An image forming apparatus and an image density control method for controlling image density in the image forming apparatus, involving adjusting a toner concentration control reference value in accordance with an amount of the toner replaced in a developing device so as to adjust the image density to maintain a consistent developability and changing image forming intervals in accordance with an amount of the toner replaced in the developing device during continuous printing operation.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus including printers, copiers, and facsimiles, and an image density control method employed therein.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, in addition to high imaging quality, durability and stability are expected of image forming apparatuses, such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and the like. In other words, it is necessary to minimize fluctuation in imaging quality and provide consistently stable imaging regardless of changes in operating environment or in operating conditions, such as continuous printing and intermittent printing.
Conventionally, a two-component developing method using a two-component developer composed essentially of a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier (hereinafter referred simply as a developer) is widely known.
In the two-component developing method, the developer is borne on a developer bearing member (hereinafter referred to as a developing sleeve) including magnetic poles therein. The magnetic poles in the developer sleeve form a magnetic brush thereon. When a developing bias is supplied to the developing sleeve at a position facing a photoreceptor serving as a latent image carrier, a latent image on the photoreceptor surface is developed.
The two-component developing method is widely used because colorization is relatively easy with this method. In the two-component developing method, the developer is transported to a developing region by the rotation of the developing sleeve. When the developer is transported to the developing region, a number of magnetic carrier particles with toner particles in the developer are concentrated along magnetic lines of the magnetic poles, thereby forming the magnetic brush.
More than in a single-component developing method, in the two-component developing method it is important to control accurately a weight ratio of a toner and a carrier, that is, a toner concentration, in order to enhance stability. For example, when the toner concentration is too high, contamination of a background in an image and/or reduction in the resolution of fine images may occur.
By contrast, when the toner concentration is too low, the toner concentration of a solid portion of an image may decrease or the carrier may stick inadvertently. For this reason, it is necessary to regulate an amount of toner supply so that the concentration of toner in the developer is properly maintained.
One common method of regulating the toner concentration involves, for example, comparing an output value Vt of a toner concentration detector (such as a permeability sensor) to a toner concentration control reference value Vtref. In accordance with a difference between Vt and Vtref obtained, the amount of toner to be supplied is calculated, thereby enabling a toner supply device to supply the toner to a developing device in the proper amount.
The above-described method using the permeability sensor is one common method of detecting toner concentration. In this method, a change in the permeability of the developer caused by a change in the toner concentration represents a change in the toner concentration.
Another known method for detecting the toner concentration uses an optical sensor. In this method, a reference pattern is created on the image bearing member or an intermediate transfer belt and scanned with LED light. Reflected light (specular light or diffuse reflection) from the reference pattern is detected by an optical sensor such as a photodiode and a phototransistor. Based on a result provided by the optical sensor, the toner concentration or an amount of toner adhered to the reference pattern can be detected.
In a variation of the above-described approach, a reference pattern (a reference toner pattern) is created between recording sheets. In other words, the reference pattern is created at certain intervals (time or distance) between a previous imaging operation and a subsequent imaging operation. The photosensor detects reflected light from the reference toner pattern, thereby controlling the toner concentration control reference value Vtref.
Thus, for example, in a method for controlling image density disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Application Publications Nos. Sho57-136667 and Hei02-34877, a toner pattern is formed in a non-image portion of an image and a detector detects a pattern density of the toner pattern. In accordance with the density of the toner pattern, a target value for the toner concentration control is adjusted to maintain image density.
However, a drawback of forming the toner pattern at the intervals between the previous and the subsequent transfer sheets is unnecessary toner consumption. Consequently, there is strong market demand for reducing the amount of toner consumed to produce the toner pattern. For this reason, when correction of the toner concentration is performed by forming the reference toner pattern between transfer sheets, either the frequency of formation of the toner patterns tends to be reduced or no reference toner pattern is formed at all.
Further, in a case in which the toner pattern is formed on the intermediate transfer belt and the secondary transfer roller is not separated from the intermediate transfer belt for each image-forming operation, a cleaning device is needed to remove the toner from the reference pattern that adheres to the secondary transfer roller.
By contrast, when the secondary transfer roller is separated from the intermediate transfer belt every time an image-forming operation is finished or after a certain number of image-forming operations, no cleaning device may be needed. However, in this case, mechanical durability of the structure is required in order to accommodate repeated separation of the secondary transfer roller from the intermediate transfer belt. In addition, when the secondary transfer roller separates from and contacts the intermediate transfer belt it generates vibrations that may show up as banding in an image.
As described above, it is desirable to reduce the frequency of formation of the toner patterns, for reasons of both imaging quality and cost reduction.
Accordingly, Japanese Patent No. 3410198 discloses ways in which the toner concentration may be reliably maintained. According to Japanese Patent No. 3410198, when the amount of toner supplied is controlled using the toner concentration sensor, fluctuation in the output of the toner concentration sensor caused by fluctuation in fluidity of the developer due to the duration of agitation is corrected.
However, even if a certain toner concentration is maintained, when developability of the developer is not stable, that is, when an amount of charge on the toner is not consistent, it is difficult to maintain the image density reliably solely by maintaining consistent toner concentration sensor output.
As a result, recently there have appeared image forming apparatuses that use methods for preventing the developing device from stressing the toner, such as adding additives such as silica (SiO2), titanium oxide (TiO2), or the like to the surface of the toner in order to enhance dispersion of the toner in image forming apparatuses using a two-component color developer.
However, such additives are susceptible to degradation due to mechanical stress or heat. Consequently, when being agitated in the developing device, such additives may be absorbed into the toner or separated inadvertently from the toner surface, causing fluctuation in fluidity and/or charging characteristics of the developer. Further, physical adhesion properties of the toner and the carrier may also change.
Moreover, when the stress generated by the developing device is reduced, the toner charging ability, that is, the ability of the developing device to charge the toner, may deteriorate for the following reason.
When an image having a relatively low ratio of an image area to the total area of the image is output, that is, when a relatively small amount of the toner is replaced per unit of time or per unit of sheets, the developability is maintained consistently. In other words, a slope of a graph, plotting amount of the toner developed against developing bias constant.
By contrast, when an image having a relatively large ratio of the image area to the total area of the image is output, that is, when a relatively large amount of the toner is replaced per unit of time or per unit of sheets, the developability may increase.
In other words, the developability changes depending on the amount of the toner replaced in the developer. This means that the developability changes even if the toner concentration does not change. Consequently, the toner concentration control reference value needs to be adjusted in order to maintain consistent developability over time.
However, there is a problem in that, when the image area ratio is relatively high, the toner concentration may not be maintained reliably simply by adjusting the toner concentration control reference value.
In view of the above, conventionally, electric potential is regulated during printing of an image having a high image area ratio so as to adjust image forming bias for forming the image and thus stabilize the image density.
According to this related-art approach, a print job is temporarily halted and the apparatus is put into an adjustment mode. Reference toner patterns of approximately 10 gradations are formed on the intermediate transfer belt, and the densities thereof are detected by the photosensor. According to a formula that relates the developing potential and the amount of the toner adhered, an appropriate developing bias can be obtained. Subsequently, the apparatus is returned to a print mode and printing is resumed.
However, with this configuration, the designated reference pattern for adjustment of the potential needs to be formed and detected, thereby generating more downtime for the image forming apparatus.

Image forming apparatus and image density control method


A hydraulic fracking aqueous fluid, including: water; one or more soluble calcium salts; a carbonate ion generating compound; and one or more soluble zinc salts. A method for fracking an underground formation using the hydraulic fracking fluid.

