the original polygon is split into two or more pieces. Because of round-off errors, the line equation of the pieces can differ from the equation of the original edge. This can cause problems on the visibility of a line coincidence with the original polygon edge if the application chose to draw it.
The second approach to shading concave polygons, use of a scan line algorithm, is explained in Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics by J.D. Foley and A. Van Dam, at pp. 456-460 (1985). The principle disadvantage of this approach is the additional processing required in sorting of the edge list, and the computation of the slopes (dZ/dX,dR/dX,dG/dX,dB/dX) for each span of the polygon being shaded.
The present invention is designed to solve the described performance problems associated with prior art concave polygon processing approaches and provides a drawing (i.e., filling or shading) technique for concave polygons which advantageously uses much of the hardware already standard for processing convex polygons.

Concave polygon drawing method and processor for a computer graphics display system

International Business Machines Corporation


A cylindrical fixing member includes a substrate; an elastic layer overlying the substrate; an outermost surface release layer overlying the elastic layer; and a heat source inside. The elastic layer includes a carbon fiber and has a heat diffusivity (X) not less than 1.0×10−6 m2/s in a direction of a rotational axis of the fixing member, and the heat diffusivity (X) is not less than 2.0 times of a heat diffusivity (Z) in a direction of thickness of the elastic layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fixing member, a fixer and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heater passing a sheet-shaped material through a nip between a fixing member and a pressing member while sandwiching the material to heat the material is known. Specific examples thereof include image heating fixers in image forming apparatuses such as electrophotographic copiers, electrostatic recorders and laser beam printers (LBP). An unfixed toner image is formed with a heat fixable toner including heat meltable resins, using any desired image forming process such as electrophotography, electrostatic recording and magnetic recording. The unfixed toner image is directly or indirectly transferred onto a recording material such as an electrofax sheet, electrostatic recording sheet, transfer material sheet or print paper. The image heating fixer fixes the unfixed toner image on the recording material with heat as a fixed image.
Conventionally, for the image heating fixers, a heat roller method is mostly used. In such a method, a recording material is transferred between a pair of rollers formed of a heat roller as a fixing member that is controlled to have a predetermined temperature and a pressure roller as a pressure member having an elastic layer and that is caused to contact the heat roller. As the recording material passes a nip formed by the rollers, a toner image is fixed on the recording material with heat and pressure.
Recently, fixing members including a low-heat-capacity heat roller having a heat source inside, a metallic belt or a heat-resistant film (fixing film) have been used to start up the fixer at high speed while saving energy. In such a heating fixer, a low-heat-capacity heating element is used to save electricity and shorten wait time.
On the other hand, when toner images are continuously fixed on small-size recording media, the fixing member has a difference in heat discharge between a heat roller part (paper passing part) a recording medium such as a print sheet contacts, and the other heat roller part (non paper passing part) the recording medium does not contact. Namely, the heat roller part that the recording media do not pass has a surface temperature higher than that of the heat roller that the recording media pass. This is mostly observed at the end portion of the heat roller and called "end temperature increase".
Continuous excessive end temperature increase causes damages and shorter lives of the fixing member and the pressure member, and hot offset, and further unstable runnability of a recording medium such as copy papers.
Methods of increasing heat conductivity of the pressure roller to reduce the end temperature increase are typically known as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. JP-4508692-B1 (Japanese published unexamined application No. JP-2006-273771-A), and Japanese published unexamined applications Nos. JP-2009-31772-A, JP-2010-151960-A and JP-2012-37874-A.
However, heat tends to escape from the pressure roller having high heat conductivity, resulting in increase in power consumption.

Fixing member including elastic layer having heat diffusivity, fixer and image forming apparatus


A method, device, and computer program product related to the field of image encoding. In particular, the method, device, and computer program product uses multiple image sensors and multiple encoders for outputting a single encoded image, where image data captured by a first image sensor is added to the encoded image as a first tile or slice, and where image data captured by a second image sensor is added to the encoded image as a second tile or slice.

In recent years the numbers of monitoring cameras, for example, network camera monitoring systems, have increased. Many monitoring systems use a plurality of image sensors for capturing images of a scene, to cover a larger area of a scene and/or to capture more details of the scene. Typically, such a monitoring system produces a plurality of image streams which are transferred to, for example, a display of an operator or to a video analytics unit, for further analytics or editing to be performed on the footage of the scene. However, this solution may cause a reduced quality or increased complexity of automatic analytics made on image data for certain parts of the scene (e.g., on parts corresponding to edges of field of view of an image sensor). Another disadvantage may be that synchronization between the different image streams is required when editing or stepping through frames in the image streams.
There is thus a need for improvements within this context.

Image capturing device, a method and a computer program product for forming an encoded image


