Methods for sharing service identity between client devices in a real-time communications network are presented including: registering a first client device with a server on the real-time communications network, the first client device registering with a shared service identity, where the first client device becomes an active client device; and when a second client device enters a physical proximity of the first client device; establishing a personal area network connection between the first client device and the second client device; registering the second client device with the server, the second client device registering with the shared service identity, where the second client device becomes the active client device and the first client device becomes a waiting device, where the waiting device discontinues communication with the server.

As mobile communication devices have become a more intricate part of users' daily lives, the demand for expanded services for those devices continues to rise. Technological innovations have provided the means for many new and interesting uses for mobile communication devices to the point where mobile communication devices may be utilized efficiently for a variety of tasks including sending email, calendaring, and other functions. In addition, integration of mobile communication devices with other electronic devices is becoming increasingly popular.
For example, users of wireless communication devices may currently synchronize data with a more secure electronic device such as a computer laptop device. In this manner, a user may be assured that data is secure and available for use both from a mobile device and from a more secure data store. Using an additional device may have the added advantage of providing a friendlier user environment in some examples. In like manner, users of wireless communication devices may desire to send and receive data to and from other wireless communications devices. One example is the ability to send a contact list from one wireless device to another. By sharing data, opportunities for additional functionality are presented.
One such example of additional functionality is the ability to transfer a session between a wireless communication device and another device. In some cases, a user on an on-going PoC session may wish to transfer an on-going PoC session to a different device. Transferring may be desirable for any number of reasons. For example, one device may have superior transmission characteristics over another device; one device may have a more user friendly interface over another device; or one device may simply have more functionality over another device. However, transferring services from one device to another over conventional communications system may require at least several server interactions to negotiate control handoffs, to properly identify devices, to update devices, and to transfer sessions, which may require an enhanced server in some examples. In addition, pre-configuration steps may be required to assure proper transfer negotiations. Thus, in some examples, transferring services may unduly load network bandwidth due to additional required server interactions that may ultimately create undesirable delays resulting in a poor user experience. As such, methods for sharing service identity among multiple client devices in a real-time communications network are presented herein.
GLOSSARYBluetoothBluetooth is a specification for the use of low-power radiocommunications to wirelessly link phones, computers andother network devices over short distances. Bluetoothtechnology was designed primarily to support simple wirelessnetworking of personal consumer devices and peripherals,including cell phones, PDAs, and wireless headsets. Wirelesssignals transmitted with Bluetooth cover short distances,typically up to 30 feet (10 meters). Bluetooth devicesgenerally communicate at less than 1 Mbps.Communications NetworkOne or more servers implementing a simplex media andsession processing service, as could be exemplified by aplurality of packet switching and packet processing serversimplementing a PoC service as defined by the Open MobileAlliance (OMA).FM (Frequency Modulation)FM is a wireless personal communication system, e.g., for useWireless Communicationswith behind the ear hearing instruments. FM wirelesscommunications devices help overcome the listeningchallenges created by noise, distance, and reverberation. For auser this can mean greater independence, mobility, andfreedom to participate in situations that could otherwise bedifficult or frustrating. FM wireless communications ishelpful in everyday conversation, and also couples easily toother electronic sources (such as a television, stereo,computer, etc.), allowing the user to gain an edge inchallenging situations.FRS - Family Radio ServiceFamily Radio Service is a frequency bandwidth available inNorth America for short range two-way radiocommunications. FRS radios can usually communicate over adistance of 2 miles in line of sight. FRS radios let userscommunicate by: pressing a talk button; speaking; and thenreleasing it to wait for a reply from another user. FRS two-way radios are intended for free communications duringleisure activities such as a walk in a park or a visit to ashopping center.IMS - IP MultimediaIMS is an all-IP wireless system (SIP/IP Core), where data,Subsystemvoice and signaling are all carried as IP packets. IMS containsSIP Proxies.IR - InfraredInfrared can be used to wirelessly connect a phone or otherwireless device to various electronic devices, for variouspurposes. For example, IR may be configured to connect aphone to a computer so that the computer can use the phone tomake a data connection (to the Internet, or for syncing, forexample.) IR may also be configured to exchange informationsuch as phone book entries with other phones. Still further,some phones can also utilized IR to send information such asphone book entries and calendar events to IR-equippedprinters.IR is a line-of-sight wireless technology that uses a beam ofinvisible light to transmit information. Thus, the infrared portsof both devices must be nearby and aimed at each other for aconnection to succeed.ISB - Incoming SessionA PoC User may at times wish to disable the acceptance ofBarringPush-to-talk sessions while retaining SIP registration for oneor more other SIP-based services. When a PoC terminal isconfigured to deny any incoming Push-to-talk sessions, this isknown as Incoming Session Barring (ISB) or DoNotDisturb(DnD). There exists similar concepts in OMA PoC 1.0 forInstant personal Alert messages as well sessioned IAB[Incoming Alert Barring]. Other PoC Settings that will beintroduced in OMA PoC 2.1 include Conditional Incomingand Outgoing Session Barring.GPRS - Generic PacketPacket switched service on GSM networks that provides anRadio ServiceInternet Protocol bearer for applications such as PoC.GSM - Global System forThe second generation digital technology originally developedMobile communicationfor Europe but which now has in excess of 71% of the worldmarket. Initially developed for operation in the 900MHz bandand subsequently modified for the 850, 1800 and 1900 MHzbands.NFC - Near FieldNear Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wirelessCommunicationsconnectivity standard (Ecma-340, ISO/IEC 18092) thatutilizes magnetic field induction to enable communicationbetween devices when they're touched together, or broughtwithin a few centimeters of each other. Jointly developed byPhilips and Sony, the standard specifies a way for the devicesto establish a peer-to-peer (P2P) network to exchange data.After the P2P network has been configured, another wirelesscommunication technology, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, canbe used for longer range communication or for transferringlarger amounts of data.OMA - Open MobileOMA is a neutral, global group that defines and promotesAlliance ™open standards for new mobile-phone-related technologies,focusing specifically on mobile data services, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its' entirety.PAN - Personal AreaA personal area network (PAN) is an interconnection ofNetworkinformation technology devices within the range of anindividual person, typically within a range of 10 meters. Forexample, a person traveling with a laptop, a personal digitalassistant (PDA), and a portable printer could interconnectthem without having to plug anything in, using some form ofwireless technology. Typically, this kind of personal areanetwork could also be interconnected without wires to theInternet or other networks.PoC - Push-to-Talk overPoC is a service that provides a "walkie-talkie" serviceCellularutilizing VoIP technology to a number of client devicesPTT - Push-to-TalkSimilar to conventional walkie-talkie communication - userssend a voice message to one or more recipients from a mobilephone by pushing a key.RLS XDMS - Resource ListThe RLS XDMS is the repository for XML documents thatServer XML Documentdefine services which are associated with a list of resources.Management ServerAn example of such a service document is a Presence List,which is used by a RLS to subscribe, on behalf of a watcher,to the presence status of a list of presentities.The protocol used to access and manipulate such documents isbased on the XML Configuration Access Protocol (XCAP),and described in [XDMSPEC].This specification provides the XCAP application usage forone type of RLS-specific XML document, the Presence List.Shared XDMS - SharedAn XCAP server that manages XML documents (e.g. ContactXML Document ManagementLists) that are needed for the PoC service and which may beServershared with other service enablers (e.g. Presence).SIP - Session InitiationA signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony,Protocolpresence, events notification, and instant messaging. Thecurrent IETF RFC is 3261.http://www.ietf.org/rfc/ffc3261.txt?number=3261UE - User EquipmentA terminal (e.g. handset or PC) with the PoC Client-Application installed.Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity andWireless Fidelity and is meant to be used generically whenWLAN - Wireless Localreferring of any type of 802.11 network, whether 802.11b,Area Network802.11a, dual-band, etc. The term is promulgated by the Wi-FiAlliance.Any products tested and approved as "Wi-Fi Certified" (aregistered trademark) by the Wi-Fi Alliance are certified asinteroperable with each other, even if they are from differentmanufacturers. A user with a "Wi-Fi Certified" product canuse any brand of access point with any other brand of clienthardware that also is certified. Typically, however, any Wi-Fiproduct using the same radio frequency (for example, 2.4 GHzfor 802.11b or 11g, 5 GHz for 802.11a) will work with anyother, even if not "Wi-Fi Certified."Formerly, the term "Wi-Fi" was used only in place of the2.4 GHz 802.11b standard, in the same way that "Ethernet" isused in place of IEEE 802.3. The Alliance expanded thegeneric use of the term in an attempt to stop confusion aboutwireless LAN interoperability.VoIP - Voice over InternetVoIP is an exemplary of a combination of a sessionProtocolsignaling protocol and a media transfer protocol. VoIP isa technology that is used to transmit media in the form ofdigital data packets, over Internet Protocols, as opposedto using traditional telephone lines or circuit switchedwireless bearers. For the purposes of this presentinvention packet protocols and circuit switched protocolsand methods are indistinguishable. VoIP - Voice overInternet ProtocolXCAP - XML ConfigurationXCAP allows a client to read, write, and modify applicationAccess Protocolconfiguration data, stored in XML format on a server. XCAPmaps XML document sub-trees and element attributes toHTTP URIs, so that these components can be directlyaccessed by HTTP.XDMC - XML DocumentAn XCAP client that manages XML documents stored in theManagement Clientnetwork (e.g. PoC-specific documents in the PoC XDMS,Contact Lists in the Shared XDMS, etc).XDMS - XML DocumentAn XCAP server that manages XML documents (e.g. ContactManagement ServerLists) that are utilized by various applications. Eachapplication has its own designated XDMS (e.g. PoC XDMS)and can utilize the Shared XDMS.