Shale oil wells need to be fractured in order to enhance natural formation fractures and form new long and entangled fractures. The fracture network formed thereby shows high permeability channels and allows obtaining the oil that is embedded in the formation rock. However, the formation fractures tend to close or collapse due to the existing pressure and stresses in the formation rock, and therefore the fractures are typically kept open by placing proppants therein carried by a suitable fluid. The development of new proppants of different kinds with improved or customized properties has been rapidly increasing in the last decades.
One main drawback of typical proppants is their rapid settlement in low viscosity fluids what prevents the proppants from flowing far into the fractures. Currently, this situation is dealt with by increasing pumping flow rates and drastically decreasing the proppant particle size. Nevertheless, the proppant settlement cannot be completely avoided, and proppants cannot reach the farthest zones of the well. Thus, only about 20%-50% of fractured volume is typically effectively propped up and the remaining 50%-80% of the volume reached by the fracture fluid will remain unpropped with a very low oil production.
Acid treatments have been suggested for chemically stimulating shale oil rock and increase fracture conductivity, but treatments of this kind often result in shale softening and conductivity spoilage.
It has been recently suggested that a possible way of overcoming said drawback was the generation of proppants in situ, i.e. within the formation, even in the farthest zones the fracture fluid can reach. To this end. Chang et al. (In-Situ Formation of Proppant and Highly Permeable Blocks for Hydraulic Fracturing. Oil Chem Technologies. 2015. SPE-173328-MS) proposed the injection of polymer-based solutions to generate spherical polymeric particles in situ. However, the viscosity of the designed fluid would affect the desired fracture complexity for shale rocks. In addition, the type of proppants obtained are too deformable and are not suitable for improving fracture conductivity.
Songyang Tong, et al. (Generation of In-Situ Proppant through Hydro-Thermal Reactions. The University of Texas at Austin. 2019. SPE-194320-MS) suggested hydro-thermal reactions to generate HAp (Hydroxyapatite) crystals on calcite-rich shale surface to act as in-situ proppants to improve fracture conductivity. Hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) ranks 5 in Mohs hardness scale. Calcite can be converted to HAp through hydrothermal dissolution/precipitation reactions. The main disadvantage of this system is that the areal concentration of the proppant generated depends on the amount of calcite present in the rock formation, that means, the proppant will probably not be generated in calcite-free or low concentration calcite shale surface.
Thus, there remains an unmet need of new methods of preparing proppants deep within the rock formation fractures that typical commercial proppants do not reach because of their early settlement.

Hydraulic fracking fluid for generating proppants in situ and fracking method with proppant generation in situ


An apparatus for identifying a client accessing a first network site utilizes a control site to maintain information relating to the client. To that end, in response to receipt of a request from the client to access the first network site, it is determined if the client includes a first site data block. If it is determined that the client does not include the first site data block, then the control site is controlled to produce a control site data block having both control site identification data and a client identifier. The control site data block then is transmitted from the control site to the client In a similar manner, the client identifier is transmitted from the control site to the first network site. Upon receipt of the client identifier by the first network site, the first network site is controlled to transmit the first site data block to the client. The first site data block may have both the client identifier and first site identification data.

The World Wide Web is a collection of servers connected to the Internet that utilize the Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP"). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users with access to documents (e.g., web pages at a web site) written in a standard mark-up page description language known as Hypertext Markup Language ("HTML"). HTTP is used to transmit HTML web pages between a remote computer (e.g., a server) and a client computer in a form that is understandable to browser software (e.g., Netscape Navigator.TM., available from Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, California) executing on the client computer.
A web site can be customized to a specific user of a client computer (hereinafter "client") when information about that client is available to the site. For example, if a web site has access to a record indicating that a client is a sports fan, then the site may be specially configured to display a sports advertisement whenever that client accesses the site. Such functionality can encourage sports sponsors for the web site, consequently increasing site revenue.
To that end, the World Wide Web utilizes "cookies" to provide client information to a web site. As is known in the art, a cookie is a data block that is transmitted to a client browser by a web site. Upon receipt, the browser stores the cookie in a given manner such as, for example, in a text file called "cookie.txt." The cookie is transmitted back to the web site each time the browser requests access to a web page from the web site.
Among other things, cookies commonly include data identifying the client requesting access. When used in this manner, such data may be utilized to access a database at the web site to ascertain relatively large quantities of data about the client. Since the World Wide Web includes many interconnected servers, many databases can have the same information relating to a single client. The art has responded to this unnecessary information duplication by locating information on shared central computer systems that may be accessed by two or more web sites. More particularly, whenever accessed by a client, any one of several web sites can access a single database on a shared central computer system to obtain stored information (if any) relating to the client. Information thus is shared by each web site that has access to the registration system.
One known method of implementing a shared central computer system as described above requires that the central computer system web site upload a cookie to a client while the client is accessing one of the member web sites (i.e., while the client is in the member web site domain). One such system is the DOUBLE CLICK NETWORK.TM. system, available from DoubleClick Inc., of New York, N.Y. This type of system is ineffective, however, if a browser is configured to receive cookies from no other domains other than the domain in which the browser is currently accessing. For example, when accessing a web site in a domain "site.com", a browser configured to receive cookies from no more than one domain cannot receive cookies from a domain "registration.com." Use of a browser configured in such a manner undesirably eliminates the functionality of such a centralized client information system.

Apparatus and method for identifying clients accessing network sites


A method includes detecting that a first device in a memory array has degraded, the first device storing a portion of a data record, wherein the data record is encoded using a first error control technique. The method continues with recovering the data record using portions of the data record stored in devices other than the first device in the memory array and encoding the data record using a second error control technique. The method also includes storing the data record in the devices of the memory array other than the first device.

In a computer memory system, it is very important that the user be able to retrieve an exact copy of the data stored in the devices that constitute the system. To facilitate the retrieval of an exact copy, error control information may be added to each data word prior to storage in the data storage devices. As each data word is retrieved, the portion of each word that contains the error control information is examined so that errors present in the portion of the data word that contains the information can be detected and corrected. However, an error control code suitable for use with memory systems that include one type of storage device may not be suitable for use with systems that include other types of storage devices.

Preserving data integrity in a memory system


Techniques for transmission control in a wireless communication system are described. In a system comprising a plurality of voice and data users, a threshold is set reflecting a minimum gain at which a data user will be allowed to transmit. At each of a plurality of time slots, the circumstances, including the instantaneous gains, of all data users are evaluated and the data user having the highest priority is selected as a candidate for transmission. If the candidate for transmission experiences a gain meeting the gain threshold, the candidate is directed to transmit at a power level inversely proportional to the gain. If the candidate for transmission does not experience a gain meeting the threshold, the candidate is inhibited from transmission.

As wireless telephony has become more and more prevalent, the ways in which it is used have continued to expand. In recent years, wireless data transmission has increased in popularity and many users wish to be able to use a single wireless telephone, served by a single wireless network, to conduct voice communication or data communication as the need arises. A wireless network offering its users the choice of voice and data communication using the same facilities must be able to simultaneously accommodate voice users and data users. Voice and data users, however, have different needs, constraints and requirements. One particularly important main distinction is that voice users need to maintain a constant rate of communication. Every voice user, while carrying on a conversation, needs to be able to transmit and receive information continuously, maintaining a relatively constant communication rate. Data users, who in the context of this application will be classified as users who are not operating in real time and who are using delay-tolerant applications such as email, file transfer, web browsing or data synchronization applications, can tolerate delay and can easily sacrifice continuous communication in order to maximize the average communication rate, or throughput, achieved. Real-time applications such as audio or video have constraints and requirements that are very similar to those of voice users. All voice users need to be able to transmit all the time, while data users can tolerate being periodically inhibited from transmitting in order to allow the most efficient use of the transmission channel. Allowing all data users to transmit continuously would either require the addition of resources, with corresponding expense, or would interfere with the transmission ability of voice users. Such a circumstance would disadvantage voice users without presenting data users with a corresponding advantage. Moreover, the power consumed by a user transmitting at a fixed rate is inversely proportional to the instantaneous channel gain experienced by that user. Allowing a data user to transmit in circumstances where the data user experienced an insufficient gain would cause the user to consume excessive power. Most wireless network users depend on batteries for power, so excessive consumption resulting from transmission under circumstances providing insufficient gain would waste the user's battery power.
There exists, therefore, a need for a system that will provide a constant transmission rate to voice users while allowing access by data users in a way that maximizes average data throughput and efficiency of power consumption by the data users while minimizing the negative impact of data communication on voice users.

Methods and apparatus for resource management in integrated wireless data and voice communications


A carton includes a top portion and a bottom portion. Each portion includes a front wall, a rear wall, and opposing side walls extending therebetween. The top portion and bottom portion include respective top and bottom surfaces. The rear walls of the top and bottom portions are hingedly connected to another along respective outer edges. When closed, the top portion and bottom portion define a cavity for storing an item. The carton also includes a separation region defined on the top and bottom portions that extends from an outside edge of the front wall of the top portion, around the top portion and the bottom portion, to an outside edge of the front wall of the bottom portion. The separation region is configured to facilitate controlled separation of the carton into first and second side portions and to prevent liquid flow through separation region.

Clamshell cartons are utilized in food service industries to hold various food items, such as hamburgers and hot dogs. Typical cartons are made from cardboard. Printing may be provided on one side of the carton to identify the food item within the carton.
During normal usage, a server may place a sandwich, hamburger or other food item into the carton and then close the carton. A consumer typically removes the food item by reaching around the side of the food item and into the carton to grasp the bottom of the food item.