Shortening systems are prepared which include hydrogenated edible oils that are hydrogenated in a manner to minimize the formation of trans-stereoisomers. A conditioned catalyst is used which disfavors trans-stereoisomer formation without significantly negatively impacting the length of time required to form solids for a useful shortening base stock through hydrogenation. Preferred conditioning agents are organic acid phosphates and phosphoric acid, In a preferred embodiment, a confectionary shortening is provided which incorporates a polyglycerol ester emulsifier.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to shortening systems and finds special application in confectionary shortenings such as those incorporated into icings and cake batters. More particularly, the invention is directed to shortening systems having a fat component which is selectively hydrogenated so as to exhibit a very low level of trans-stereoisomers. The shortening systems can include an emulsifier of a polyglycerol ester type.
2. Description of Related Art
An important consideration for some shortenings, and especially confectionary shortenings, is that they may be hydrogenated so that the melting point of the fat is high enough to avoid running or bleeding or melting at temperatures so low that handling is made difficult or the food becomes sticky. In many shortening or fat system applications, hydrogenation is required in order to provide fats or shortenings that exhibit needed physical properties, especially at differing temperatures at which the products are intended to be used.
One present concern regarding hydrogenated fats is that most hydrogenation approaches result in a relatively high trans-stereoisomer content. In some circles, there is a concern that trans-isomers pose a health risk not associated with hydrogenation per se, but with the presence of substantial trans-stereoisomer configuration content within the hydrogenated fat. Accordingly, if one wishes to minimize the presence of trans-isomers in confectionary products, hydrogenation should be limited. Yet, limited hydrogenation often will not provide the melt characteristics and mouth feel needed for confectionary systems.
Scavone U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,598, which is incorporated by reference hereinto, describes all-purpose shortening which is said to have reduced levels of trans fatty acids. This is achieved largely by incorporating base oils having very low trans fatty isomers in combination with certain beta-prime hard stock comprising a combination of a triglyceride of palmitic and stearic acid with a particular configuration of stearyl and palmityl groups, together with a triglyceride of palmitic and stearic acid with palmitic and stearic acid groups occupying certain positions, Requiring these types of sophisticated fat structures is not a suitable solution for most high-volume applications This patent also suggests incorporating beta prime compatible emulsifiers including polyglycerol esters of fatty acids having fatty acids of 12 to 22 carbon chain lengths.
Roberts et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,703, incorporated by reference hereinto, also relates to all-purpose shortening having reduced levels of trans fatty acids. This is said to be accomplished with an edible oil having very low levels of trans fatty acids combined with a hard stock blend of beta prime phase tending hard stock components, together with an emulsifier, while including inert gas injection during processing.
Harrod et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,265,596, incorporated by reference hereinto, teaches partially hydrogenating fats which have a low content of trans fatty acids. The approach of this patent is to combine the fat, hydrogen gas and a solvent which dissolves the fat and the product as much as possible. This is called a super-critical process and is carried out in the presence of a palladium catalyst or a nickel catalyst. A typical solvent for this approach is a hydrocarbon such as propane.
Chrysam et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,577, incorporated by reference hereinto, relates to fat products which can have low trans content An interesterified blend is practiced, such as a random interesterification of a hysteric stearic acid soybean oil blend.
Hasman U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,905, incorporated hereinto by reference, discloses a time-consuming two-step approach for preparing trans acid restricted hard butters. The first step is hydrogenating with copper-chromite catalyst, with the second step being hydrogenation with a more-conventional catalyst, typically a nickel catalyst.
Chaen U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,483, incorporated by reference hereinto, describes a hydrogenation process which is said to reduce the formation of trans-isomers and/or conjugated dienes and/or saturated compounds. This proposes carrying out the hydrogenation in the presence of a nickel catalyst and an organic nitrogen-containing basic compound such as urea, hexamethylenetetramine and aliphatic amines.
Villagran et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,228,414, No. 6,395,323 and No. 6,436,459 relate to low-fat snacks which incorporate a variety of polyglycerol ester compounds as emulsifiers in low-fat snack compositions. The subject matter of each of these patents is incorporated by reference hereinto.
These various approaches have limited applicability in achieving efficient hydrogenation of commodity-type fat sources while forming minimum levels of trans-stereoisomers. Many are expensive and/or difficult to manage in large-scale industrial production contexts. Nor is there a teaching of emulsifiers which are especially suitable for low-trans confectionary shortening systems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low trans-stereoisomer shortening system


An air pocket is often formed in fluid (F) in the pitcher (14) of a blender around the rotating mixing blade assembly (24) thereof. The air pocket is of a cross-sectional size defined by an air channel defining member, shown in the form of a bearing housing (23) of the mixing blade assembly (24). After the pitcher (14) is filled with the fluid (F), the plunger portion (12) of an accessory (10) is positioned adjacent to and above the mixing blade assembly (24) and maintained free of contact with the pitcher (14). The plunger portion (12) is of a cross-sectional size approximately the cross-sectional size of the air channel defining member and prevents the formation of the air pocket in the fluid (F) around the blade assembly (24).

High speed liquid food blenders most often utilize propeller-like blades to pulverize and otherwise mix the food being processed. In normal operation the food is circulated down to and past the blades for processing, and as long as the circulation pattern is consistent and uniform, efficient pulverization and mixing takes place.
However, particularly when mixing thicker, more viscous liquids, a channel of air is often formed extending from above the blades to the top of the blender, much as in a whirlpool effect. As the channel of air is drawn to the blades, an air bubble or dead air space is eventually formed around the blades which prohibits the food being processed from contacting the blades and thereby rendering the blades ineffective to mix the food. Presently, this can only be corrected by manually stirring the food to disperse the air pocket away from the blades. However, the air pocket will usually readily reappear thus making the blending process not only inefficient but also bothersome to the user.

Method of preventing the formation of an air pocket in a blender

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A carrier for tool holders of a machine tool has at least one movable jaw which can be pivoted about a pivot axis that runs transversely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said tool holders. Said movable jaw can be pivoted between an expanded position and a closed position in which it grasps in a form-fitting manner a tool holder which is inserted into said carrier.