Method for sharing service identity among multiple client devices in a real-time communications network


A tunable laser comprising: a foundation including a first side and an oppositely facing second side and including a hole extending from the first side to the second side; a tuning assembly including a base, a fine tuning arm and a rotational flex bearing disposed adjacent the first side of the foundation; wherein the base is disposed adjacent to the first side of the foundation; wherein one end of the flex bearing is secured to the base; wherein the other end of the flex bearing is secured to the fine tuning arm; wherein a portion of the fine tuning arm extends at least partially into the hole; an external cavity laser including a gain medium, a dispersion medium and a reflective member disposed adjacent to the second side of the foundation; wherein the gain medium and the dispersion medium grating are secured in a fixed relation relative to the each other; wherein the reflective member is secured to the portion of the arm extending into the hole; and a piezoelectric device with one end secured to the base and another end secured to the arm.

The earlier 6000 Vortex Series Tunable Diode Laser, produced by New Focus Corp. of San Jose, Calif., employs a laser cavity based on the Littrnan-Metcalf design, which uses a diffraction grating at grazing incidence, together with a tuning reflector, to provide wavelength selectivity. Essential to the performance of tunable external-cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) is a high-quality anti-reflection (AR) coating on the front facet of the diode. The AR coating turns the diode into purely a gain element. A collimating lens directs the output of the diode across a diffraction grating at grazing incidence. The end mirror of the laser cavity reflects the first-order diffraction off the grating to provide feedback. Dispersion provided by the grating allows only one cavity mode to lase, resulting in a very narrow linewidth. The specular reflection or zero-order diffraction off the grating serves as the output beam of the laser.
The angle between the grating and the end mirror determines the lasing wavelength. Tuning is achieved by varying the angle using a piezoelectric actuator to rotate the end mirror. Continuous (mode-hop-free) tuning requires selecting an appropriate rotation point, also called a pivot point. Discontinuous tuning, characterized by period "mode-hops" results from two competing wavelength-selection constraints, the mirror-grating angle and the laser-cavity length. The laser-cavity length, L, defines a discrete set of possible wavelengths or modes, λN, that can lase, given by the equation L=NλN/2, (N=integer). The grating equation insists that mλ=Λ(sin θi+sin θd), where m stands for the grating diffraction orders. Λ refers to the groove spacing of the grating while θi and θd refer to the incident and diffracted angles of the laser beam. Rotation of the tuning reflector causes parameters in both equations to change. An appropriately selected point of rotation synchronizes the two, such that the cavity length remains the same number of half-wavelengths long as the tuning reflector is rotated. Thus mode-hop free tuning is achieved. When this condition is not met, the lasing wavelength will periodically hop from one mode to the next (e.g., from N to N+1).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,521, entitled External Cavity Laser Pivot Design, invented by Moore et al., discloses an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) with a pivot point design that is inexpensive and precise and that allows for simultaneous rotary and lineal motion. A housing for a tunable external cavity laser including a gain medium, a reflector, and a dispersive element is disclosed. The housing includes a base section, a motion section and an actuator. Glue is used to secure together certain non-movable parts. The gain medium and a diffractor are mounted to the base section such that a first energy beam emanating from the gain medium strikes the dispersive element and leaves the dispersive element as a second beam at an angle with respect to the first beam which depends on wavelength. A reflector is conditioned on the motion section to reflect the second beam to the gain medium via the dispersive element. The motion section is supported by the base about a torsional member, which defines a rotational axis for minor movement. The actuator is in selectively engagable abutment against the motion section to move the reflector with respect to the dispersive element about the torsional member to tune the external cavity laser.
While this arrangement generally has been successful, there has been a need for an improved laser tuning mechanism and for an associated tunable external cavity laser system. More particularly, there has been a need for an improved tuning mechanism for continuous tuning without mode-hop, which can provide fine increment control of wavelength, and that is simple and cost-effective in design. For example, there has been a need for a rotational axis which is subject to better control than that defined by the torsional member. Moreover, there has been a need for an improved design that provides stability of laser wavelength tuning even in harsh environments such as the ones with high or low temperatures, pressure variation or humidity change. There also has been a need for such a laser tuning mechanism and associated external cavity laser system that is suitable for the vacuum environment for outer space. It will be appreciated that the use of glue may be unsuitable in a vacuum environment due to outgassing. The present invention meets these needs.

Piezoelectric-tuned external cavity laser


A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes an array substrate; a gate line formed on the array substrate; a data line formed on the array substrate crossing the gate lines; a thin film transistor formed on the array substrate, the thin film transistor being formed at an intersection between the gate line and the data line; a pixel electrode formed on the array substrate and connected to the thin film transistor; an insulating interlayer formed on an entire surface of the array substrate; a common electrode formed on the insulating interlayer and having a plurality of slits; a metal line formed on the insulating interlayer overlapping the data line and the common electrode; a color filter substrate attached to the array substrate; and a liquid crystal layer formed between the array substrate and the color filter substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a method for fabricating the same, and more particularly, to an in-plane switching mode LCD device.
2. Background of the Invention
Active matrix LCD devices increasingly are used for flat panel TVs, portable computers, monitors, etc. Among the active matrix LCD devices, twisted nematic (TN) type LCD devices primarily are used. In a TN type LCD device, two electrodes are respectively disposed on two substrates, and a liquid crystal (LC) director is arranged to be twisted by 90°. Then, a voltage is applied to the electrodes to drive the LC director. The TN type LCD device primarily is used because of its excellent contrast and color reproduction. However, the TN type LCD device has a narrow viewing angle.
To solve the viewing angle problems of the TN type LCD device, an IPS (in-plane switching) mode has been developed. According to the IPS mode, two electrodes, a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed on one substrate, and an LC director is controlled by a horizontal electric field generated between the two electrodes.
The structure of a related LCD device will now be explained with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a plane view showing an LCD device in accordance with the related art.
As shown in FIG. 1, a gate line 13 and a data line 20 are formed on a transparent substrate (not shown) of an opaque metal for defining pixels. Here, the gate line 13 and the data line 2D perpendicularly cross each other. At an intersection point between the gate line 13 and the data line 20, a thin film transistor is formed for switching a voltage ON/OFF. The thin film transistor comprises source drain electrodes 21 and 23 with an active region 19 therebetween. The gate line 13 serves as the gate of the thin film transistor.
A plate type common electrode 11 and a pixel electrode 29 formed of a transparent metal are insulated by an insulating layer, and overlap each other in a pixel region. The common electrode 11 and the common line 15 contact each other with the common line 15 parallel to the gate line 13, thereby dividing the pixel region into upper and lower parts.
The pixel electrode 29 is formed of a plate type transparent metal, and is provided with a plurality of slits 29a symmetrical to one another in the upper and lower parts with respect to the common line 15. A fringe field is generated between the common electrode 11 and the pixel electrode 29 having the plurality of slits 29a. A common signal is applied to the common electrode 11, and a pixel voltage having passed through the TFT is applied to the pixel electrode 29. A liquid crystal is driven by the fringe field. That is, when no voltage is applied to the LCD device, initially aligned liquid crystals are rotated by the fringe field, thereby permitting light to pass.
An alignment layer (not shown) is further provided at inner surfaces of upper and lower substrates of the fringe field mode LCD device. The alignment layer on the upper substrate (not shown) and the alignment layer on the lower substrate (not shown) are arranged to have an angle of 90° therebetween as in the TN mode LCD device.
A method for fabricating an LCD device in accordance with the related art will now be explained with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a plane view showing an LCD device in accordance with the related art.
As shown in FIG. 2, a transparent conductive material, such as ITO, is deposited on an array substrate 10 and is then patterned, thereby forming a common electrode 11. Then, a metallic material is deposited on the array substrate 10 having the common electrode 11 and is then patterned, thereby forming the gate line 13 and a common line 15 (FIG. 1). Here, the gate line 13 and the common line 15 are formed parallel to each other. Also, a portion of the gate line 13 serves as the gate electrode 13a.
An insulating material is deposited on an entire surface of the array substrate 10 having the common electrode 11, the gate line 13 and the common line 15, thereby forming a gate insulating layer 17. Next, a semiconductor layer 19 is formed on the gate insulating layer 17.
A conductive material for a data line is deposited on an entire surface of the array substrate 10 having the semiconductor layer 19 and is then patterned, thereby forming data lines 20 (FIG. 1) and source/drain electrodes 21 and 23. An insulating material is deposited on the entire surface of the array substrate 10 including the data lines 20, thereby forming a passivation layer 25.
The passivation layer 25 is selectively patterned to form a contact hole exposing a portion of the drain electrode 23. A transparent conductive material, such as ITO, is deposited on the passivation layer 25 and then is patterned, thereby forming a pixel electrode 29 having a plurality of slits 29a. The pixel electrode 29 is electrically connected to the drain electrode 23 through the contact hole.
An alignment layer (not shown) is formed on the passivation layer 25 having the pixel electrode 29 and is aligned in a desired direction. In the fringe field mode LCD device, an alignment layer on an upper substrate and an alignment layer on a lower substrate are aligned to have an angle of 90° therebetween, but the alignment may be formed in any direction.
However, the related art LCD device has a number of problems. First, the common electrode is disposed below the pixel electrode, and the pixel electrode is disposed on the gate insulating layer and the passivation layer. Accordingly, light leakage is generated by an electric field formed between the source/drain electrodes and the pixel electrode in a black gradation. The light leakage is prevented by a black matrix formed on the color filter substrate. However, an alignment margin between the source/drain electrodes and the black matrix is decreased when the array substrate and the color filter substrate are attached to each other, thereby having a high possibility of a mis-alignment and decreasing the aperture ratio. Further, in the related art LCD device, a silicon nitride (SiNx) is used as the passivation layer. Since the silicon nitride has a high dielectric constant of approximately 6-7, a parasitic capacitance may be generated between the common electrode and the pixel electrode.