Disclosed is a monitoring and control device, applicable to an illumination apparatus. The illumination apparatus includes a lighting unit which outputs a signal representative of a status of the lighting unit. The illumination apparatus includes an apparatus identifier. The illumination apparatus includes: a monitoring circuit electrically coupled to the lighting unit, for receiving the signal and determining whether the illumination apparatus needs to be replaced in response to the signal satisfying a condition; a controller electrically coupled to the monitoring circuit; and a receiving/transmitting unit electrically coupled to the controller, wherein the controller controls the receiving/transmitting unit to transmit the apparatus identifier of the illumination apparatus to be replaced in response to the determination is affirmative. A method thereof is also disclosed.

The present invention generally relates to illumination and in particular, relates to a monitoring and control device and method for an illumination apparatus and the illumination apparatus and an illumination system thereof.
Illumination apparatuses are indispensable in people's living, and have played significant roles in the development of cities for a long time. Whether in the cities or the countries, illumination apparatuses are everywhere to be seen, such as at homes, offices, streets, public spaces, etc.
When an illumination apparatus is damaged or has lumen depreciation, manual inspection is generally required for replacement or maintenance. However, manual inspection is extremely time-consuming and inefficient, and also has the shortcomings of delayed inspection/response. For illumination apparatuses installed on streets, if damages are not timely inspected/responded, issues in traffic and pedestrian safety may occur.
In conventional technologies, a signal path may be configured at the same time when configuring power lines of the power plant, and the damaged illumination apparatus may be detected according to the power status and an alert may be sent using the signal path; however, such a scheme has a rather high cost. In another conventional technology, each street lamp has a GSM transceiver system or a SIM card to communicate with a control system, which requires additional equipment and telecommunication company charges, and the costs in both software and hardware are increased. In still another conventional technology, the above two schemes may be combined, yet the issue of higher costs in software and hardware remains.

Monitoring and control device and method for an illumination apparatus

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


An automated identification and configuration system for use with an implantable medical device (IMD) is disclosed. The system includes a first communication circuit that is attached to, or otherwise carried by, a detachable component associated with the IMD such as a medical lead. The communication circuit stores data such as model numbers, serial numbers, technical data, and/or calibration information that describes the additional component. This information may be transferred by the first communications circuit to a second communications circuit that is external to the additional component. This transferred data can be used to automatically configure the internal circuitry and connection functions of the IMD to properly interface with, and support, the additional component. For example, the data can be used to automatically adjust amplifier gains or other sensor circuitry, or to configure a connector block to properly couple to the component. The data may further be entered into a patient record on an external programmer, or may be transferred to a central storage location to be generally accessible to health care providers. In one embodiment, the first communication circuit is a passive RF transponder. This first communication circuit may include a receiver as well as a transmitter to allow the circuit to programmably receive data at the time of component manufacture.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to implantable medical devices; and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus to automatically identify multiple leads and their proper connection to an implantable medical device such as a pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator.
2. Background Art
An implantable intravascular lead assembly is often implanted within a patient's body to provide electrical stimulation to the heart. Such lead assemblies may include one or more electrical conductors that are adapted to be suitably connected to a source of electrical energy, which may be a pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator. The electrical conductor, in turn, includes an electrode tip that engages the endocardial or epicardial tissue of the heart to provide stimulation and sensing capabilities. The lead assembly may be intravenously inserted through a body vessel, such as a vein, into one or more cardiac chambers, or alternatively, attached to the epicardial surface of the heart. The conductor is sealed from body fluids by a biocompatible and bio-stable insulating material.
In a typical lead assembly, the electrode tip is firmly lodged in, and permanently secured to, the endothelial lining or epicardial surface of the heart. These lead assemblies are referred to as an endocardial or epicardial lead, respectively. Some examples of conventional endocardial and epicardial leads may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,348,548 to Chardack, U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,555 to Schmitt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,814,104 to Irnich et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,292 to Bolduc, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,834 to Kane, U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,014 to Williams, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,343 to Smits. A representative defibrillation lead is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,355 to Williams.
With the increased use of multi-chamber pacemakers and defibrillators such as those that provide bi-atrial or bi-ventricular pacing capabilities, multiple leads are required to deliver electrical stimulation to various locations within the heart. With the use of multiple leads that are positioned within one or more small vessels of the body, it has become even more important to minimize lead and lead connector size. As leads become smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to mark leads with the appropriate identification, including manufacturer identification and/or lead model and serial numbers. This may make it more difficult for a physician to determine which lead is to be inserted into a given port of an implantable medical device (IMD) during an implant procedure.
One solution to providing marking information on lead systems is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,030 to Yang. This patent discloses a single-pass transvenous lead for atrial sensing and pacing, ventricular sensing and pacing, as well as for ventricular and atrial defibrillation. Visual indicators are provided on the lead to identify which one of several distal electrode pairs are being used.
Another solution to properly configuring the leads of an IMD is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,279 to Duffin. The described medical electrical pulse generator includes a switchable connector assembly. The connector assembly is provided with connector bores that are each adapted to receive a medical electrical lead. Electrical connectors located within the bores are arranged such that interconnection of the pulse generator circuitry and the configuration of the electrodes on the leads and/or housing of the device can be altered by means of connector pins.
Yet another method of attaching multiple electrode leads to an IMD is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,934 to Pohndorf. The '934 patent describes an electronic electrode switching circuit that minimizes the number of feedthroughs from a pacer case to a pacer neck that are needed to couple to the pacing lead electrodes. These feedthroughs can be selectively connected to a desired electrode by the physician at the time of initial implantation or any time thereafter. The electronic connection to a feedthrough may be dedicated to a single electrode or electrode pair, or alternatively, the electrodes may be electronically sampled by circuitry in the pacer. The electrode switching circuit may be located in the pacer neck, in an adapter between the pacer neck and a multielectrode lead, or in a multielectrode lead.
Another method for automatically configuring the multiple leads of an IMD is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,118 to Hirschberg. The '118 patent describes an implantable cardiac stimulator with at least two terminals. Each terminal is connectable to an implantable electrode for delivering stimulation pulses to a heart, and/or for sensing cardiac activity signals. The stimulator also has a switch and a control unit which operates the switch, so that one or both terminals are connectable to the pulse generator. The control unit identifies a position status for at least one of the electrodes in response to a signal received at the time of implantation. Although the control unit may use a signal from an electrode to configure the switch, premature sensed events, artifacts and/or EMI may cause the control unit to incorrectly configure the system.
Another identification system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,120 to Knapp, which involves a passive transponder that may be encoded with a binary value that may be up to sixty-four bits long. This value may be read with a hand-held electromagnetic device that is located outside the body and in proximity to the transponder. The encoded information may include patient demographics, implant data, and manufacturer information.
Another similar mechanism for remotely monitoring device data is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,630 to Markowitz. The disclosed telemetry system includes a remote monitoring station, a repeater worn externally by a patient, and a quasipassive transponder attached to a device implanted in the patient. The remote monitoring station communicates to the repeater to initiate an interrogation routine between the repeater and the transponder to extract patient condition information from the implanted device. When the repeater receives the condition information, it relays it to the remote monitoring station. The disclosed system does not automatically identify leads, calibrate lead-based sensors, or automatically configure leads and/or sensors to an IMD.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,603 to Kovacs describes another system for sensing one or more physiological signals within a living body to measure optical, mechanical, chemical, and/or electrochemical properties. The system includes a transponder for wirelessly transmitting data corresponding to the sensed parameter values to a remote reader. Disclosed embodiments utilize temperature sensors, strain sensors, pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, acceleration sensors, ionizing radiation sensors, acoustic wave sensors, chemical sensors, and photosensors. The disclosed system does not include means to automatically identify or configure leads, or to calibrate the lead-based sensors.
Another mechanism for identifying information related to the configuration of an IMD is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,334 to Jordan. The disclosed system provides a characterization tag for attachment to the IMD. The tag circuitry is selectively loaded to store data describing the IMD, and may be read by a probe located outside the body. The system does not store lead identification or configuration information.
Yet another system for storing and transmitting device information is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,962 to Urbas. The disclosed device includes a sensor for use in transmitting a parameter such as temperature from within a living body to a device that is located outside the body. The IMD includes a programmable memory to store user ID data.
While the above publications teach various improvements to the art, they do not address the problem of identifying and configuring multiple leads and/or other implantable devices for use with an IMD.