Carriers of this type are known to a sufficient extent from the prior art. They may be formed either as a gripper hand on a tool changer or as a storage space in a tool magazine. They serve to move a tool holder, which as a rule is a standardized steep-taper tool holder or a hollow shank taper tool holder and on its lower shank bears a machining tool, rapidly towards a working spindle or away from it.
At their upper end, the standardized tool holders have a conical section with which they are inserted into a corresponding tool-holding fixture on the end side of a working spindle. The conical upper section is adjoined by a thickened, cylindrical collar which is provided with an encircling gripper groove at which the tool holders are grasped by the carriers. The shank in which the machining tool is held adjoins the bottom of the cylindrical collar.
As already mentioned, the carrier may be formed as a gripper hand on a tool changer, which removes tool holders from a tool magazine and inserts them into the tool-holding fixture on the working spindle, or removes tool holders from the tool-holding fixture and deposits them again into the tool magazine.
Machine tools are known, in which a tool changer is provided with a gripper hand, so that first of all a tool holder is removed together with a machining tool which was previously in use from the tool-holding fixture and is deposited into an empty space in the tool magazine before a new tool holder is removed from the tool magazine and is inserted into the tool-holding fixture. In the case of other known machine tools, two tool changers are provided which operate in a push-pull action, with the result that the one gripper hand is already moving a tool holder, which has been removed from the tool magazine, towards the working spindle while the other gripper hand is removing the tool holder which has previously been clamped in place on the tool-holding fixture, and is transporting it to the tool magazine.
In addition, machine tools are known, in which the changing of tools takes place by the pick-up method, in which the working spindle directly approaches a changing position on the tool magazine and there first of all deposits the clamped-in tool holder into an empty space, whereupon the tool magazine moves a new tool holder to the changing position where it is "picked up" by the working spindle.
Gripper hands described in this respect and the storage spaces in the tool magazine are formed in each case by the carriers which are mentioned at the beginning and in which the tool holders are retained in a form-fitting manner by means of the at least one movable jaw.
This form-fitting retention of the tool holders in the carriers is important not only for the operating reliability of the known machine tools, but also for the speed at which a changing of tools can take place. This is because the more rapidly the storage spaces in a tool magazine can be moved and/or the more rapidly a gripper hand can be moved between the tool magazine and the tool-holding fixture on the working spindle, the more rapidly can a machining tool which is in use be interchanged for a new machining tool.
Due to the high accelerations which occur during the moving of the tool magazine and/or the moving of the gripper hand, it is imperative for the tool holders to be securely grasped in the carriers. A tool holder which falls out of a carrier leads not only to a stoppage in the machining process, but may also cause considerable damage to the machine tool and, in the most unfavourable situation, may even cause injury to people.
However, the abovementioned damage is caused not only by the tool holders falling out; also, a tool holder which is only partially released from the carrier generally results in the machining operation having to be broken off because the tool holder is now no longer inserted in the correct position into the working spindle or placed into the magazine.
For this purpose, most known carriers have two movable jaws which are prestressed into their closed position by tension or compression springs. In this case, the spring force determines the force with which the tool holders are retained in the carrier, since the form-fitting connection is not self-locking and, upon corresponding accelerations, the tool holder presses the movable jaws in the direction of their expanded position, which is only prevented by the force of the tension or compression springs. If the springs break off or alter, this results in the tool holders no longer being securely retained in the known carriers.
DE 37 17 201 A1 discloses a carrier in the form of a gripper hand having two fixed jaws which grasp a tool holder at its gripper groove and retain it in the axial direction. Two movable jaws are arranged pivotably on the two fixed jaws and are opened and closed via a positively controlled mechanism about axes parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool holder. The mechanism is driven via the axial movement of an actuating member and is prestressed into its closed position by means of a compression spring. In the expanded position of the movable jaws, the tool holder can be pulled laterally out of the fixed jaws transversely with respect to its longitudinal direction.
In the case of this carrier, it is also disadvantageous that, when the clamping force of the spring slackens, the closing force and therefore the retaining force diminish, or are completely lost if the spring breaks. As far as the closing of the movable jaws is concerned, the known carrier is dependent on the reliability of the compression spring.
In addition, the spring force is often also not sufficient in order to close the movable jaws. This occurs in particular if the mechanism is jammed by chips which have passed into the gripper hand. In these situations, when the gripper hand is moved, the tool may fall out of the gripper hand and cause the abovementioned damage to the machine tool.
A carrier disclosed in DE 40 36 915 A1 avoids these disadvantages in the case of a carrier as disclosed in DE 37 17 201 A1 by the fact that the mechanism is not actuated via a compression spring but rather via a coupling mechanism which temporarily connects the gripper hand to a spatially fixed stop. Movement of the coupled-up gripper hand in relation to the spatially fixed stop causes the mechanism to be actuated, as a result of which the movable jaws are pivoted between their expanded position and their closed position.
Although this carrier avoids the disadvantages which are associated with jaws prestressed via springs, it is nevertheless a very complicated design in terms of structure, the changing of tools taking place very slowly because of the coupling-up and the measures associated therewith.
However, DE 195 37 071 A1 also describes a carrier in the form of a gripper hand which is arranged on a tool changer and transfers tool holders between a tool-holding fixture on a working spindle, and a tool magazine. This carrier has two movable jaws which can be pivoted about a pivot axis, running parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool holders, between an expanded position and a closed position. Instead of the above-described two fixed jaws, a clamping block is provided which, after a complicated tool-changing process, fixes the tool holder in the axial direction if it is already inserted by its taper into a tool-holding fixture. The two movable jaws are pivoted via a pneumatic, hydraulic or electromechanical drive.
In the case of this carrier, it is disadvantageous that, firstly, it is very complicated in terms of structure and, secondly, has a high weight, so that it makes only a slow changing of tools possible because of the heavy mass which is to be moved. Furthermore, due to the interaction of clamping block and tool-holding fixture, the moving is relatively complicated plicated and has to be checked via sensors, so that the changing of tools can also take place slowly because of this.
DE 199 19 446 A1 describes a carrier which is designed as a magazine space in a tool magazine. In the case of this known carrier, the tool holder is introduced transversely between two fixed jaws and is then lowered into a depression provided on the jaws where it is retained by means of its dead weight. The changing of tools takes place here by the pick-up method, the working spindle entering a tool holder which is to be interchanged laterally and transversely into the carrier which, in the process, engages with its fixed jaws into the gripper groove of the tool holder on opposite sides. When the tool holder is completely pushed in transversely, it is lowered, so that it comes to lie in the depression.
Although this construction is very simple, it does not permit rapid movement of the carrier, since the tool holder is only retained by means of its dead weight.
Document EP 1 179 387 A discloses a carrier having two fixed jaws defining an opening into which a tool holder is inserted laterally. Further provided is a C-shaped claw that is pivoted from above around a pivot axis running transversely with respect to a direction along which said tool holder is inserted into said carrier. Said tool holder has a diameter becoming larger in the direction of the carrier, so that said claw grasps around said larger diameter of said tool holder. For opening said carrier, said claw is pivoted to the above in active manner using a working piston. Said pivoting down onto said carrier is supported by a tension spring.
Further to the complicated design it is a disadvantage of the known carrier that said claw can be pressed against the tension force in its open position since the tool holder is tapering in a direction away from the carrier.