Liquid crystal display device and method for fabricating the same


A method of determining the extent of a lateral shadow zone corresponding to an edge of a part in a method of inspecting the part in immersion by means of an ultrasound beam, the method consisting in determining the extent of the shadow zone from the edge of the part by measuring the effective section of the ultrasound beam at the surface of the part, and in determining said effective section from variations in the amplitude of an echo of the beam as a function of the distance between the axis of the beam and the edge of the part.

Inspecting a part in immersion by means of an ultrasound beam serves to detect defects in the part such as, for example: bubbles, inclusions, etc.
The technique is implemented in a vessel filled with an acoustic coupling liquid, such as water, having an ultrasound generator, such as an electroacoustic transducer, that is immersed in the water and that is oriented towards the part for inspection perpendicularly to a surface thereof, the transducer being spaced apart from said surface of the part by a depth of water referred to as the "water column".
The transducer emits a beam of ultrasound waves which is partially reflected on the surface of the part and partially transmitted to the inside of the part, the transmitted ultrasound waves possibly encountering on their trajectories internal defects that are capable of reflecting them. The echoes coming from such reflections are picked up by the transducer, which also acts as a receiver, and the amplitudes of the echoes represent the magnitudes of the detected defects.
In practice, inspecting a part includes relative movement between the part and the transducer or a series of transducers so as to scan the part by means of one or more ultrasound beams.
When the ultrasound beam is moved progressively towards an edge of the part, an ever-increasing fraction of the section of the beam at the surface of the part lies beyond the edge of the part such that a fraction of the energy of the beam is emitted outside the part and will not be reflected by a defect in that portion of the part that is covered by the beam.
Consequently, a defect will be detected in the form of an echo, but of amplitude that becomes progressively weaker as the beam approaches the edge of the part, with said amplitude dropping to zero when the beam no longer encounters the part.
The portion of the part in which the echo amplitude on the beam being reflected by a defect decreases because of this phenomenon is a zone that cannot be inspected by known methods and is referred to as a "shadow zone" or as a "lateral dead zone" of the part. The known technique does not make it possible to determine the exact extent of said dead zone at arbitrary depth in the part, and it is therefore necessary as a precaution to give it a maximum value, e.g. 12 millimeters (mm) even though it might be much smaller in reality, e.g. half that, which corresponds to ignoring a relatively large amount of matter.

Determining the extent of a lateral shadow zone in an ultrasound inspection method


In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of battery-operated radio frequency transmitters that are located throughout a travel route, which transmitters periodically broadcast location numbers, each transmitter having a location number uniquely identifying that transmitter and its location. A radio frequency receiver is located in the object or on the person being monitored. When the receiver detects the carrier frequency of a transmitter, it activates a microprocessor which stores in memory the identification number of that transmitter and the date and time when the number was received. This is repeated within the broadcast range of each transmitter. When the receiver is taken to a home base, the memory is unloaded and the travel route that was taken can be determined together with the times the various check points were passed. The transmitted signal may also include a message that the state of charge of the transmitter battery is low.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to monitoring performance generally and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to novel means and method for reviewing the path of travel of an object or a person.
2. Background Art
In many activities, it is desirable to have a system for assuring that personnel are properly discharging their duties. For example, in the case of a police car, it may be of importance to assure that the police car is travelling a prescribed route during the shift of the driver. In the past, such assurance was given by the driver radioing his position to a home base at predetermined intervals or by responding with his position to an inquiry by the home base. While this procedure is relatively satisfactory when properly followed, it relies on someone remembering to make the necessary radio contacts and it is obviously prone to abuse. Some relatively complicated systems have been developed using radio transmitters and receivers which permit monitoring the position of the police car on a substantially current basis.
For another example, in the case of a watchman, it may be of importance to assure that the watchman is making his rounds at the required times. Historically, this was accomplished by the watchman carrying a relatively bulky time recorder in which an entry was made by inserting a key therein at one or more locations throughout the property being guarded. More recently, the conventional time recorders have been replaced with less bulky electronic devices. However, all these devices are not automatic and require that the watchman take some action at each station.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide means and method for reviewing the route taken by an object or a person which are simple and automatic.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such means and method that are automatic and not easily defeated.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.

Apparatus and method for reviewing path of travel


A waste-developer collecting device includes a developing device that develops a latent image with developer, a storage section that stores the developer transported from the developing device, and a path section extending from the developing device to the storage section, and including a downward path through which the developer in the developing device flows together with air in the developing device, the downward path guiding the flowing developer downward. An opening is provided on an upper side and an upstream side of a lowermost level of the downward path so that a part of the air flowing in the path section is released out through the opening.

(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a waste-developer collecting device and an image forming apparatus including the waste-developer collecting device.
(ii) Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, apparatus, and an image forming apparatus having functions of these apparatuses, include an image forming apparatus that adopts an electrophotographic image forming system.
In an image forming technique using an electrophotographic image forming system, a toner image is formed by supplying toner from a developing device to an electrostatic latent image that is formed by irradiating a surface of a photoconductor drum with laser light, and is transferred onto a recording medium. Then, the transferred toner image is fixed on the recording medium by a fixing device.
When the processing speed of the image forming apparatus increases, the number of rotations of a developing roller in the developing device increases, and this increases the quantity of toner clouds.