Method and apparatus for automatic implantable medical lead recognition and configuration


Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for utilizing keystroke logging information to determine items (e.g., search results and/or advertisements) for presentation in response to an input search query. The utilized keystroke logging information is captured contemporaneously with input of the submitted query terms/content of the search query. That is, the utilized keystroke logging information is captured during a single search query input session measured, for instance, between execution of a first search query and execution of a second search query, or between engagement with a search query input region and execution of a search query. In this way, information that may be gleaned about a user's intent based upon query reformulations (e.g., query term deletions, additions, spelling corrections, and the like) and/or actions taken with respect to query formation (e.g., pasting actions) may be utilized to provide relevant items in response to the search query.

Keyword based search engines are in widespread use today for information retrieval, such as Web-based information retrieval. Users typically enter queries through a search interface, for instance, a search query input region associated with a search engine home page or a search toolbar. One problem with keyword-based search engines and searching on the Web is that it is common for irrelevant results to be returned to the user. One reason for this is that most search engines utilize an approach to search where the user submits one or more query terms and the search engine returns ranked results based on the submitted query terms alone. Query input more reflective of actual user intent generates more relevant search results. However, users are often unsure how best to express their intent and/or don't realize that the query terms they are inputting may have multiple alternate meanings.

Utilizing keystroke logging to determine items for presentation


A multiple bag comprising a plurality of bags including a chemical containing bag charged with liquid chemical and at least one vacant bag, wherein the inner surface of the chemical containing bag is less rough than that of the vacant bag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple bag (or container) comprising a plurality of bags which are linked with each other. The multiple bag is used, for example, as a blood bag for separating whole blood into blood constituents.
2. Description of the Related Art
For the reason of an effective utilization of blood and reduction of physical load with which a patient to be transfused may be burdened, the blood transfusion system now in use comprises steps of centrifugally separating whole blood obtained from a donor into different constituents and transfusing only necessary constituents to the patient. The introduction of such a constituent transfusion system permits more effective use of blood than in the conventional system utilizing unseparated whole blood.
A multiple bag comprising a donor bag (a blood collection bag) and one or more different bags is used in the constituent transfusion.
For example, a triple bag comprised of a blood collecting bag, a platelet concentrate bag (hereinafter referred to as PC bag) for preserving platelet and a plasma preserving bag (hereinafter referred to as plasma bag), these bags being connected with each other by tubes. A blood collected in the blood collection bag is subjected twice to centrifugal separation to be separated into three different constituents such as erythrocyte component, thick platelets component, and thin platelets component, and these constituents are contained for preservation in the donor bag, PC bag, and plasma bag respectively.
The respective bags constituting such a multiple bag are produced by overlaying sheet materials of soft polyvinyl chloride, and fusion bonding them together at the peripheral edges, and these bags are generally subject to high-temperature and high-pressure steam sterilization (autoclave sterilization). In order to avoid any blocking which may occur between the inner surfaces of the opposite sheets of the bags during the autoclave sterilization, the sheets are treated for embossing so that they may have a surface roughness (Rz) ranging around from 15 .mu.m to 50 .mu.m.
In view of the production control and cost as well, these bags are produced from the same sheet materials.
with such a multiple bag, there lies problems that it gives rise to adhesion of the blood constituents (erythracyte, leukacyte, platelet) to the inner surface of the bag sheet, and to excessive remaining of blood within the bag when the blood is removed.
An earnest and deep study by the present inventor of these phenomena revealed that such phenomena are considerably observed if the inner surface of the bag sheet is subjected to deeper embossment, or fine projections are formed more greatly in height on the inner surface of the sheet.
In this connection, it seems effective to use a sheet with the inner face having fine projections of less height or being less rough. In the case, however, it causes insufficient preventive effect of blocking between the sheets on the contrary.


A method and apparatus of a digital signal processor for coding of a significant map. The method for coding of a significant map includes carrying out a scan of at least a portion of a block of transform coefficients; calculating runs of zeros of the scanned data; and coding runs of zeros with variable length coding.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and apparatus for video processing in Context-Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC).
2. Description of the Related Art
Context-Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC) is one of two entropy engines used by the existing video coding standard H.264. Its purpose is to provide further compression of the video bit-stream.
The existing CABAC engine for the H.246 standard has limited throughput due to its binarization scheme which generates a large number of bins that need to be encoded, and the fact that its arithmetic coding engine is limited to encoding a single bin per cycle. Consequently, in order to meet performance requirements of HD video bit-streams, the CABAC engine needs to run at extremely high frequencies which consumes a significant amount of power and in some cases may not be feasible.
Thus, there is a need for a CABAC engine that is capable of processing adaptive binary arithmetic coding more efficiently.

Method and apparatus for video processing in context-adaptive binary arithmetic coding


For image parts in an image with large circumscribed quadrilaterals, one-dimensional data development is executed where intersection point data on a scanning line are accumulated for plural image parts and one-dimensional raster data of the scanning line is produced based on the intersection point data. For image parts with small circumscribed quadrilaterals, two-dimensional data development is executed where intersection point data in an image part are obtained and two-dimensional raster data of the image part is produced. While the one-dimensional data development requires only a small memory capacity for raster data creation even for relatively large image parts, the two-dimensional data development allows high-speed raster data creation for relatively small image parts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for producing raster data of an image including plural image parts, based on information of intersection points of scanning lines with contours of image parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several efficient methods have been known for creating image data such as raster data of an image including plural image parts; for example, those described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Gazettes No. Sho-59-101969, No. Sho-61-212895, and No. Hei-1-225989.
In the method disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. Sho-59-101969, a contour vector (closed loop vector) is obtained for each image part contained in a one-page-image and decomposed to element vectors. Here, each element vector data consists of coordinates of a start point and an end point, and indicates whether an image region below the element vector is a filling region or a non-filling region. The element vectors are sorted and merged according to predetermined rules and rearranged. Intersection points of the rearranged vector with scanning lines are obtained, and image data or run-length data are then produced corresponding to the coordinates of the intersection points.
In this first method, since each figure is processed based on its contour vector, intersection data is not required for each pixel on a one-page-image; thus, a memory capacity sufficient for processing is rather small.
The method of the Japanese Patent Sho-59-101969 has been improved to make a method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Hei-1-225989 which does not require sorting in a scanning direction; thus processing of the latter is much faster than that of the former.
In the first method, determining of contour vectors for all figures in a one-page-image, decomposing of the contour vectors into element vectors, and sorting and merging of the element vectors require rather long processing time, especially when a one-page-image contains a large number of figures. This becomes more serious because a character such as `A` or `1` is processed as a figure in this method. Provided that each character is defined by a hundred element vectors on average and a one-page-image contains two thousand characters, two hundred thousand vectors should be sorted and merged; this naturally requires a long processing time.
In the method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Sho-62-12895, information of intersection points of a figure contour with each scanning line is stored in a multi-digital memory for each pixel on a one-page-image. The intersection point information shows whether the intersection point is a filling start point or a filling end point on a scanning line. For example, when plural figure contours overlap one another at a particular pixel position and all the cross points thereon denote filling start points, the intersection point information at the pixel position is a positive multi-digital data indicating the number of overlaps. Image data or raster data are then produced on the basis of the intersection point information.
In this second method, since intersection point information is stored for each pixel on a one-page-image, additional processing is not required to determine intersection points of each contour vector with each scanning line in producing image data; thus processing of the second method is executed faster than the first method.
In the second method, improvement of the resolution of the one-page-image increases a memory capacity required for the multi-digital memory. For example, a one-page-image of 297.times.420 mm size with a resolution of 3000.times.3000 dpi needs a memory capacity of approximately 0.7 gigabyte.

Method of and apparatus for processing image data


A computerized system of tracking health conditions of users associated with a client for diagnosing sleep apnea through forming an encrypted web based questionnaire. The user inputs information such as company personal information, individual personal information, health information, and personal health information. This information is then electronically compiled and a health screening service report is outputted such as witnessed sleep apnea, self admitted sleep apnea, body mass index of each user, and summary of results of a sleep test.