Drag from media sensor (80) of a printer is eliminated by it being pivoted through a slip connection off of pivoted media feed system (19) to briefly contact papers. The pivoted media feed is then moved in reverse a limited amount at which a rotatably biased member (94) moves ledge (94a) of the member to face abutment surface (92a) of the media sensor. Media feed system 19 is then moved back to drive media while the media sensor is blocked from movement and the slip connection simply slips. After the media is fed, the media feed system is moved away a longer amount while the media sensor is blocked against for the same movement by an abutment (110) in the printer. The media feed system after the longer movement moves a lever (94f) of the biased member and rotates the ledge to free the media sensor to again move to the media.

Media sensors are known which reliably determine the difference between coated, plan, photo and transparency media types. These sensors contact the media with significant force and have been located in the media tray from which media is fed into a media feed path to reach an imaging station.
However, the media sensor pressing onto the surface of paper or other media creates a small amount of drag which can affect paper pick and feed adversely on some types of media, such as small media. Marks on the surface of photo paper made by drag on the media sensor may also occur.
Where the media sensor is located in the media path between the tray and the imaging station the problem of skew of small media becomes very significant. Accordingly, eliminating drag from contact with the media sensor is very desirable.

Eliminating drag of media sensor in printer media transport


A method and apparatus provide multiple telephone lines using a single directory number. A method and apparatus associate multiple directory numbers with multiple telephone lines. A broadband residential gateway (BRG) is a user interface to a broadband communication system providing packetized telephone service and other media services. The BRG can provide greeting and message features. A greeting may instruct a caller to select a name or extension which is associated with a party the caller is attempting to reach. Also, a message, played after the greeting, may further instruct the caller.

Present day telephony voice networks, have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user services.
Presently the world is running out of telephone directory numbers (DNs) and IP addresses. For example, there has recently been a need to introduce new DN area codes and redistribute existing DN area codes in order to accommodate additional lines for PSTN users in the United States. Thus, a need exists to provide additional lines without using additional DNs to identify additional lines. A flexible user interface for the new broadband architecture supporting voice service has the capability to provide multiple user telephone lines associated with a single DN.

Responding to a call with a prompt and routing the call to a phone selected in response to the prompt


A subscriber line interface circuit apparatus includes a first driver for driving a downstream data signal in a non-voiceband range and a metering signal onto a subscriber line. The apparatus includes a second driver for driving a downstream voice signal in a voiceband range onto the subscriber line. Receiver circuitry is coupled to provide an upstream data signal and an upstream voice signal from an upstream signal carried by the subscriber line. The first driver and receiver circuitry reside on a same first integrated circuit die.

The plain old telephone system (POTS) was initially architected to carry voice data in analog form from one subscriber to another via configurable switches. Although the telephone network evolved to using a digital transport network (i.e., the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)), communication on the subscriber line connecting subscribers to the central office that serves as the entry point to the PSTN is analog. The "last mile" between the subscriber and the central office was architected for analog communications in the voiceband frequency range.
Although modems were developed to enable communicating digital data using the same analog channel used to carry analog voice data, the digital data rates between the subscriber and central office were relatively low due to the constraints of operating exclusively within the voiceband region of the spectrum. Numerous communication protocol standards have since developed to enable using the POTS infrastructure for communicating digital data at higher data rates by utilizing communication bandwidth beyond the voiceband. For example, digital subscriber line (xDSL) services utilize communication bandwidth beyond and exclusive to the voiceband. As a result, xDSL services may co-exist with voiceband communications. Co-location of access to digital networks other than the PSTN at the central office enables leveraging the POTS infrastructure investment in the subscriber line.
The central offices may be retrofitted to permit sharing the subscriber line between multiple services such as voice and digital services. Typically this is accomplished by adding digital service specific linecards and a discrete component splitter for each subscriber line so that the subscriber line can be communicatively coupled to both the existing POTS linecard and the added digital service linecard. The discrete component splitters are relatively expensive and represent a significant cost for a large number of subscriber lines.
This approach permits leveraging the existing infrastructure at the central office including the existing POTS linecards through the addition of the splitters and digital services linecards rather than the replacement of equipment. However, the additional equipment consumes valuable space within the central office that might otherwise be used for POTS linecards and additional subscriber lines. Thus this approach may not be particularly desirable for new facilities when preservation of existing capital equipment is not an issue.