Waste-developer collecting device and image forming apparatus including the waste-developer collecting device


A method and apparatus for removing baseline wander in which an ECG waveform is continuously sampled at 500 samples per second. The digitized data is continuously filtered by an infinite-impulse response (IIR) filter implemented on a first microprocessor. The data is stored in a buffer from which it is read in reverse chronological order in overlapping 3 second blocks. Each block is applied to the input of a second IIR filter which is implemented on a second microprocessor with substantially the same code as the first IIR filter. The first 1.5 seconds of each reverse-filtered block is disregarded to permit the output of the filter to settle. The retained data is stored in a queue from which it is read and displayed on a monitor or printed with baseline wander removed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for removing baseline wander from an ECG signal and more particularly to such methods and apparatus which utilize a filter having a nonlinear phase response.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the collection and analysis of ECG waveforms, electrodes are connected to a patient for detecting the ECG signal. Sometimes the signal is provided to a Holter monitor which is a recording device worn by the patient. After data is collected for a predetermined length of time, it is transferred to a system which analyzes and displays the collected data. Such a system is suitable for diagnosing certain types of heart conditions. In some situations, however, it is necessary and desirable for a clinician to observe the ECG waveform on a real-time basis. For example, when a patient is being monitored during a stress test it is critical that a clinician observe the ECG waveform substantially as it occurs in case changes in the waveform indicate a condition which would require the test to be varied or stopped altogether.
The baseline of an ECG waveform can vary considerably. Such variations are known as baseline wander. Baseline wander can be caused by, e.g., respiration, poor electrode contact and sweating. There are both high and low amplitude wanders across a range of frequencies. Because the spectra of baseline wander and the ECG signal are very close, and in some cases may overlap, it is difficult to eliminate the wander and leave the ECG signal undistorted, especially when real-time monitoring is required.
There is a prior art technique for removing baseline wander known as the cubic spline method. Using this method, baseline wander is estimated with a third order polynomial and the estimate is subtracted from the ECG signal. This method has a number of disadvantages. To generate the estimate, three data points on an ECG waveform, called knots, are located. The knots are typically located on the PR segments of three consecutive heartbeats in an ECG waveform. Beat times generated by a QRS detector are used to locate the PR segments. Because all QRS detectors sometimes produce false beat times, the ECG is distorted when a data point is derived from a false beat. In addition, in the presence of high noise, the QRS detector may not function. Also, baseline wander with sharp transitions may not be accurately described by a cubic polynomial. The processing delay between the real-time ECG waveform and the corrected waveform varies dependent upon heart rate. The inherent delay is three beats since information from three consecutive beats is needed before the baseline estimate between the first two can be computed. For example, at a heart rate of 60 beats per minute, the delay is at least three seconds.
In addition to the cubic spline method, there are prior art filtering techniques for removing baseline wander from an ECG waveform. Two filters which have been used to filter ECG waveforms include a finite-impulse response (FIR) filter and an infinite-impulse response (IIR) filter. Both FIR and IIR filters can be described by equations having a preselected number of variables and corresponding coefficients which together define the operating characteristics of the filter. The more filter coefficients, the more computations are required to produce a single output data point.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) now suggest 0.67 Hz as the cut-off point of a high-pass baseline wander filter. Any filter for removing baseline wander from an ECG waveform must have a sharp transition region. FIR filters are disadvantageous because many coefficients are necessary to achieve a sharp transition region.
IIR filters, on the other hand, can achieve a sharp transition region with a small number of coefficients. However, an IIR filter which has a cut-off frequency high enough to remove baseline wander has a nonlinear phase response which distorts meaningful components of the ECG waveform. In one paper, David W. Mortara, Digital Filters for ECG Signals, Computers in Cardiology, Pages 511-514 (IEEE, 1977), an IIR filter is described which has a high cut-off frequency which therefore causes less low frequency distortion. This filter, however, has gain in the pass band. Thus, any baseline wander having a frequency which falls in the pass band may be emphasized.
In Erik W. Pottala, et al., Suppression of Baseline Wander in the ECG Using a Bilinearly Transform, Null-Phase Filter, Journal of Electrocardiology 22 (Suppl):244(1989), a filter having a nonlinear phase response is used to filter an ECG waveform. This filter filters the data both forward and backward in time thereby removing nonlinearities injected by the filter. The problem with utilizing this technique is that the filtered signal is not available until after it has been filtered both forward and backward. Thus, prior art filters utilize forward and reverse-time filtering only in the context of removing baseline wander from ECG by running a predetermined length of data, e.g., five seconds worth, first in a forward direction through a filter and thereafter in a reverse-time direction thereby removing baseline wander. Such filtering is not suitable for situations in which near real-time monitoring is required.

Method and apparatus for removing baseline wander from an ECG signal


According to a conventional BMI technology for controlling external equipment or transmitting an intention to another person by focusing on a biosignal such as brain activity, there has been the problem that a large-sized apparatus is required, the operation method is complex from the user's viewpoint, and noise is large. The present invention provides an apparatus and method such that an intention in the brain can be analyzed with high accuracy and at high speed and transmitted in real-time. A communication assist apparatus according to the present invention comprises an apparatus for presenting a visual stimulus on a display screen and the like, and a processing apparatus for processing brain wave data from an electroencephalograph that measures a brain wave after stimulus presentation by the presenting apparatus. The processing apparatus determines that a specific intention decision has been made in the brain when the product of an accumulated discrimination score according to a discriminant analysis function obtained by analyzing the brain wave data and a success rate exceeds a threshold value, and then outputs a determination result to a device.

Currently, in the fields of information science, medical engineering applications, and welfare device control by brain activity, operation of a device is mainly performed through an input operation of various switches, a joystick, a mouse and the like by hand. Meanwhile, in the field of nursing care/welfare device development, a need is felt for a device that can be operated by other parts of the body for operators with physically disabled hands or legs.
Conventionally, speech assisting devices using a character board or picture cards are known. Technologies related to devices for assisting the conversation of users with disabilities in language function or hearing are discussed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example. Patent Document 1 describes a technology such that the letters of the 50 Japanese syllabary on a character board are sequentially lighted on a block by block basis and selected, and a technology involving the use of a message board for selecting a request for bodily care. Patent Document 2 describes a communication assist system for selecting a symbol display by using a portable information terminal. However, in the field of nursing care/welfare device development, a device that enables the direct transmission of an intention without requiring the conventional operations is desired for operators who cannot perform complex input operations, such as the elderly or the sick. There is also a need for a device for patients with speech impediment or the elderly that enables the transmission of an intention regarding basic personal nursing care or feelings, to the helper in a simpler manner.
The progress in brain science in recent years has led to various studies on the relationship between human thought and behavior and brain activity. Attention is being focused on Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) technology for controlling an external device or conveying an intention to others by noting a biosignal, such as brain activity.
For example, neuromarketing is the study for investigating the brain activity related to consumer behavior by using a functional MRI (fMRI) device and the like. A study is known in which, through a brain activity measurement experiment using a fMRI apparatus, brain regions associated with preferences or brand awareness for Coca cola and Pepsi cola were identified and brain activity differences were investigated (Non-patent Document 1).
The present inventors have shown, through a measurement technique involving extracellular recording of the action potential of a single neuron by electrodes disposed in an animal brain, and by a neuronal ensemble activity simulation, that the representation of relationships among a plurality of external stimuli (experimental conditions) in the brain can be estimated in terms of low-dimensional spatial information (see Non-patent Document 2). However, many aspects of brain activity are still unknown, and the measurement methods have restrictions.
The present inventors have also proposed a virtual decision function and shown a calculation method therefor (see Non-patent Document 3). Non-patent Document 3 describes a method for predicting an alternative behavior from a single neuron activity as an example of neural activity.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-286768
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2003-255825
Non-patent Document 1: McClure S M, et al., "Neural Correlates of Behavioral Preference for Culturally Familiar Drinks" Neuron 44, p 379-387, 2004
Non-patent Document 2: N. Matsumoto and R. Hasegawa, "Prediction of Multidimensional Decision-making Based on Single Trial of Frontal Association Area Neuronal Ensemble", Neuroscience Research, Vol. 58, Supplement 1, page S161 (P2-f34), 2007
Non-patent Document 3: R. Hasegawa et al., "Single trial-based prediction of a go/no-go decision in monkey superior colliculus", Neural Networks 19(2006) 1223-1232
There is a need for a device such that an intention can be conveyed to industrial or entertainment devices such as a robot and a wireless control device, or welfare devices such as an electric wheelchair and an electronic character board, without using hands or legs and by as simple an operation as possible. However, the various latest input apparatuses that have been researched and developed for the above purposes require their own unique input systems or input apparatuses. Thus, the various input apparatuses need to be purchased, and it takes time to learn how to operate them.
The technology that examines brain activity by using a functional MRI (fMRI) apparatus and the like requires measurement within the MRI apparatus, so that a real-time input operation cannot be performed and a large-size apparatus is required.
The apparatuses that have been proposed by conventional researches on communication have too much noise for the measurement of biological information such as brain waves, resulting in a low probability of correct answers and a long time before a determination can be made.
The core of the above conventional BMI technologies should be the technology for real-time decoding of an intention decision in the brain. However, it is extremely difficult to decode an intention decision in the brain accurately and quickly under the condition of the on-scalp brain wave recording with poor S/N ratio, or the neuron activity recording with a small number of simultaneously recordable signals. For example, according to a technique, a plurality of alternative visual stimuli is presented on a personal computer screen, and the alternative selected by an operator is predicted or inferred on the basis of the intensity of response of an induced brain wave (an event-related brain wave referred to as "P300", such as a positive potential change 300 milliseconds after the presentation of stimulus) obtained when the stimuli are flashed (lighted) in a pseudo-random manner. In this case, there has been the problem that increasing the number of presentations may increase prediction accuracy but results in longer time, and, conversely, decreasing the number of presentations leads to a decrease in accuracy although the time required for prediction can be decreased.
The present invention aims to overcome the above problems and an object of the present invention is to discriminate an intention in the brain without erroneous identification and in a short time. Another object of the present invention is to enable a device to be directly operated in real-time according to a thought in the brain of an operator. Another object is to provide an apparatus and method such that a patient with speech impediment or the elderly can convey intentions regarding basic personal nursing care or feelings directly and more simply to the helper.