Sleep apnea is very common, particularly in the commercial driver population. Studies show that up to 28% of commercial drivers may be afflicted. Primary risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and, with treatment, quality of life and health benefits can be realized.
There exists a need for a computerized system to accurately screen for sleep apnea among commercial drivers.
Sleep apnea is defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common form of sleep apnea. OSA occurs when the tissues in the back of the throat repetitively collapse during sleep, producing snoring and complete airway blockage. This blockage creates pauses in breathing that occur repeatedly every night. In severe cases, these blockages can occur as frequently as every 30 seconds. Alarmingly, they can last up to a full minute.
There exists a need for a computerized system in which screening for sleep apnea in large populations can be automated on an ongoing basis.
Repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep are accompanied by a reduction in blood oxygen levels and are followed by an arousal response. This response includes a release of substances into the bloodstream, which promote elevation of blood pressure, inflammation, insulin resistance, and a disruption of the brain wave sleep pattern. The consequences of untreated sleep apnea include poor quality sleep, excessive daytime fatigue and sleepiness, an increased risk for vehicular accidents, irritability, hard-to-control high blood pressure and diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Interestingly and not coincidentally, many of these same medical conditions account for the majority of health-related expenditures in the commercial driver population. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.
There exists a need for a computerized system to monitor those associated with risks of sleep apnea.
There exists a need for a computerized system to determine whether an individual is at high risk for sleep apnea.
There exists a need for a computerized system to provide administrative functions for a sleep apnea program.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.

Computerized system for tracking health conditions of users


A method is proposed for the preparation of a resin membrane suitable for use, for example, as a covering pellicle of a photolithographic mask for patterning of semiconductor devices in the electronic industry. The method comprises the steps of: (a) coating a continuous-length substrate with a solution of the resin by using a roller coater to form a coating layer of the resin solution; (b) drying the coating layer by evaporating the solvent to form a dry resin film on the substrate surface; and (c) peeling the resin film from the surface of the substrate, preferably, in water.

The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of a resin membrane or, more particularly, to an efficient method for the preparation of a resin membrane useful as a pellicle covering a photolithographic mask in patterning of semiconductor devices, membrane for the separation of various kinds of gases, window material of optical instruments and the like having good uniformity in thickness.
Resin membranes used in the above mentioned applications or, in particular, those used as a pellicle in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices usually have a thickness of 0.1 to 100 .mu.m and are conventionally prepared by the method including the steps of coating the surface of a substrate with a solution of the resin by using a spinner or spin coater to form a coating layer, drying the coating layer by evaporating the solvent to form a dry resin film on the substrate surface and peeling the resin film from the substrate surface.
The above mentioned coating method by using a spinner, however, has several problems and disadvantages. For example, the productivity of the method is necessarily low because the substrates must be coated one by one each time by mounting a single substrate on the spinner. In the method, namely, the substrate is rotated at a high speed and the resin solution is put before the start of or during rotation of the substrate so that the resin solution is spread over the surface of the substrate by the centrifugal force forming a thin layer of the resin solution having a uniform thickness on the substrate surface. Therefore, the method has a limitation on the size of the film to be obtained which is usually 200 mm to 300 mm or smaller in diameter in order to ensure good uniformity in the thickness of the membrane.

Method for the preparation of a resin membrane


A computer is made usable in a short time using a fingerprint authentication device. When a fingerprint authentication device performs authentication successfully, the fingerprint authentication device sends a startup signal to a power controller via a line. The power controller controls a DC/DC converter to supply power to devices. The fingerprint authentication device sets whether normal boot or fast boot that is completed in a shorter time than the normal boot is successful, in a register via a line. In the fast boot, initialization of a USB interface of a line and password input by a user are skipped, and a BIOS accesses a system by single sign-on using a password stored in a secure area.

A computer is configured to first execute BIOS code stored in a BIOS_ROM when powered on or reset. The BIOS code includes Power-On Self-Test ("POST") code for detecting, checking, and initializing devices installed in the computer. When the POST ends, an operating system ("OS"), an application program, and the like, is loaded into a main memory, making the computer usable. A sequence of startup processes of the computer from when the computer is powered on to when the computer becomes usable is referred to as boot or bootstrap. A shortest possible boot time is desirable in view of user convenience.
Patent documents 1 and 2 each disclose an invention that omits the POST for some of the devices to reduce the boot time. To ensure computer security, after the startup, the user is requested by the BIOS to input a power-on password, a supervisor password, and a hard disk ("HDD") password. Further, the user is requested by the OS to input a login password. When the user inputs a plurality of passwords each time he/she is requested by the computer, a longer time is taken to make the computer usable, which indirectly causes a longer boot time.
The invention of patent document 3 transferred to the applicant of the present invention relates to an authentication method by single sign-on ("SSO") in which the power of the computer is started when a fingerprint authentication device authenticates the user, and the fingerprint authentication device inputs a plurality of passwords instead of the user. In the invention of patent document 3, binding data, a fingerprint ownership key, and a plurality of passwords substituting for passwords input by the user are stored in the fingerprint authentication device. When the fingerprint authentication is successful, the computer is started and the POST is executed.
In the POST, CRTM authentication code stored in the BIOS_ROM exchanges the binding data and the fingerprint ownership key bi-directionally between the fingerprint authentication device and a security chip, to ensure the fingerprint authentication device and the security chip are both trustable. Moreover, the password authentication code stored in the BIOS_ROM compares the plurality of passwords acquired from the fingerprint authentication device with a corresponding plurality of passwords registered in an NVRAM beforehand and, when the passwords match, permits access to the system, as a result of which the OS begins booting.
Patent document 4 discloses a single sign-on system in which processes leading up to login authentication of the OS are initiated by single input to the BIOS by the user. Upon detecting an input from pen input means when an EC/KBC is in a power saving mode, the BIOS starts the fingerprint authentication device and the OS to be in a usable state. When the fingerprint authentication is successful, the BIOS performs the authentication process by single sign-on.    Patent Document 1—U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,139    Patent Document 2—Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-123125    Patent Document 3—Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-146048    Patent Document 4—Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-148979

Method of starting a computer using a biometric authentication device


A mobile data communication system capable of shortening the interruption time of communication includes an HA device, advertising routers, base stations, routers, and mobile terminal devices. Each base station advertises an address having “1” set in a different bit of an interface ID of a routing address. When a mobile terminal has received radio waves from a plurality of base stations in the vicinity of a boundary between cells, the mobile terminal combines a plurality of received routing addresses by logical summation and registers a resultant routing address with the HA device. As for a packet delivered from the HA device to the routing address and having “1” in a plurality of bits of the host section, a router resolves the address of the host section into destination addresses each having “1” in one bit, generates packets each having one of resultant addresses, and transmits the generated packets.

The present invention relates to a mobile data communication system, and in particular to a technique for maintaining a connection while a mobile terminal is moving between networks.
As small-sized and light weight mobile terminals, such as notebook computers and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), spreads and the Internet spreads explosively, an environment that allows use of a mobile terminal even in a visiting place besides home or an office is established, and mail and Internet access utilizing a mobile terminal is becoming popular.
Furthermore, VoIP (Voice over IP) and ALL IP networks are drawing the attention. In the VoIP, data obtained by digitizing analog sound information are packetized and transmitted over an IP network to implement speech communication. In the ALL IP networks, all data are carried on IP frames to conduct communication in mobile communication networks.
In general, an IP network is formed by mutually connecting a plurality of networks (called subnetworks) differing in network number. Each subnetwork has a unique IP address group assigned thereto. Therefore, each of mobile terminals connected to a subnetwork is provided with an IP address included in the unique IP address group assigned to the subnetwork. As for packets transferred between subnetworks, the packets are forwarded on the basis of network numbers. Whenever the mobile terminal moves to a different subnetwork, therefore, the mobile terminal needs to be assigned a different IP address.
If a mobile terminal using IPv4, which is widely used as a communication protocol of the Internet at the present time, moves between subnetworks, then packets directed to an IP address that has been utilized in a network before movement are delivered to the subnetwork of the network number before the movement. In a subnetwork having a different network number after the movement, therefore, it is impossible to maintain the connection by using the IP address utilized in the subnetwork before the movement as it is.
As a communication protocol of the Internet, IPv6 having an address space expanded to 128 bits is spreading. As for IPv6, a technique called Mobile IPv6 (draft-ietf-mobileip-ipv6-13.txt) has been proposed. In order to solve the problem, Mobile IPv6 makes it possible to keep the connection in succession even if a mobile terminal has moved to a different subnetwork. Standardization thereof is under examination in the Internet Engineering Task Force.
In the subnetworks, a subnetwork to which a mobile terminal usually belongs (called home network) is defined According to IPv6. The mobile terminal is assigned a home address as an address to be used in the home network. In the subnetwork, there is provided a Home Agent device (referred to as HA device) having a function of managing location information of mobile terminals for which the subnetwork has been defined as the home network.
Each subnetwork is assigned a high-order section of IPv6 addresses as a prefix address. At least one router called advertising router is provided in each subnetwork. The advertising router advertises a Router Advertisement including a prefix address of the subnetwork to mobile terminals in the subnetwork via a base station. Thereby, the advertising router notifies mobile terminals of a prefix address of a subnetwork to which each mobile terminal has moved or belongs. Furthermore, also in the case where a mobile terminal in a subnetwork has requested a notice of information of the subnetwork to which the mobile terminal belongs at the present time, the advertising router responds by the Router Advertisement.
In the subnetwork to which each mobile terminal has moved, the mobile terminal obtains the prefix address of the subnetwork in which the mobile terminal is present, from the Router Advertisement. By using the address auto configuration function or DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) of IPv6, each mobile terminal gets an address assigned. As a result, each mobile terminal generates a care-of address to be temporarily used in the subnetwork to which the mobile terminal has moved.
The mobile terminal notifies the HA device of the generated care-of address. Thereafter, the HA device captures an IPv6 packet that has arrived at the home address of each mobile terminal, encapsulates the IPv6 packet, and sends it to the care-of address. The mobile terminal decapsulates the encapsulated packet that has arrived at the care-of address, and receives the IPv6 packet that has arrived at the home address.
In this way, the HA device transfers a packet that has arrived at a home address of a home network of a mobile terminal to a care-of address by using the Mobile IPv6 technique. Thereby, the mobile terminal can continuously receive packets destined to the home address. As a result, the mobile terminal can move while maintaining the connection with the opposite party of communication.
In the case where a mobile terminal has moved to a different subnetwork, the mobile terminal cannot detect the fact that it has moved to the different subnetwork until it receives a prefix address of subnetwork information transmitted from the advertising router in the subnetwork to which the mobile terminal has moved. In addition, until a care-of address is generated and registered in the HA device, packets transmitted to the mobile terminal via the HA device are not sent to a new care-of address.
If movement between subnetworks frequently occurs when data are actually flowing such as in the case where a mobile terminal is moving fast or the case where handoff between base stations frequently occurs in a mobile network, packet loss occurs a lot of times. If packet loss occurs a lot of times, the throughput lowers and the communication quality degradation such as sound intermission in the VoIP.
As a result, a further improved mobile data communication technique is demanded.