Subscriber line interface circuitry transceiver


The invention provides a rotational phase adjustment device mounted on a rotation shaft and having a hydraulic chamber rotatable with this rotation shaft, in which operating fluid or oil can be supplied to the hydraulic chamber from a housing covering the rotational phase adjustment device. Also, the invention provides a rotational phase adjustment device which can be assembled easily, and particularly prevents damages to an oil seal, sealing a hydraulic chamber, when assembling the oil seal. A housing is attached to an engine to cover the whole of a valve timing control device, and a ring plate is secured to the housing by a bolt threaded into the ring plate from the outside of the housing, so that an oil seal mounted on an outer periphery of the ring plate is held in liquidtight sliding contact with a camshaft sleeve to form two oil passages respectively inside and outside of the camshaft sleeve. The two oil passages are independent of each other, and connect a hydraulic control valve to a pair of hydraulic chambers provided respectively on opposite sides of a hydraulic piston in an axial direction. Helical splines are formed on at least one of inner and outer surfaces of the hydraulic piston, and are engaged with splines formed on the camshaft sleeve and a sprocket sleeve. Therefore, by moving the hydraulic piston in the axial direction, a valve timing is changed.

This invention relates to a valve timing control device for varying the timing of opening and closing of intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine in accordance with an operating condition of the engine, and more particularly to such a valve timing control device of the type which effects a valve timing control by means of hydraulic pressure.
A valve timing control device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 63-131808, in which in order to vary a valve timing of intake and exhaust valves in accordance with an operating condition of an internal combustion engine, within a hub of a timing pulley which is loosely fitted on a camshaft and is driven by a crankshaft through a timing belt, the timing pulley and the camshaft are provided with helical splines which are engaged with helical splines formed on at least one of the inside and outside of a tubular gear which is adjustably moved in an axial direction by a hydraulic pressure, and by moving the tubular gear back and forth in the axial direction by the hydraulic pressure, the timing pulley and the camshaft are rotated relative to each other.
In this conventional device, a hydraulic control valve is provided at the internal combustion engine body remote from the valve timing control device, and since pressurized oil needs to be supplied to a pair of hydraulic chambers provided respectively on the front and rear sides of the tubular gear, two oil passages are formed in a journal portion of the camshaft. As a result, not only the construction of the oil passages becomes complicated, but also in order to install the valve timing device, the camshaft, the journal portion and etc., of the internal combustion engine need to be extensively modified. And besides, the distance between the hydraulic control valve and each of the pair of hydraulic chambers is great, and they are interconnected by the oil passage formed in the journal portion of the camshaft and other portions, and therefore it is thought that a problem with respect to the response and reliability of the control is liable to arise.
To deal with this problem, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2-271009 proposes a construction in which a hydraulic control valve is formed integral with a main portion of a valve timing control device. In this construction, however, since the hydraulic control valve is provided at an axial end portion of a camshaft, the overall length of the valve timing control device becomes great because of the provision of the hydraulic control valve. Therefore, there is produced a problem that a relatively large space is required for mounting the valve timing control device on the internal combustion engine and also for mounting such an internal combustion engine on an automobile.
To cope with these problems, the Assignee of the present application earlier proposed a valve timing control device in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2-185607, in which instead of hydraulic pressure, pneumatic pressure (negative intake pressure) is utilized. A comparison between this device and the device of the present invention is rather insignificant because the former utilizes the pneumatic pressure; however, in this conventional device, when the valve timing device is to be mounted on the internal combustion engine, "an air passage beak" constituting an air passage needs to be mounted at the same time, and therefore if they should be assembled together incorrectly, the degradation of the air-tightness can be confirmed only after the valve timing control device is mounted on the internal combustion engine, and therefore much time and labor are needed for repair or correction. And besides, because of the nature of such a construction, a seal device for the pneumatic pressure is exposed, and therefore when tightening a bolt for fixing a pneumatic actuator to an end portion of a camshaft, parts of the seal device may be damaged by a wrench.

Valve timing control device for internal combustion engine


A system for use with a tripod landing gear assembly of an aircraft may comprise: a tension strut assembly having a tension strut extending from an upper end to a lower end; a drag brace assembly having an upper brace and a lower brace, the upper brace pivotably coupled to the lower brace at a center point, the lower brace rotatably coupled to the lower end of the tension strut; and a jury linkage pivotally coupled to the drag brace assembly at the center point rotatably coupled to a middle portion of the tension strut, the middle portion between the upper end and the lower end.

Many aircraft include landing gear having wheel assemblies to allow the aircraft to travel along the ground during taxi, takeoff, and landing. A tripod main landing gear assembly may be beneficial structurally due to unidirectional loading in each one of the primary members of the landing gear. Typical tripod landing gear assemblies utilizes a toggle lock arrangement between braces that fold up and allow stowage in a bay of an aircraft. A toggle lock may be less stable than desired for a tripod landing gear assembly. A toggle lock may experience undesirable dynamics during operation of a typical tripod landing gear assembly.