Intention conveyance support device and method

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


A system and method of managing cache units includes providing, by a first cache unit, caching services to a first plurality of clients, collecting information associated with a usage of the first cache unit by the first plurality of clients, determining a similarity in cache usage between every pair of clients selected from the first plurality of clients based on information associated with the collected information, selecting a second plurality of clients from the first plurality of clients based on information associated with the determined similarity in cache usage, replicating the first cache unit to create a second and a third cache unit, providing, by the second cache unit, caching services to the second plurality of clients, and providing, by the third cache unit, caching services to one or more third clients selected from the first plurality of clients, each of the third clients not being in the second plurality of clients.

The present disclosure relates generally to computing systems, and more particularly to dynamic caching.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is a computing system. Computing systems may vary in complexity from a single processor operating in relative isolation to large networks of interconnected processors. The interconnected processors may be in close proximity to each other or separated by great distances both physically and as distance is measured in computer networking terms. The interconnected processors may also work together in a closely cooperative fashion or in a loose weakly coupled fashion. Because technology and processing needs and requirements may vary between different applications, the structure and arrangement of the computing system may vary significantly between two different computing systems. The flexibility in computing systems allows them to be configured for both specific users, specific uses, or for more general purposes. Computing system may also include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information based on the needs of the users and the applications.
Additionally, some examples of computing systems include non-transient, tangible machine-readable media that include executable code that when run by one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of methods described herein. Some common forms of machine readable media include, for example, floppy disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, and/or any other medium from which a processor or computer is adapted to read.
Computing systems generally include one or more types of storage such as RAM, disk drives, solid-state drives, and the like. The storage may be used for executable code and/or data that may be retrieved, manipulated, or stored by the executable code. Different types of storage vary in size, speed, and cost. Typically, larger memories and faster memories are more expensive, often considerably so. Consequently, computing systems may have many different varieties of storage arranged in a cooperative and/or hierarchical fashion. In addition, as computing systems become more and more distributed, the distances both physically and in computer networking terms between the sources of data and the consumers of that data may be quite large. This may add complexity to the data retrieval process. It may additionally increase the time required to retrieve data from a distant system as well as the relative cost as more and more processors and/or subsystems may be required to handle the data before it can be delivered. Various strategies are often used to improve the data retrieval process. One such strategy is the use of caching. In caching a faster and/or more local storage unit (i.e., a cache) may be placed between the source of stored information and the consumer of that information. The cache may contain copies of some of the stored information and the consumer of that information may access that information from the copy in the cache rather than from the actual source of the stored information.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide improved caching systems and methods. It would also be desirable to provide improved caching systems and methods that may adapt dynamically to the usage patterns of the caching system.


An electromagnetic transmission device. A guide bar connects to a fixed base and includes magnetic-permeable material and a first central height plane. A coil connects to the fixed base. A support base movably fits on the guide bar. An annular magnetic member connects to the support base and is surrounded by the coil. A magnetization direction of the annular magnetic member is perpendicular to a moving direction of the support base and annular magnetic member. The annular magnetic member includes a second central height plane. The coil interacts with the annular magnetic member to generate a first force. When moving to separate the second central height plane from the first central height plane, the annular magnetic member interacts with the guide bar to generate a second force, driving the support base and annular magnetic member to move along a direction perpendicular to the magnetization direction of the annular magnetic member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electromagnetic transmission devices, and more particularly to electromagnetic transmission devices with reduced electrical power consumption.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microminiature image capturing devices are commonly applied in cellular phones, computers, vehicle radars, video game players, and medical inspection devices, etc. The microminiature image capturing devices have been developed to provide high definition quality, reduced power consumption, low manufacturing costs, and reduced size. As such, actuators disposed in the microminiature image capturing devices, for moving lens modules thereof, are critical.
Automatic displacement driving devices applied in lens modules may employ drivers providing rotational power with a rotational axis thereof paralleling an optical axis of the lens modules or drivers providing movement power with a moving direction thereof paralleling the optical axis of the lens modules.
An example of a driver providing rotational power with a rotational axis thereof paralleling an optical axis of a lens module is a stepping motor. The driver requires additional transmission-conversion mechanisms to enable the lens module to move along the optical axis. When the lens module arrives at a final position, no electricity is required to maintain the lens module therein. However, the driver has many components. Thus, the structure of the driver is complicated, and the size thereof cannot be reduced.
An example of a driver providing movement power with a moving direction thereof paralleling an optical axis of a lens module is a voice coil motor, a piezoelectric actuator, or a liquid lens actuator. The driver directly adjusts the position of the lens module. Compared with the driver providing rotational power, this driver has fewer components and is small. Nevertheless, there is a need to further reduce the size, manufacturing costs, and power consumption of this driver.
Referring to FIG. 1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,856,469 discloses a conventional lens drive device with a magnetic member 9, a spacer member 12, and a spring member 50 arranged parallel to an optical axis of a lens 2. The lens 2 is retained at retaining positions by magnetic attraction between a drive magnet 6 and the magnetic member 9 and by the spring member 50. The magnetic member 9 requirement, however, increases the number of constituent elements of the lens drive device, such that manufacturing costs and overall size of the lens drive device cannot be reduced. Additionally, electrical power is required to retain the lens 2 at the retaining positions, and the relationship between the moving position of the drive magnet 6 and magnetic member 9 and the variation of magnetic force thereof is nonlinear. Accordingly, positioning control of the lens 2 in the conventional lens drive device is difficult.
Additionally, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, Japan Patent Publication No. 2005-128405 discloses a conventional lens drive device 1. An upper spring 9 and a lower spring 11 enable precise movement of a lens module (including a lens 20, an upper cover 24, a lower washer 17, a coil 15, and a lens supporting base 7) and reduce friction during movement thereof. The upper spring 9 and lower spring 11 may be regarded as extensions of the coil 15, serving as conductors at ends thereof. Grooves 37 on an upper frame 23 and ribs 31 on the lens supporting base 7 bear impact or vibration generated by contact between a moving assembly (including the lens 20, upper cover 24, lower washer 17, coil 15, and lens supporting base 7) and a stator (including the upper frame 23, a yoke 3, and a magnet 13), maintaining a deviation value of the moving assembly with respect to an optical axis within an acceptable range and preventing excessive rotation of the lens 20 from adversely affecting other mechanisms in the lens drive device 1. Specifically, the yoke 3 enhances overall permeability of the lens drive device 1, increasing a magnetic voice coil force for moving the lens module. The yoke 3, however, adversely affects reduction of manufacturing costs and overall size of the lens drive device 1.
Hence, there is a need for electromagnetic transmission devices with reduced electrical power consumption, size, and manufacturing costs.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A method for manufacturing multi-laminar wood sheets by slicing from a flitch of natural and/or laminated wood sheets glued and pre-printed with a basic pattern. A basic pattern is printed on one or both faces of wood sheets obtained by rotary cutting or slicing a natural log or a multi-layered flitch; the printed sheets are subsequently used to form a final flitch from which multi-laminar wood sheets are then sliced having a pattern designed to simulate different types of natural or fancy woods. The basic pattern is printed while maintaining process conditions designed to control the penetration into the thickness of the wood sheet and surface diffusion of the colouring agent during printing step. The penetration and diffusion of the colouring agent is controlled by maintaining process parameters and conditions at an established value.

The present invention refers to the manufacture of wood veneers, and in particular concerns a method for manufacturing multi-laminar wood sheets having a defined pattern, obtained by means of an innovative seemingly casual printing process, which is constantly reproducible in a controlled mode.
The present invention also refers to the multi-laminar wood sheets obtained by means of the method claimed herein, as well as to pre-printed basic wood sheets and to a flitch of wood comprising pre-printed wood sheets, forming an intermediate product.