Provided is a fluid mixing device which produces a series of solutions with a concentration gradient. The fluid mixing device includes: a plurality of first channels disposed parallel to each other on a layer, and into which an equal amount of diluent flows from its upstream; a plurality of second channels formed perpendicular to the first channels on an adjacent layer to the layer on which the first channels are formed, and into which an equal amount of sample solution flows from its upstream; and via holes formed at at least one intersection between each of the first channel and a plurality of second channels so that a predetermined amount of sample solution flows from the second channels into corresponding first channels, wherein a series of solutions with different concentrations is produced in the first channels depending on the amount of sample solution that flows into the first channels through the via holes. Thus, a series of solutions with different concentrations is output from the first channels.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-0041765, filed on May 18, 2005 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid mixing device for producing solutions with different concentrations of a sample solution and a diluent, and more particularly, to a fluid mixing device which produces a series of solutions with a concentration gradient with predetermined function from a plurality of channels by combining a sample solution and a diluent in a chip having a channel flow structure, without requiring a high electrical driving force.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a fluid mixing device which produces a solution having a concentration gradient either produces an electrolyte solution having a various conductance (i.e., various concentration) used in an experiment for understanding dielectrophoretic properties of, for example, microparticles, or a series of sample solutions having concentration gradient such as a compound sample including a dye. In particular, producing a series of solutions with a concentration gradient by combining a sample solution and a diluent is called serial dilution, and a device which performs serial dilution in a chip is also known as a serial dilution chip.
An example of a conventional fluid mixing device which can be configured in a chip is a microfluidic device disclosed in "Microfluidic Devices for Electrokinetically Driven Parallel and Serial Mixing" (Anal. Chem., 1999, 71, 4455-4459). However, a high voltage in the range of 400 to 1,600 V is required for electrokinetic driving, and thus the microfluidic device cannot be applied to a portable lab on a chip. A microfluidic system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,004 uses electroosmosis, and thus additional devices and energy are required to apply a electric field to a microfluidic structure.
Other examples of conventional fluid mixing devices are microfluidic devices disclosed in "Generating Fixed Concentration Arrays in a Microfluidic Device" (Sensors and Actuators B 92,2003. 199-207) and U.S. Patent Publication No. 20010042712, which have a simple structure but take a long time to form a concentration gradient since it uses inter-diffusion of laminar flows.
A microchannel apparatus for mixing liquids using a microchannel disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2003-0032811 has a relatively simple structure but has a problem that the series of solutions by serial dilution have a linear concentration gradient. This is a problem because an exponential concentration gradient is required in many cases for serial dilution.

Fluid mixing device using cross channels


The present application relates to a method for improving analytical efficiency and cost effectiveness of oxygen isotope analysis of an aqueous sample. In particular, the present application relates to a method of determining an oxygen isotope composition of an aqueous sample by (a) equilibrating the aqueous sample with CO2 gas wherein the aqueous sample comprises an effective amount of carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme; and (b) measuring the oxygen isotope composition of the CO2 at equilibrium, wherein the oxygen isotope composition of the CO2 corresponds to the oxygen isotope composition of the aqueous sample.

Oxygen isotope studies of aqueous samples have been used in many fields of science including, for example, geology, biology, and hydrology and have allowed researchers to better understand environmental or climatic processes on Earth. The classic approach to determine the oxygen isotope composition of water is through the isotopic equilibration of CO2 gas and H2O. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water and exits in chemical equilibrium with carbonic acid, (CO2+H2O ↔H2CO3). In the classic approach for determining, the oxygen isotope composition of water, the CO2 gas is injected within a reaction vessel containing the sample water and given time to reach isotopic equilibrium. This time allows the oxygen isotopes within the CO2 gas to reflect the isotopic composition of the water and thereby allow researchers to obtain the oxygen isotope composition of the water being tested. This method is by far the most utilized analytical technique for the oxygen isotope analysis of an aqueous sample, with a typical precision of ≤0.1‰. However, the oxygen isotope exchange between CO2 and H2O usually takes ˜24 hours or longer in a closed and undisturbed reaction vessel at 25° C. Given the widespread use of this "classic CO2—H2O equilibration method" in stable isotope geochemistry as well as other scientific fields, improving its analytical efficiency and cost effectiveness would have significant implications for the scientific community.
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is known to catalyze the interconversion of CO2 and H2O in a CO2 (aqueous)—Water system, (or Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC)-Water system) (see, for example, Uchikawa and Zeebe, Geochmica et Cosmochimica Acta 95, 2012, p 15-34).

Carbonic anhydrase-catalyzed isotope equilibrium between CO2—H2O for oxygen isotope analyses of aqueous samples


A checkpoint trigger initiating a synchronization of a first virtual machine with a second virtual machine may be received, the first virtual machine being executed with at least a first virtual processor and a second virtual processor. The first virtual processor may be paused, while the first virtual machine is allowed to continue executing, using the second virtual processor. The synchronization may be executed, including transferring memory pages of the first virtual machine for storage by the second virtual machine, and the first virtual processor may be released and execution of the first virtual machine may be resumed, using the first virtual processor and the second virtual processor.

Virtual machines are software-based implementations or reproductions of the software and hardware resources of a physical computing device. For example, software known as a hypervisor may be installed and executed on a physical computing device, where such hypervisor software is operational to create, manage, relocate, or erase one or more virtual machines, using the underlying resources of the physical computing device.
For example, a hypervisor running on a physical computing device may allocate a portion of the processing, memory, and other resources of the physical computing device for the creation and execution of a first virtual machine, while allocating a remainder of the processing, memory, and other resources of the physical computing device for the creation and execution of a second virtual machine. In this way, the two virtual machines may execute simultaneously using the same underlying resources. However, the two virtual machines may operate in isolation from one another. As a result, for example, the two virtual machines may execute different operating systems, applications, network interfaces, and may generally operate independently of one another, as if the two virtual machines were two actual, separate computing devices.
Thus, the use of such virtual machines provides a great deal of flexibility in the deployment of underlying hardware resources. For example, allocations of the underlying hardware resources may be adjusted as needed over time, so as, e.g., to optimize operations of multiple virtual machines with respect to a desired task to be performed at a given point in time.
Additionally, virtual machines offer a high level of redundancy and fault tolerance. For example, it is possible to create a copy of a given virtual machine using a separate physical computing device, so that any failure of the original virtual machine may be mitigated by the availability of the previously-stored copy thereof.
In order to provide such redundancy and fault tolerance, processes have been developed for migrating (e.g., transferring a snapshot of) a virtual machine at a point in time for storage at a remote physical computing device. Then, in the event of a malfunction of the virtual machine, operations of the virtual machine may immediately recommence from the point in time at which the snapshot was taken, using the transferred, stored copy of the virtual machine.
Some such processes, sometimes referred to as checkpointing, may be implemented using a variety of known techniques. For example, one straightforward implementation is simply to pause all operations of a virtual machine to be copied, and to thereafter transfer the copy of the virtual machine to a desired location. However, when using such techniques, the virtual machine being copied becomes entirely unavailable throughout the copying process. Moreover, for very large virtual machines, the copying process may require an unacceptably long amount of time, so that, in many scenarios, such techniques are undesirable or otherwise unsatisfactory.
Attempts have been made to improve upon such processes. For example, techniques known as pre-copying techniques have been developed which seek to copy portions of a virtual machine which are unchanging or infrequently changing, while allowing the virtual machine to otherwise continue normal operations. Then, the virtual machine may eventually be paused for the purpose of copying the remaining, frequently-changing portions thereof. However, despite the availability of these and other attempted optimizations, no checkpointing techniques yet exist which provide desired levels of speed and availability, particularly for large and frequently changing virtual machines.