A dialog apparatus includes a dialog unit configured to perform a dialog with a user and to collect a plurality of items to be referred to in accordance with the dialog as the dialog continues, a dividing unit configured to divide the items into normal items related to any usable application and unusable items related to any usable application deleted, a managing unit configured to manage the items which the dialog unit refers to during the dialog with the user, in the normal items and the unusable items, an applying unit configured to apply a plurality of changes in the items to managing of the normal items and the unusable items, and a referring unit configured to refer to the managing unit in accordance with the items collected by the dialog unit and to determine to output a use-disapproval notice when the collected items include at least one unusable item.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dialog apparatus, a dialog method and a computer program, each configured to inform a user that an application cannot be used in a system, when the application is deleted from the system that can operate a plurality of applications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems have hitherto been available, in each of which various applications can be operated. For example, a cellular telephone is a system that can operate a plurality of services (i.e., applications) on a network. Other systems of this type have been developed, such as the car-navigation system into which applications can be downloaded via a cellular telephone. In such a system, the user or the system manager can add new applications and delete some applications, thereby to change the composition of the group of applications.
JP-A 2004-234273 (KOKAI) discloses a method of operating such a system through a natural-language dialog. In this method, the speech-recognition grammar and dialog-promoting procedure are defined for each application. When an application is added or changed, the speech-recognition grammar and new dialog-promoting procedure for the application are added or updated. In this method, as an application is added, the corresponding speech-recognition grammar and new dialog-promoting procedure are added. Thus, when an application is added, an oral dialog can be performed in connection with the application added.
In the method disclosed in JP-A 2004-234273 (KOKAI), the addition and change of applications are indeed defined. However, nothing is defined as to the case where any application becomes not usable (is deleted). Hence, if an application is deleted against the user's intention, the user thinks the application has not been deleted. Consequently, misunderstanding arises on the part of the user, with regard to the existence of the application. For example, the system manager may delete an application that the user can use in the system. In this case, the user thinks that the application can be used, nevertheless. Assume that an access to the application stored in a server is prohibited at the server side. Then, the application cannot be used at all, as if it had been deleted against the user's intention. Even if the user intentionally deletes the application, he or she may forget this fact. Once such misunderstanding has arisen about the application, the user may operate the input device to access the application, though he or she cannot use it at all.
To operate a system in which applications can be deleted, by using a natural language, some measures should be taken against inputs about any application deleted. That is, the inputs about the application must be inhibited. In the conventional system, when an application is added, the dialog-promoting procedure for the application is added. Similarly, when an application is deleted, together with the dialog-promoting procedure for it, dialog-promoting procedures that can respond to an input about the application do not exist at all. Consequently, the system will malfunction if the user operates the input device to access the application that has been deleted. It is therefore necessary to inform the user that the application has been deleted, so that the user may realize that he or she can no longer use the application.
To make the user recognize the deletion of an application, a notice of application deletion may be given the moment the application is deleted. Then, the notice is issued, irrespective of the progress of the dialog with the user. Such a notice often interferes with the dialog with the user. Besides, the notice may fail to make the user recognize the deletion of the application if the application deleted is not so interesting to the user. As a consequence, the user will repeatedly operate the input device in an attempt to access the application that has been deleted. Inevitably, the system will keep malfunctioning.

Dialog apparatus, dialog method, and computer program


A crosspoint switch is provided that has N inputs, M outputs, and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where N, M, and X are all positive integers. By providing more than the standard Nxc3x97M switching elements, it becomes possible to utilise the additional switching elements to provide one or more additional protection pathways to compensate for a failure in a switching element: in the event of failure of a switching element, an affected path between one of the M inputs and M outputs can be replaced by an alternate path utilising one or more of the additional switching elements.