Method for manufacturing multi-laminar wood sheets with printed patterns


In a networked system having workstations, file servers and intelligent peripheral devices, the intelligent peripheral devices are capable of determining information concerning their device status and communicating the device status information via a communications line. The file server obtains the device status information from the peripheral device and stores this information as a file readable by the workstations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for providing peripheral device status information to workstations on a network.
2. Description of Related Art
In a typical networked multi-user computer environment, a number of individual workstations are linked together through a network, usually a local area network (LAN). Also linked on the LAN are one or more peripheral devices such as printers, facsimile machines, scanners or plotters. One or more file servers are also linked to the network and serve to manage allocation of the devices to workstations which request the use of the devices. The allocation procedures typically involve accepting requests, determining the address of the device requested, maintaining queues, establishing priorities and relaying data from the workstation to the device.
Typically when a workstation user wishes to determine the status of a device that is networked on a LAN, the method available depends upon the intelligence of the device. The earlier generation of peripherals were "unintelligent," or perhaps, better "uncommunicative." They accepted data from the LAN and processed it according to instructions, but were incapable of relaying status information back to the LAN. A workstation user, concerned about the status of a device to which he or she had sent a job, would have to leave the workstation to physically examine the device.
A server, such as a file server or a print server, might be able to provide some information regarding the status of a print job. However, this status information related to the status of the print job in a print queue, and the print queue was neither created, maintained nor serviced by the printer. If a print job was removed from the print queue, one could infer that the printer was handling the print job. However, the status of the print job as it was handled by the printer could not be ascertained. For example, absence of a print job from the print queue could mean that the print job was complete, or it could also mean that the printer had received the print job into its buffer and was still processing the print job.
More recently, peripheral devices such as printers have become available which are able to determine and relay information concerning their status through a communications port, such as a network interface card (NIC) or a printer (LPT) port. Thus, information concerning the printer's such as its device information (the manufacturer, command set and model of printer), the identity of the job it was currently processing, the status of its paper bins, ink supply, etc. which might be displayed on the printer's display panel, might be also relayed to a computer linked to the peripheral devices through a communications link. An example of this is the Lexmark Optra printer which provides identification data as well as other information as to status. However, querying the device and performing status checks slows the performance of the printer.
When numerous workstations are able to access an intelligent peripheral device through a network, the cumulative effect of their querying the peripheral device status repetitively is to significantly compromise the performance of the peripheral device. Such queries are also time consuming and make for inefficient use of network resources.
Furthermore, before the workstations can even access the peripheral devices, they typically perform a "discovery" operation. In performing discovery, a workstation searches the network for available peripheral devices. This discovery process can be quite burdensome to the network and can take a considerable amount of time. This burden is multiplied by the number of workstations on the network which perform discovery.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a system where workstations on a network can rapidly obtain information concerning the status of networked peripheral devices.
It is another object of the invention to provide a system where workstations on a network can rapidly obtain information concerning the status of networked peripheral devices without interfering with the performance of those peripheral devices.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a system wherein demand update of information concerning the status of networked peripheral devices is minimized so as to maintain device efficiency.

Network device discovery and status information distribution using independent information distribution processes

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.


A real time automated interactive mass communications system provides communications between a central communications processor and groups of subscribers. Typically, each group is associated with a central office. A set of local communication processors are provided, each being in two-way communication with the central processor and each being linked to one of the central offices and being preferably on site. Each local communication processor includes a processor unit, an audio controller and a set of multi-line controllers. The audio controller takes audio messages received from the central processor and generates a train or delayed set of the messages which are supplied to each of the multi-line controllers. Each multi-line controller services a set of lines connected to the central office switch, receives telephone number data from the central communication processor, and calls the list of telephone numbers to which it has been assigned. Upon detecting a subscriber response, the multi-line controller selects the next occurring message in the message train for transmission to the subscriber. Subscriber responses in the form of key depressions are detected in the multi-line controllers and are used to supply data relating to the subscriber response to the central communications processor.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to communications networks, and more particularly, to an automated interactive communications network for establishing simultaneous two-way communications between a central site and a large number of dispersed sites such as those of telephone subscribers.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
In many situations, such as polling, merchandising, warning systems, and remote reading of utility consumption, it is desireable to transmit telephone messages to a large number of telephone subscribers. Frequently, a single operator's console is provided to allow calls to be made. A separate link from the telephone subscriber to the central console is established, and a pre-recorded message is transmitted to the subscriber. Some systems provide only one-way communication between the operator and the telephone subscriber while others record responses for later analysis or processing. Typical systems access a group of subscribers in a sequential manner.
Telephone messaging systems are known that selectively and simultaneously transmit stored messages to telephone callers and have provisions for storing and distributing called-in messages. While some of these systems can simultaneously service numbers of callers, prerecorded or stored messages as opposed to real time responses, are provided.
Techniques including hardware and methodology are also available for the sequential transmission of telephonic messages between a central caller and a group of subscriber's. To do this on a large scale, that is, to communicate with thousands of possibly widely dispersed subscribers, would be so costly using conventional techniques as to be economically unattractive.
In addition, current systems lack the capability of compiling the results of the subscribers' responses in a practically instantaneous manner.

Automated interactive mass communications system


Techniques and mechanisms to provide satellite communication functionality with an antenna assembly. In an embodiment, a communication device includes an antenna panel (comprising one or more holographic antenna elements), a housing and hardware interfaces which facilitate operation of the communication device has a module of the antenna display. A cross-sectional profile of the housing may conform to a polygon other than any rectangle. A configuration of the housing and hardware interfaces may facilitate the formation of an antenna assembly arrangement other than that of any rectilinear array. In another embodiment, communication devices of the antenna assembly each conform to a triangle or a hexagon.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of antennas and more particularly, but not exclusively, relate to an assembly of modular antenna devices.
2. Background Art
Existing satellite systems usually include the use of dish systems that are designed to be mounted on a stand, with the horn pointing in at the dish surface. These and other satellite communication technologies occupy somewhat large footprints and tend to be inflexible in terms of system requirement.
Wireless technologies, such as those for satellite communication, continue to grow in number, variety and capability. The continually-changing nature of these technologies poses challenges for some use cases. For example, there is an increasing demand for the automotive industry to provide in-vehicle solutions to support, replace or supplement the use of consumer smartphones and on-board cellular technology modules. However, cars and trucks are expected to have a useful lifespan of approximately ten years. This is problematic, since communications systems often become outdated well before the end of a vehicle's useful lifespan. Moreover, automobiles vary significantly between each other. For at least these reasons, the automotive industry is one example of a market which can benefit from satellite communication solutions that are flexible in design and resource efficient.

Device, system and method for providing a modular antenna assembly


Hydrogen which has entered into a pressure/differential pressure transmitter from external or internally generated hydrogen and hydrocarbons are converted to air bubbles within pressure guide paths. As a result, the indicated value drifts and an accurate numerical value is not output. A pressure/differential pressure transmitter includes a space formed between a diaphragm and a main body side wall face, pressure guide paths connected to the main body side wall face, a sealed liquid sealed in the space and the pressure guide paths to transmit a pressure received by the diaphragm to a sensor, and a hydrogen absorption material provided at least in the sealed liquid, on the main body side wall face, or in a part of a path between the main body side wall face and the sensor to absorb hydrogen atoms in the sealed liquid.

The present invention relates to a pressure transmitter and transmission method, and in particular to a pressure transmitter and transmission method suitable for measuring a fluid pressure or a pressure difference between two points in an atomic power plant, an oil refining plant, and a chemical plant and transmitting a detected signal.
The pressure/differential pressure transmitter transfers a fluid pressure received by a diaphragm to a sensor by using a sealed liquid sealed in a pressure guide path and transmits an electric signal detected by the sensor to the external. There are pressure transmitters that measure an absolute pressure and pressure transmitters that measure a differential pressure.
These pressure/differential pressure transmitters are used in atomic power plants, oil refining plants and the like. From the viewpoint of securing the safety of plants and product quality, for example, a precision of ±1% is demanded. However, it is difficult to keep the precision over a long term by influence of hydrogen transmitted from the outside of the pressure/differential pressure transmitter.
In other words, a part of hydrogen (hydrogen molecules, hydrogen atoms, and hydrogen ions) contained in a measurement fluid is transmitted by the diaphragm and then accumulated as air bubbles in a sealed liquid filled in a pressure guide path. As a result, the pressure within the pressure guide path rises and it becomes impossible to properly transmit a change of the pressure applied to the diaphragm to the sensor, resulting in a lowered precision.
Formerly, therefore, hydrogen transmitted through the diaphragm from the external is suppressed by providing an intermediate layer composed of any one or a plurality of aluminum, copper, platinum and gold that spreads nearly in parallel with the surface, within the diaphragm in a thickness direction as described in, for example, JP-A-9-113394, by making the diaphragm in a pressure receiving unit double and providing a gas trap having a sealed hydrogen absorption alloy in a gap between the double diaphragms as described in, for example, JP-A-2002-71494, or by providing a hydrogen absorption film on a sealed liquid side of a diaphragm in a pressure receiving unit.