Cloud-enabled, distributed and high-availability system with virtual machine checkpointing


A patient safety system including an adjustable bed and a patient monitoring system is disclosed herein. The adjustable bed can automatically adjust to a safe default configuration when the safety system detects that a care provider has left the patient's room or when the safety system detects that the patient is trying to leave the bed. The patient monitoring system can send an alert to the care provider and/or sound an alarm if the patient tries to leave the bed and a care provider is not present with the patient.

Patient safety systems are commonly found in medical and geriatric facilities, and often incorporate adjustable beds. Generally, these beds include a guard rail assembly which can be raised to prevent the patient from falling out of the bed. The guard rail can be lowered to allow the patient ingress and egress from the bed or to provide the care provider unobstructed access to the patient for treatment. The height of some beds can be adjusted to raise the patient to a proper level for treatment by the care provider and the bed can also be lowered for easier patient ingress and egress.
There have been numerous instances in which patients have fallen out of bed, even with the presence of guard rails. In some instances, the care provider may forget to return the guard rails to the raised position after treatment, allowing the patient to roll off the bed. Even where the guard rails are returned to the raised position, a restless patient can easily climb over top of the guard rails and potentially fall to the floor. The situation can be exacerbated in some instances involving height adjustable beds, where the bed height may be inadvertently left in the raised position, resulting in the patient falling from a higher distance off the raised bed. Injuries from these falls can not only be traumatic but also catastrophic, possibly resulting in death.

Patient safety system with automatically adjusting bed


A method of making a collimator having a generally honeycomb shape made from sheets of thin metal. The sheets are deformed using a progressive form die assembly into what may be termed truncated pyramids alternately inverted with top and bottom major flats connected by slant walls. Successive sheets are joined together by displacing them relative to each other so that the top major flats of the truncated pyramids of one sheet contact the bottom major flats of the succeeding sheet. Advantageously, the edges of the sheet are tapered to a pointed edge by the progressive form die assembly, which may also form roughened surfaces on the sheets by swedging. Edges of the slant walls which connect top and bottom major flats of the truncated pyramid shape are provided with a dual taper, and the edges of the major flats are provided with a single taper. When successive sheets are joined, the top and bottom major flats of successive sheets form a dual tapered edge from the single tapered edges on the flats of each sheet. Thus, the completed collimator has leading edges, all of which are tapered to a pointed edge. As a result, the rate of growth of metallic particles beyond the borders of the collimator cell walls is decreased compared to prior art designs having flat edges. The useful life of the collimator is, therefore, drastically increased, and the production downtime for the manufacturing process is reduced.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is the practice to form uniform thin films of metallic material, usually aluminum or titanium, by deposition on the surface of a silicon semiconductor wafer. The metallic material is deposited on the surface of the wafer and extends downward into etchings or channels formed in the wafer to create electrical connection between various points. Precise control of the process of depositing the metallic films is critical to the operation and quality of the semiconductor device being fabricated. If the metallic layer is deposited insufficiently, or is deposited with contaminants that affect the integrity of the intended electrical connections, then the semiconductor is considered unreliable and, therefore, defective. The losses of production when the metallic layer is not deposited accurately and efficiently are a part of the cost of manufacturing the semiconductor devices, and thus the cost of the devices to consumers increases dramatically.
To produce semiconductor devices on an efficient scale, the industry has used sputtering or Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) processes. PVD equipment generally includes a source of metallic material which is vaporized in a vacuum. The vaporized metallic particles are forced towards the semiconductor wafer to form the metallic layer thereon.
It has been recognized, however, that the metallic particles formed in the PVD process impact on the wafer at varying angles of incidence. As a result, the metallic layer in the areas of the etchings in the wafer is formed unevenly, leaving a relatively thick lateral layer on the side walls of the etchings and a thin layer at the bottom of the etchings. In fact, the lateral growth on the side walls can be deposited in a manner which occludes the opening of the etching, thereby preventing proper formation of the metallic layer at the bottom of the etching. Occlusion of the opening of the etching also affects later steps in the process involving the deposition of a dielectric material over the wafer.
To prevent these disadvantages, the industry has begun to incorporate collimators into sputtering and PVD equipment. The collimator is typically a metallic structure having a plurality of cells/openings which is positioned between the source of metallic material and the wafer to act as a filter. As metallic particles travel toward the wafer, the particles which are not substantially perpendicular to the wafer impact on the cell walls of the collimator and adhere thereto. Thus, the collimator allows only the metallic particles which follow a substantially perpendicular path to the wafer to pass through. The metallic layer which then forms on the wafer is, therefore, of a generally uniform thickness, and the difficulties associated with lateral growth of the film on the etching sidewalls are eliminated.
Examples of PVD systems, sometimes called "sputtering" systems, and collimator structures for use in those systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,330,628 and 5,544,771. As shown in these patents, a collimator is typically formed as a honeycomb structure. The cells of the honeycomb structure may be provided with roughened surfaces to improve the ability of the collimator to capture the metallic particles. Also, the collimator is usually formed with a specific aspect ratio, i.e. the ratio of cell height to cell diameter. The aspect ratio of the collimator determines it effectiveness in filtering non-perpendicular metallic particles. A collimator having a high aspect ratio is more effective in filtering the particles than one with a low aspect ratio. A tradeoff exists, however, since the throughput of the PVD equipment is seriously affected by increasing the aspect ratio of the collimator. As the aspect ratio increases, the throughput of the equipment decreases. Accordingly, the aspect ratios of collimators are particularly chosen to achieve a balance between filtering of particles and acceptable throughput.
However, in the course of carrying out the deposition process, the metallic particles which are filtered by the collimator form a layer on the collimator cells which occludes the cell openings. Specifically, mushroom-shaped growths begin to form on the leading edges of the collimator cells thereby reducing the cell input openings and increasing the aspect ratio of the collimator. Ultimately, the throughput of the equipment is reduced so severely that the collimator must be removed and replaced.
Removing the collimator is not easily or quickly done, and it causes significant downtime for the entire manufacturing process. A major delay is caused because when the collimator is replaced, the vacuum in the vacuum chamber is lost and must be re-established. This process can take up to a day to complete. Also, the collimator must be replaced at least once prior to the point at which the source material is replenished. Accordingly, production downtime is encountered-both for replenishing the source material and replacing the collimator.
There is, therefore, a long felt need in the art for a collimator, especially a collimator for use in PVD processes, which has maximum useful life, whereby production downtime associated with the PVD process is minimized.

Collimator having tapered edges and method of making the same


An improvement in a conveyor for a rotary stretch film wrapping apparatus for wrapping a product in a plastic film, the rotary stretch wrapping apparatus includes a base frame, a rotary support structure, a roll of film mounted to the support structure, a film dispensing mechanism, a pre-stretching device, and a conveyor system for passing the product through the support structure. The improved conveyor system includes a pair of horizontally adjacent endless conveyors having one piece segmented lug belts adapted to prevent portions of the segments traveling the return path from hindering the product or the plastic wrap.