The present invention relates to a crosspoint switch, and in particular to an apparatus and a method suitable for providing alterative pathways through the switch in the event of a failure of a switching element. These alternative pathways have the potential to be engaged automatically and/or remotely.
Communications networks are moving towards becoming all optical (photonic) networks, incorporating photonic (optical) switching in which optical signals are switched directly rather than converted to electrical signals, switched electrically, then converted back to optical signals for re-transmission. Photonic switches may be used to switch wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals as a group, or the WDM signals may be demultiplexed outside the switch and switched individually as channels, or as groups of channels as desired. Photonic switches are fabricated using a range of technologies and frequently employ a crosspoint (crossbar) architecture. In such architectures light from an input port may traverse a number of switching elements. At each switching element the light may be switched and directed towards an associated output port or alternatively pass though to the next switching element. Once the light has been directed towards an output port it may traverse more switching elements which, in most implementations, must remain inactive so as not to block or disrupt the light path before it reaches its output port.
For example, a recently developed photonic switch using Micro Electro-Mechanical systems (MEMS) technology is described in xe2x80x9cFree-Space Micro Machined Optical Switches for Optical Networkingxe2x80x9d by L Y Lin et al, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics In Quantum Electronics, Vol. 5 No.1, January/February 1999; which is incorporated herein by reference. Such MEMS switches typically use moveable mirrors to redirect optical paths within the switch in order to complete an optical signal or channel connection across the switch.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a typical MEMS photonic switch 100. The switch 100 is bi-directional, but for simplicity is assumed to comprise 4 inputs in the form of optical fibres 112, 114, 116 and 118, and 4 outputs which are also optical fibres 122, 124, 126 and 128 Each input and output has an associated lens 104 which collimates the beams from the inputs and focuses the beam at the outputs. Such a switch is generically referred to as a 4xc3x974 switch (number of inputsxc3x97number of outputs).
The switch 100 is a crosspoint (cross bar) switch, having a switching element (here, a mirror, 106) located at each of the points at which optical signals emitted from the input fibres would cross with optical signals emitted from the output fibres. The switch 100 thus has a four by four array of mirrors 106 mounted on a surface 102.
In this particular switch, each mirror may be moved between two stable positions. FIGS. 2a and 2b illustrate these positions. FIG. 2a shows the mirror in the inactivated position 106a, where the mirror is flat i.e. substantially parallel to the surface 102. FIG. 2b shows the mirror having been raised to the activated or upright position 106b, substantially perpendicular to the surface 102. This activation may be performed by a variety of means e.g. by micro actuators causing the mirror to be rotated about the hinges 108. The mirrors are typically formed of materials such as polysilicon, the reflectivity of which is increased by providing a reflective coating 107 such as gold. In the inactivated state, it is typical for the relatively non-reflective surface 109 of the mirror to lie adjacent to the surface 102, so that the reflective coating 107 does not contact the surface 102.
FIG. 1 shows a typical operation of the switch 100. By raising the appropriate mirrors, an optical signal from each of the inputs 112, 114, 116 and 118 is directed to a respective output 128, 126, 122 and 124. For instance, an optical signal originating from input fibre 112 is formed into a collimated beam 132 by lens 104. The beam 132 then reflects off the front reflective surface 107 of a raised mirror 106b into a further lens 104 which focuses the beam 132 into the output fibre 128. it will be appreciated that by appropriate control of the array of mirrors 106, any one of the signals originating from the inputs 112, 114, 116 and 118 can be switched into any one of the outputs, 122, 124,126 and 128.
In any system switching information, it is desirable to provide alternative pathways for the information in the event that the original pathway xe2x80x9cfailsxe2x80x9d and is unable to transmit the signals as desired. Such alternative pathway provision is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cprotectionxe2x80x9d when these pathways may be engaged remotely and/or automatically.
it will be appreciated that a failure in any of the internal switching elements (mirrors 106) would impair the functionality of the switch. For instance, any of the mirrors could be jammed in either the raised 106b or flat 106a position, and this would prevent a connection between the input and output corresponding to that mirror. In addition a mirror which is jammed in the raised position has the potential to prevent a connection between the associated input and another output and between another input and the associated output. This is because the raised mirror may act as a block to such light paths.
The present invention aims to address such problems.
In a first aspect, the present Invention provides a crosspoint switch comprising N primary inputs, M primary outputs and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where M, N and X are all positive Integers, the additional switching elements in said array being arranged to provide alternative connectivity between said inputs and outputs.
A typical crosspoint switch having N inputs and M outputs will have an array of Nxc3x97M switching elements. By providing the additional switching elements in the array, it becomes possible to provide alternative connectivity between the inputs and outputs to compensate for any failures in the part of the array normally utilised for switching.
Preferably, said switch is a photonic switch. Photonic switches can have switching elements such as reflective surfaces (mirrors), refractive media, or interferometers.
Preferably, said additional switching elements comprise at least one column at an outermost edge of the array, and at least one row at an outermost edge of the array.
Preferably, the additional switching element located at the intersection of each of said row and said column is located in a fixed position so as to redirect incident signals in a predetermined manner. Such a switching element can act to redirect an incident signal from said row along said column, or from said column along said row.
Alternatively the switch can further comprise X additional inputs and X additional outputs, each of said additional outputs being transmissively connected to a respective additional input.
Preferably, said switch is a photonic switch, and said additional outputs are connected to said additional inputs by an optical fibre or other form of optical wave-guide.
Optionally, at least one of said additional outputs is coupled to a tap for the monitoring of signals passing through said output.
Preferably, N=M.
Preferably, X=2. If X=2, or any even number, protection can be provided for one or more switching elements that fail in the active position and act to block signals.
Preferably, said array is substantially rectilinear.
In another aspect the present invention provides a node for a telecommunications network comprising a crosspoint switch comprising N Inputs, M outputs and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where M, N and X are all positive integers, the additional switching elements in said array being arranged to provide alternative connectivity between said inputs and outputs.
In another aspect the present invention provides a transmission system comprising a transmitter and a receiver, and a transmission line connecting the transmitter to the receiver, the system further comprising a crosspoint switch comprising N inputs, M outputs and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where M, N and X are all positive integers, the additional switching elements in said array being arranged to provide alternative connectivity between said inputs and outputs.
In a further aspect the present invention provides a method of operating a crosspoint switch comprising N inputs, M outputs and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where N, M and X are all positive integers, the method comprising detecting that switching element has ceased to function correctly; and
providing control signals to the switching elements for configuring the switching elements to provide the same connectivity as the incorrectly functioning switching element.
Preferably, said switch is a photonic switch arranged to switch optical signals, the method further including the step of providing control signals to the switching elements for configuring the switching elements so as to ensure that no optical signals are blocked by the incorrectly functioning switching element.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a computer program arranged to perform the method of a method of operating a crosspoint switch comprising N inputs, M outputs and an array of (N+X)xc3x97(M+X) switching elements, where N, M and X are all positive integers, the method comprising detecting that switching element has ceased to function correctly; and providing control signals to the switching elements for configuring the switching elements to provide the same connectivity as the incorrectly functioning switching element.
Preferably, said computer program is stored on a machine readable medium.