Pressure transmitter and transmission method


An aqueous composition that includes a) aqueous hydroxy functional, carboxy functional polymer including the reaction product of at least 5% by weight α,β-ethylenically unsaturated hydroxy monomer, at least 30% by weight ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer, from 0% by weight to less than 50% by weight α,β-ethylenically unsaturated nonhydroxy functional, noncarboxy functional monomer, and chain transfer agent, and b) condensation accelerator, and articles that include a nonwoven web including glass fibers, and cured aqueous binder composition.

The invention relates to aqueous formaldehyde-free compositions that include hydroxy functional, carboxy functional polymers.
Fibrous glass insulation products generally include glass fibers bonded together by a cured thermoset polymeric composition. Processes for making fiberglass insulation generally include drawing molten streams of glass into fibers of random lengths that are blown into a forming chamber where they are randomly deposited as a web onto a traveling conveyor. The fibers, while in transit in the forming chamber and while still hot from the drawing operation, are sprayed with an aqueous binder composition, e.g., a formaldehyde-based binder. The residual heat from the glass fibers and the flow of air through the fibrous mat during the forming operation are generally sufficient to volatilize the majority to all of the water from the binder, thereby leaving the remaining components of the binder on the fibers as a viscous or semi-viscous high solids liquid. The coated fibrous web is then transferred to a curing oven where heated air is blown through the web to cure the binder and bond the glass fibers together.
During the curing reaction, formaldehyde and low molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde compounds are volatilized from the composition and into the surrounding environment, which is undesirable for the people working around the fiberglass insulation manufacturing process and may be harmful to the environment.
A number of formaldehyde-free fiberglass binder compositions have been developed. Some of these compositions include α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid polymers, polyols and condensation accelerators. These compositions are applied to glass fibers and then dried in ovens at high temperatures to effect crosslinking. A portion of the lower molecular weight polyols present in the compositions may volatilize during the drying operation producing undesirable volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. Some of these compositions are also in the form of emulsions, which can create processing and equipment difficulties during fiberglass manufacturing. Some of these formulations are also in the form of two part compositions requiring the user to mix the parts of the composition prior to use.

Aqueous formaldehyde-free composition and fiberglass insulation including the same


A computer-implemented method includes creating a premiums escrow, with a zero balance, for a group of policyholders and managed using a distributed ledger and self-executing agreement. At a term beginning, the self-executing agreement receives premium payments using cryptocurrency from each policyholder and allocates the premium payments to the premiums escrow. During the term the self-executing agreement receives a notification of an incident claim associated with a claimant policyholder. At a term end, the self-executing agreement receives payment instructions from the policyholders; pays, using cryptocurrency from the premiums escrow, the claimant an incident claim payment larger than the premium payment and determined according to the payment instructions; and distributes to the policyholders a rebate payment equal to or lower than the premium payment from the premiums escrow, which returns to a zero balance. The self-executing agreement stores a record of the incident claim in a tamper-proof, publicly-available, non-repudiable distributed ledger.

Distributed ledger technology allows data and transactions to be stored in a distributed database, making it very difficult or impossible to tamper with the data, falsify the data, or otherwise deny the occurrence of a transaction recorded on the distributed ledger. This attribute of distributed ledger technology is known as non-repudiation. Self-executing agreements, commonly referred to as smart contracts, execute in a distributed ledger environment.

Computer systems and software for self-executing code and distributed database


The disclosed invention relates to novel crystalline compositions which may be obtained by doping the alpha (α) form of AlPO4 ceramics, which find use as piezoelectric materials, stable supports for catalysts, biotechnology uses, and the like.

The cristobalite phase of aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) ceramic exists in two modifications, the low temperature cristobalite (denoted as, low cristobalite, or α-form) and the high temperature cristobalite (high cristobalite, or β-form). The two modifications are separated by a reversible phase transformation that occurs at about 270° C. The phase transformation results in abrupt volume and structural changes and discontinuous thermal expansion, which are not conducive to technological applications. Structures of the α- and β-phases have been reported by various researchers including Wright and Leadbetter (Phil. Mag. 31, 1391, 1975). AlPO4 is isomorphous with silica and exists with silica in various forms including the α-cristobalite form, with phase transformations at similar temperatures. The structure of the alpha form of AlPO4 is tetragonal, a=b=5.03 Angstroms and c=7.00 Angstroms with space group C2221. The structure of the α-AlPO4 phase is similar to corresponding silica structures with Al and P atoms alternately replacing the silicon atoms. (Mooney, Acta Cryst. 9, 728, 1956) The structure of β-AlPO4 shows a cubic structure, space group F-43m, with a ˜7.2 Angstroms.
It is well known in the glass ceramics field that high temperature forms of silica can be formed at relatively low temperatures by stabilizing the ceramic matrix with dopants. The silica counterpart of the aluminum phosphate materials described above (tetragonal α-cristobalite) undergoes a displacement phase transition to the cubic high temperature β-phase at about 300° C. Various reports regarding the stabilization of cristobalite phases of silica ceramics by various methods have been issued. U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,857, M. A. Saltzberg, et al., J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 1992, 75, 89, and P. L. Gai, et al., J. Solid State Chemistry, 1993, 106, 35, all describe chemically stabilized solution-derived silica β-cristobalite of the type CaxAlySi1-x-yO2 and its compositions. R. D. Shannon, et al., Phys. and Chem. Miner. 1992, 19, 157, reported compositions in the BPO4/AlPO4/SiO2 system (BAPOS), with compositions up to 75% AlPO4, 75% SiO2 and 50–60% BPO4. A relatively high amount (approximately 15%) BPO4, was used in these studies. The authors reported the presence of secondary amorphous phases (i.e., the materials were not single phase), and suggested that stabilization could be achieved using only framework ions (i.e., no ions in the interstices).
M. Rokita, et al., Pr. Kom. Nauk. Ceram. Pol. Akad. Nauk 1997, 54, 161 describe the synthesis of solid-solutions of SiO2—AlPO4. A single dopant, 20–75% mole % SiO2, was used. The structures and compositions of the solid solution with this single dopant (SiO2) were not determined because the solid solution formed multiphasic systems. Also, a relatively large mole percent (20–75 mole %) of the dopant SiO2 is used in this work. M. Handke, et al., Vib. Spectr, 1999, 19(2) 419–423 show spectroscopic data from these compounds and demonstrate that multiphasic systems are formed.
Stable ceramic materials are required for a number of end-uses, including use as piezoelectrical materials (i.e., structured materials which produce electric polarization when mechanical stress is applied), as stable supports in catalysis and biotechnology, as ceramic fillers with low dielectric constants in electronic application and as ceramic coatings for reactor materials.
In view of the foregoing, it is advantageous to develop a stable ceramic material that is single phasic through a wide range of temperatures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Crystalline compositions of doped aluminum phosphate


An air-assisted electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle includes an intake sleeve, a Laval tube, a resonant body and a jet element body. The left end of the intake sleeve is equipped with the air intake, and the right end of the air inlet sleeve is connected with the left end of the Laval tube. The right end of the Laval tube is connected with the left end of the resonant body. The right end of the resonant body is connected with the left end of the jet element body. The sealing surface of the resonant tube is arranged between the resonant body and the jet element body. The sealing surface of the resonant tube obstructs the gas-liquid in the axial direction of the resonant body and the jet element body. The resonant body has a resonant chamber, and the sidewall of the resonant body is equipped with a V-shaped resonant tube.

Since 1988, the first electrostatic spraying technology has been successfully promoted in China. Compared with conventional spraying technology, electrostatic spraying technology has obvious advantages. Mist droplets have large coverage and small particle size, which improves the effective utilization rate of liquid pesticides and fundamentally reduces environmental pollution and labor intensity, thereby reducing the cost.
Ultrasonic atomization uses the dynamic action of fluid to generate ultrasonic waves to produce cavitation atomization droplets into small molecular droplets. Compared with other atomization technologies, it has the advantages of low cost, small droplet size, uniform distribution and large atomization volume. Ultrasonic atomization technology is widely used in pesticide equipment, agricultural atomization cultivation, industrial dust removal, sewage treatment and many other applications.
The gas-assisted electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle has the advantages of a long service life, good spray effect and high reliability. At present, according to the existing spraying technology in the field of agricultural engineering, the development and research of various nozzles are still being improved. Therefore, the level of electrostatic ultrasonic atomization technology has many places worthy of further study.