1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to an improvement in a conveyor system for a rotary stretch wrapping apparatus for quick and efficiently providing a continuous wrap about a product. The packaging of products to be shipped in a wrapped stretch plastic film is becoming increasingly popular, stretch wrapping offers several advantages over the use of boxes, craft paper and other conventional packaging means. In particular, stretch wrapping provides a durable, water resistant, and inexpensive covering for the product. Moreover, a product may be wrapped with great speed and thereby increase the resultant through output.
One known stretch wrapping apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,322 to Lancaster et al entitled ROTATABLE FILM WRAPPING APPARATUS WITH WRAP CARRYING MECHANISM. Although such a machine will provide a continuous wrap of plastic film about a product, the machine is comprised of complex, inefficient, and unbalanced components. More specifically, the Lancaster patent '322 discloses a complex conveyor system for passing the product through the wrapping machine and an off balance rotary structure adapted to circumscribe the product.
In a rotary stretch wrapping machine, the plastic film is tightly wrapped about the product and the conveyor upon which it rests. An ordinary conveyor is therefore useless since engagement of the film with the return path fights against the forward moving product. To overcome this problem, Lancaster has developed a complex conveyor system comprised of superimposed belts and an array of pulleys. However, fabrication of such a system involves high manufacturing and maintenance costs.
In a rotary stretch wrapping operation, the wrapping mechanism is spun about the product by a rotary support structure. In Lancaster '322, the rolls of film are mounted in a cantilevered manner to a circular rotary structure which is rotatably driven to effect wrapping of the product. These rolls, however, are frequently quite heavy and therefore engender large moment forces in the rotary structure as it is rotated about the product. These forces create a substantial imbalance in the structure which not only will hasten bearing wear, but also may pose a safety hazard.
This improvement to a conveyor system for a rotary film wrapping apparatus is directed primarily to the belt construction which is used in the conveyor system, see for example applicant's own U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,979,358, 5,027,579, 3,738,478, 2,962,152, 4,720,005, 3,628,651 and 3,978,979.
In applicant's own U.S. Pat. Nos. ending in 358 and 579 multiple independent lugs are shown formed of resilient resin material are reinforced composite resin construction which are positioned in spaced side to side longitudinal alignment and secured to a link chain forming the multiple lug conveyor belt configuration.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,478 a conveyor chain is disclosed in which a plurality of independent supporting plates are attached to a drive chain element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,152 a conveyor track support structure is shown in which a pair of spaced parallel endless chain conveyors are positioned so that they form a multiple side by side conveyor belt configuration within a guide track.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,005 a material conveyor and distribution system is disclosed in which a pair of endless conveyor belts are positioned in an angular abutting relationship to form a V-shaped trough conveyor surface. A portion of the belt is unsupported so that it forms an opening or discharge area along the conveyor surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,651 a device for tilting advancing containers is disclosed which utilizes a pair of spaced angularly inclined conveyor belts which form a product engagement path between opposing belt surfaces for tipping the product as it engages the belt area.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,979 an apparatus for arranging, separating and positioning of items to be conveyed is disclosed which is characterized by two spaced parallel movable endless conveyor elements which provide for support and transfer of uniquely shaped products therebetween by engagement of the products on the belt's edge or oppositely disposed perimeter edge surfaces.

Conveyor for rotary film wrapping apparatus


A crawler device for traversing in a confined environment, searching victims or inspecting defections, comprises an elongated flexible drive shaft extending along a central axis between a proximal end and a distal end, a motor operatively connected to the drive shaft for turning the drive shaft, and a plurality of segments disposed over the drive shaft. Any two adjacent segments are joined by an articulate joint. Each segment has a wheel assembly including drive wheels. At least two segments further include a gear assembly operatively connecting the wheel assembly to the drive shaft. Turning the drive shaft provides distributed traction force to the drive wheels of the at least two segments, and thereby drives the crawler device.

Crawler devices have been used for carrying camera devices, microphones, nutrients, and medications to confined space, or hazardous space, such as conduits, pipes, rubble of collapsed structures (buildings, highways, etc.). In the prior art, an elongated, articulated so called "micro-tank" has been used to inspect pipes and search for victims in earthquake rubble. The micro-tank incorporates a single unit or a plurality of repeating units connected by joints. Each unit has its own drive motor which drives oval tracks through a gear mechanism. The unit may be powered by batteries carried on the unit and controlled remotely by an operator, or powered and controlled through cables embedded in a tether connected to the last unit of the micro-tank.
Tracked tank design has been successfully used for travel over relatively smooth terrain, but it fails to traverse extremely rugged terrain or relatively large obstacles, for example, as might be encountered in the rubble of collapsed buildings. Inspired by the ability of biological snakes to traverse a wide variety of terrain, ranging from arid desert to tropical jungle, as well as swimming in rivers, and the snakes' capability of overcoming relatively large obstacles, scientists have developed many kinds of snake-like robots imitating the movement and physiological structure of snakes. One type of crawler design incorporates a plurality of segments that are connected by articulated joints. The head segment carries sensors and the tail segment carries batteries. Each segment is built with its own motor to drive its legs or wheels. Some snake-like robots move forward by traveling horizontal waves of undulation down to the length of the robot, imitating sidewinding movement of biological snakes. Some snake-like robots move by driving wheels without any imitation of snake-like locomotion.
Such conventional devices tend to either lack mobility or maneuverability for efficient operation or they are highly complicated that make them expensive and difficult to operate and maintain. Also, conventional devices emphasize on autonomy of the device and overlook needs of victims confined in the rubble. Therefore, there is a need for a device capable of traversing through rough areas, for example, the rubble of collapsed structures. Such devices should have high mobility and maneuverability, and be inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.


An information converter includes: an input for receiving non-structured information transformation specification and a processor. The processor is adapted to (i) convert the non-structured information transformation specification to a structured information transformation specification; (ii) generate information transformation code responsive to the structured information transformation specification; and (iii) associate a code alteration indication to the non-structured information transformation specification in response to an alteration of the information transformation code. A method and a computer readable medium converts the non-structured information transformation specification to a structured information transformation specification; generates information transformation code responsive to the structured information transformation specification, and associates a code alteration indication to the non-structured information transformation specification in response to an alteration of the information transformation code.

Specification based transformation allows business analysts, information analysts or system analysts to create an executable specification of the transformation needed for EAI (Enterprise Application Integration). The specification needs to be simple enough for analysts to use, while still being rigorous enough to allow execution
The current state of the art is that analysts create non-structured information transformation specifications using various software tools such as but not limited to Microsoft™ Word™ and Microsoft Excel™.
These non-structured information transformation specifications are then passed to programmers which develop code that performs the information transformation that is defined in the non-structured information specification.
The code can be developed by using a unique mapping tool provided by their EAI server vendor (e.g. IBM™ or Webmethods™), or by programming the code. In many cases the programmers use a mixture of mapping tools and programming.
This dual stage process usually results in inconsistencies. Typically changes to the implementation code are not reflected back to the specification s and eventually the code does not accurately represent the initial non-structured specification.
There is a need to perform information transformation while maintaining a correlations between the transformation code and the non-structured information transformation specification. Especially, there is a need to allow both programmer and analyst to use the tools they are used to without introducing inconsistencies between the information transformation code and the non-structured information transformation specification.

Information converter and a method for transforming information


Apparatus, methods and computer-readable medium for displaying information related to performance of a given database statement which accesses a plurality of multi-partition objects during a time interval. In some embodiments, the method comprises: a) determining, for a given database statement that accesses a plurality of index or table partitions during the time interval, for each accessed partition of a plurality of partitions, a respective aggregate wait time associated with said accessed partition; b) in accordance with the determined wait times for the given database statement, presenting, to a user, a description of performance of the database during the time interval.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods, apparatus and computer-code for acquiring and presenting information related to database performance.
2. Background and Related Art
It is common for large or "heavy" database tables or indexes to be partitioned into multiple "table partitions" or "index partitions." During statement tuning, users (i.e. DBAs) need to identify how many partitions were accessed, and which partitions were accessed by the statement. This may affect statement response time dramatically.
Unfortunately, may be difficult to track I/O wait time by table or index partition identity because: (i) for many statements (i.e. the overwhelming the majority of statements in many applications), it is difficult to determine how many or which partitions were accessed during execution of a given statement (i.e. for most statements, this information is not available from the SQL statement execution plan generated by the query optimizer); (ii) even if it were known which partitions were accessed, it would be difficult to determine the relative wait-time contributions of each partition when accessing a given table or index.
Thus, there is an ongoing need for a tool which can track table or index partition access. Furthermore, it would be possible provide a number of database tuning applications using the aforementioned currently-unavailable functionality for tracking I/O wait time by table or index partition identity. These tuning applications are discussed below.

Tracking table and index partition usage in a database