Crosspoint switch protection using additional switching elements to provide alternate paths


An electro mechanically-assisted control system for use in a second-stage regulator. Regulator control assembly (20′), also referred to as all-electronic (AE) assembly (20′), includes an electromechanical actuator (EMA) sub-assembly (22) for controlling airflow through single air supply line (23). EMA sub-assembly (22) includes electronically controllable actuator (ECA) (34), which removably seals EMA orifice (36) in wall (30) of pilot chamber (32). ECA (34) is electrically connected with and controlled by control electronics (38). The control electronics include programmable microprocessor (40), which is electrically connected with charge and discharge electronics (42), both of which are electrically connected with power supply (44). All-electronic (AE) assembly (20′) has only an EMA sub-assembly and no mechanical actuator sub-assembly.

There are millions of SCBA users in the United States alone, including firefighters, rescue workers, and hazardous materials workers. SCBAs are worn in hazardous environments over 100 million times each year. SCBAs provide clean breathing air on demand and maintain a positive pressure in the facepiece, protecting the user from toxic gases and aerosols in the environment.
Prior art SCBA regulators can be slow to respond to very rapid breathing transients. As a result, there is a potential to "over breathe" the regulator, which reduces the facepiece pressure below the ambient pressure and potentially allows toxic gases to leak in from the environment.
Another shortcoming of prior art regulators results from the fact that many use a purely mechanical design. Purely mechanical designs may cause a number of dynamic stability issues under certain conditions. As a result, it is often difficult to set the nominal static facepiece pressure, i.e., exhalation pressure, to a low value. Conventional SCBAs have a nominal exhale pressure of approximately 2 or 3 inches of water pressure over the ambient. The relatively large exhalation pressure is typically very noticeable to a wearer and adds to the breathing work.

Self-contained breathing apparatus facepiece pressure control method


A protective layer or film applied to the metal surface of metal-clad optical fibers or metal-clad glass capillaries protects the metal surface during storage and provides a suitable fluxing surface. The protective layer or film comprises a mixture of a dicarboxylic acid fluxing agent and a chosen protective material which is unreactive with the dicarboxylic acid and which forms a film with the dicarboxylic acid that alters at a chosen soldering temperature to release the dicarboxylic acid. Prior to soldering, the chosen protective material maintains the metallic layer in an oxide-free state and the protective layer protects the metallic layer from external contamination to thereby enhance the solderability of the metallic surface when exposed to the soldering temperature at which the fluxing agent is released.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the soldering of metal-coated glass fibers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a coating or film which protects the metallic coating f rom oxidation and contamination during storage of metal-coated optical fibers and metal-coated glass capillaries and which provides at the same time for proper fluxing of the metal coating to enhance solderability at the solder temperature. 2. Description of Related Art
Optical fibers, which comprise a glass core and a glass cladding to provide waveguiding of light, are coated with a metal or alloy in order to facilitate connections in electro-optic circuits and to other optical fibers and to provide increased strength and durability to the optical fiber.
The metal coating of the optical fibers is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,561 and 4,418,984, both assigned to the same assignee as the present application. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,561, the metal (or alloy) that is used is one that (a) is substantially chemically inert with respect to the material comprising the glass fiber at the melting point of the metal or alloy, (b) has a recrystallization temperature greater than room temperature or the contemplated working temperature, whichever is greater, and (c) forms a hermetic seal around the outer surface of the glass cladding. Examples of suitable metals include vanadium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zirconium, niobium, and palladium. Other metals which have been used in the art to coat optical fibers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,561 and include aluminum, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, silver, gold, zinc, lead, indium, tin, and their alloys. Optionally, a plastic coating may be provided on top of the metallic coating to provide added mechanical protection and electrical insulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,984 discloses the formation of at least two metallic coatings on the glass waveguide structure. The metallic coatings may be the same or different compositions.
The metal-coated optical fibers are connected to electro-optic circuits or to other optical fibers by soldering. The solder operation requires proper fluxing agents, for without them, reliable electrical and/or mechanical connection may not be made even on apparently clean surfaces. In particular, the presence of metal oxides on the surface to be soldered prevents adequate wetting of the surface with the solder and results in a poor bond. Such oxides are referred to as "interfering oxides" and are often difficult to remove.
Metal-coated optical fibers and circuit boards and components to which the metal-coated optical fibers are to be soldered, as received, are not necessarily clean and may carry various kinds of surface contaminants. Subsequent storage of metal-coated optical fibers is often done in an inert environment in order to prevent the surface from oxidizing. However, inert environment storage has been found to suffer from two disadvantages: (1) the cost of the inert gas used to provide the inert environment and of the sealed cabinets, and (2) the hazard of an oxygen-free environment to operators of the storage system.
Metal-coated glass capillaries are also known as described, for example, in European Pat. No. 0 063 580, granted Jan. 21, 1987, for "Metallic Clad Capillary Tubing" and assigned to the present assignee. Many of the metals and alloys listed above are used as the metal coating. The same considerations involved in soldering metal-coated optical fibers also apply for soldering metal-coated capillaries.
Thus, there is a need for a protective coating on the metal-coated glass fibers to protect the metal against oxidation during storage and to provide a suitable fluxing surface without the need for precleaning. As used herein, the term "metal-coated glass fibers" is intended to be generic to both metal-coated optical fibers and metal-coated glass capillaries.

Glass fiber with solderability enhancing heat activated coating