Air-assisted electrostatic ultrasonic atomization nozzle and method


A system may include an inflatable towable vehicle. The inflatable towable vehicle may include a spinner apparatus attached to a bottom side of the inflatable towable vehicle. At least a portion of the spinner apparatus may be configured to be submerged when the inflatable towable vehicle is towed in water. The spinner apparatus may include: a base configured to abut the bottom side of the inflatable towable vehicle when the spinner apparatus is attached to the bottom side of the inflatable towable vehicle; a post extending away from the base; a cylindrical tube, wherein the post may extend through the cylindrical tube, wherein the cylindrical tube may be configured to rotate around the post; and a tow rope attachment member attached to and extending from the cylindrical tube. The inflatable towable vehicle may be configured to rotate as the inflatable towable vehicle is towed.

Riding inflatable towable vehicles, which may be towed by a watercraft, is a common recreational activity. Current inflatable towable vehicles do not rotate when towed by a watercraft. Previous attempts to cause rotation of inflatable towable vehicles when towed has resulted in rotation that spins too quickly, causing sickness and dizziness for the riders.

Inflatable towable vehicle spinner apparatus and system


An apparatus an method are disclosed for dividing a two-dimensional matrix of pixels into at least first and second areas. For each pixel, it is determined in which the area the pixel is located. Then, the pixels in the first area are processed according to a first processing/compression scheme, and the pixels in the second area are processed according to a second processing/compression scheme. A data bit stream is generated which represents the processed/compressed pixels and their associated areas, and the data bit stream can be stored or transmitted in lieu of the entire matrix of pixels. If desired, the pixels in the first area can be processed less frequently than the pixels in the second area, and the areas themselves can be established in response to the frequency of variations in the pixel values.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video data processing, and more particularly to efficiently transmitting and storing video data.
2. Description of the Related Art
The area of multimedia is a large and still-growing industry which stores, processes, and transmits data and programs in multimedia formats. Multimedia programming includes, among other things, educational and entertainment audio-visual programs. Because of the world-wide acceptance of multimedia programming, and the demand for ever more such programming, the multimedia industry has launched several large-scale efforts geared toward providing multimedia programming on demand.
Most commonly, a multimedia program consists of both audio data and visual data. With current technology, video data is generated by filming an object and generating a series of raster-scanned video images of the object. Each image is established by a two-dimensional matrix of picture elements, referred to as xe2x80x9cpixelsxe2x80x9d, and the data record established by each matrix is relatively large, i.e., the data record established by each matrix contains a relatively large number of pixels.
In many approaches common in the art, each pixel defines a numerical value (currently an integer in the range 0-255) which represents a color or a color and an intensity. To transmit or store an image, a bit stream representing all of the pixels in the matrix and their associated values is generated and then stored or transmitted as appropriate.
Typically, when a multimedia program includes a video display, about thirty such images of an object must be generated and processed for each second of viewing time. It accordingly can be appreciated that a single video program requires the storage and/or transmission of a large number of relatively large data records, on the order of tens of megabits per second. Indeed, according to the May-June 1992 issue of the MIT Technology Review, xe2x80x9cvideo is a glutton for bandwidthxe2x80x9d which consequently can xe2x80x9csaturatexe2x80x9d many existing networks, particularly in the event that a single network must handle more than a few video transmissions. Such a consideration is of growing importance in light of the advent of video-on-demand discussed above.
Accordingly, to reduce the amount of a multimedia program""s video data which must be stored and/or transmitted, methods have been introduced for xe2x80x9ccompressingxe2x80x9d video data. Data compression essentially omits from the bit stream that is to be transmitted certain data in a particular data record. For example, in video image transmission, a simple compression technique may include, in the bit stream to be transmitted, only data which represents pixels that have changed relative to the immediately preceding image frame. Many other compression techniques exist which compress data to relatively lesser or greater degrees.
As the skilled artisan will appreciate, a trade-off exists in determining how much to compress video data. More particularly, it is the case that relatively great compression results in less data to transmit, but also tends to undesirably result in corruption of the image that is received for display.
Nonetheless, current compression techniques ordinarily are not tailored to a particular program or application. Likewise, current compression techniques do not permit a user to modify or otherwise tailor the compression processing to a particular program or application.
This is unfortunate, because a compression technique that may be suitable for one program may not be suitable for another. For example, a technique which compresses data to a relatively large degree may be suitable for a program in which relatively little on-screen activity occurs, but may be unsuitable for a program having a large amount of on-screen activity, because a large degree of data compression could corrupt the video image in such a program an unacceptable amount. Likewise, a technique that compresses data a relatively small degree may be suitable for a program in which much on-screen activity occurs, but would be an inefficient technique for a program having a small amount of on-screen activity, because much data would be unnecessarily included in the bit stream. Further, it is often the case in video programs that not all on-screen activity is equally important, yet the entire image typically is subjected to a single compression technique. As can be inferred from the above discussion, this can result in either unacceptable corruption of important portions of the image or inefficient transmission of bit streams which include more data than is necessary.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for interactively establishing one or more compression techniques for a pixel matrix. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for dynamically establishing a compression technique for a pixel matrix. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for establishing compression techniques which is easy to use and cost-effective.
A computer system for processing a video image includes a central processing unit (CPU) and at least one data record representative of a video image frame. The data record, which is accessible by the CPU, includes a plurality of elements that represent a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix.
A boundary definer establishes first and second areas of the matrix, and a locator is operably engaged with the boundary definer for determining, for at least some of the pixels, which of the pixels are located in the first area and which of the pixels are located in the second area. A pixel processor is operably engaged with the locator for processing the elements representing the pixels in the first area in accordance with a first processing scheme and for processing the elements representing the pixels in the second area in accordance with a second processing scheme.
Preferably, the pixel processor generates a bit stream which is representative of the pixels and the area of each. Also, the system preferably includes an I/O device for selectively causing the bit stream to be stored in a storage device or transmitted across a communications network. If desired, the bit stream representing the pixels in the first area is compressed relative to the number of pixels in the first area.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the video program defines a sampling cycle, and the system further includes a timer for establishing a sampling interval threshold which is longer than the sampling cycle. As intended by the present invention, the pixel processor processes the elements representing the pixels in the second area each sampling cycle, and the pixel processor processes the elements representing the pixels in the first area each sampling interval threshold. Additionally, each pixel defines a corresponding variable value, and the boundary definer can establish the first and second areas in response to variations in the values of the pixels.
In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for processing data elements representing an image includes means for establishing first and second areas of the image, and means for determining, for at least some of the elements, which of the elements are located in the first area and which of the elements are located in the second area. Also, the apparatus includes means for processing the elements in the first area in accordance with a first processing scheme and for processing the elements in the second area in accordance with a second processing scheme.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method is disclosed for processing data representing pixels arranged in a matrix. The method of the present invention includes defining at least first and second areas within the matrix and determining which pixels are within the first area and which pixels are within the second area. Then, the data representing pixels in the first area is processed in accordance with a first processing scheme, while the data representing pixels in the second area is processed in accordance with a second processing scheme.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for processing pixels of a video image which defines a sampling cycle includes a data record. The data record in turn includes a matrix of pixels which represent an image, and the matrix is defined by at least first and second areas. Also, a timer is provided for establishing a sampling interval threshold which is longer than the sampling cycle. Furthermore, a pixel processor processes the pixels in the first area each sampling cycle and processes the pixels in the second area each sampling interval threshold.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for processing pixels includes the steps of providing a data record that includes a matrix of pixels representing an image, wherein the matrix is defined by at least first and second areas. A sampling cycle and a sampling interval threshold are established such that the sampling interval threshold is longer than the sampling cycle, and the pixels in the first area are processed each sampling cycle. On the other hand, the pixels in the second area are processed each sampling interval threshold.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for processing pixels which are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix includes the steps of establishing first and second areas of the matrix, and then determining, for at least some of the pixels, which of the pixels are located in the first area and which of the pixels are located in the second area. Next, the pixels in the first area are processed in accordance with a first processing scheme, while the pixels in the second area are processed in accordance with a second processing scheme.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:

Apparatus and method for processing video data

International Business Machines Corporation