Products are arranged at positions along a fixture. Electronic labels associated with the products are arranged such that a product position for a product is obtainable once a position of the label is known. A camera is arranged to capture images of the fixture. A method includes controlling a label to change optical output; receiving an image containing the label and captured after the change of optical output has been initiated; detecting a position of the label in the image based on a characteristic associated with the change; and determining a position for the product associated with the label in an image. The determined position may be employed to determine when to restock a product. Further, a method for determining positions of labels in images is provided, as well a corresponding system and computer program product. The labels are controlled to include changing temporal patterns.

Products in a retail store may be arranged at respective product positions along fixtures such as shelves, racks or other displays. The product positions may for example be selected to maximize sales by promoting certain products and/or to improve logistics of the store. Product positions for at least some products may be changed quite often and it may be difficult to maintain an updated record of the actual product positions.
Knowledge of the actual product positions may for example save time when products are restocked as persons bringing new items of the products to the fixtures of the store (e.g. from a storage room, a warehouse, or a supply truck) need not search through the fixtures of the store for the correct product positions at which to arrange the new items of the respective products. It is also important to detect low stock on the shelves as soon as possible since low stock on the shelves may lead to a lost sales opportunity for the retail store.
However, the resolution provided in images captured by cameras employed in many video-based security systems may be too low to detect the identity of a product that needs to be restocked. Therefore, unless the person performing the restocking brings items off all products that may potentially need to be restocked to the shelf, the person may need to go to the shelf to check which product to restock before bringing the appropriate items from a storage room, warehouse or supply truck. Knowledge of the actual product positions for the respective products may therefore make restocking more efficient.
Some objects may be difficult to detect or distinguish in images captured by a camera, for example due to low image resolution or poor illumination in an area (or room) in which the images were captured. Electronic labels, employed in retail stores for displaying information about products, may for example be difficult to distinguish in images captured by a camera. Although image processing sometimes allows objects to be detected in images, even when the image quality is rather poor, it would be advantageous to provide new methods for determining positions of electronic labels in images.

Determination of a product position along a fixture or positions of objects in images


A system and method to automatically generate and insert a tracking code may include receiving at a web server, from a requesting computing device, a webpage access request associated with a domain; in response to receiving the webpage access request; accessing a configuration file for the domain; generating an analytics tracking code based on data stored in the configuration file; accessing the webpage from a storage device; modifying the webpage to include the analytics tracking code; and transmitting, from the web server, the modified webpage to the requesting computing device.

When a small business owner (or other user) decides to create a website the owner often would like to track the behavior or information about users of the website. The process of collecting and reporting the data is traditionally known as analytics. The analytics might include storing the path a user takes through a website to help the owner improve the design on the website. The analytics might also track what a user is "looking" at or how long a user stays on a webpage of the website. Analytics may also include tracking where the requesting user's device is located (e.g., geographic analytics) or how the user arrived at the webpage (e.g., via a search results page).

System and method of automatic generation and insertion of analytic tracking codes


This invention describes the use of blocked mercaptosilanes wherein the hydrogen atom of the mercaptan functionality has been substituted to manufacture coating, adhesive, sealant and elastomeric compositions. The blocked mercaptosilanes described are unique in that they allow the application of elastomers to substrates to proceed while remaining inert toward coupling to the catalyst. The coupling reactions of these blocked mercaptosilicon compounds are triggered by exposure to an appropriate deblocking agent.

Mercaptosilanes have been known for use in tire applications to couple fillers to the rubber; however their utility in CASE has been limited due to the reactivity of the mercaptan functionality with catalysts which are used in CASE, i.e., the catalysts react with the mercaptan group thus de-activating the catalyst.
Specifically, the prior art discloses acylthioalkyl silanes, such as CH.sub.3 C(.dbd.O)S(CH.sub.2).sub.1-3 Si(OR).sub.3 [M. G. Voronkov et al. in Inst. Org. Khim., Irkutsk, Russia] and HOC(.dbd.O)CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 C(.dbd.O)S(CH.sub.2).sub.3 Si(OC.sub.2 H.sub.5).sub.3 [U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,436 to R. Bell et al.]. Japanese Patent 63270751A2 and DE 2508931 disclose the use of compounds represented by the general formula, CH.sub.2.dbd.C(CH.sub.3)C(.dbd.O)S(CH.sub.2).sub.1-6 Si(OCH.sub.3).sub.3 in tire tread compositions, and adhesive compositions, respectively, but these compounds are not desirable because the unsaturation .alpha.,.beta. to the carbonyl group of the thioester has the undesirable potential to polymerize during the compounding process, during storage or during the service life of the adhesive or coating.
Prior art by Yves Bomal and Olivier Durel, in Australian Patent AU-A-10082/97, discloses the use in rubber in conjunction with functionalized siloxanes of silanes of the structure represented by R.sup.1.sub.n X.sub.3-n Si--(Alk).sub.m (Ar).sub.p --S(C.dbd.O)--R where R.sup.1 is phenyl or alkyl; X is halogen, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, acyloxy, or OH; Alk is alkyl; Ar is aryl; R is alkyl, alkenyl, or aryl; n is 0 to 2; and m and p are each 0 or 1, but not both zero.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,436 to Bell disclose a mercaptan/acid anhydride adduct as coupling agents for filled plastics, but there is no teaching to de-block the mercaptan group. U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,751 discloses certain blocked mercaptosilane for tires but again does not disclose any de-blocking of such silanes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,430 to Ahamd et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,998 to Shippy et al. disclose the blocking of a mercaptosilane with an isocyanate to form a solid which is added to a tire composition, which mercaptan reacts into the tire during heating, which could happen at any time during processing since this a thermal mechanism.
There remains a need for effective latent coupling agents which exhibit the advantages of mercaptosilanes without exhibiting the disadvantages such as described herein.

Elastomeric composition comprising a blocked mercaptosilane coupling agent and a deblocking agent


The present invention relates to methods for detecting Ficolin-3 dependent activation of the lectin pathway of complement, methods for identifying abnormalities in Ficolin-3, and methods for screening for deficiencies/and or identifying abnormalities in any downstream components of the Ficolin-3 dependent activation of the lectin pathway of 5 complement using an acetylated Ficolin-3 ligand, said methods generally comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sample of blood, serum, plasma, another body fluid or an extract thereof; (b) (optionally) preventing in the sample activation of the classical pathway and/or the alternative pathway and/or any non-Ficolin-3 mediated activation of the lectin pathway; (c) acetylating a molecule; (d) contacting said acetylated molecule 10 with said sample, in conditions that permit specific binding of Ficolin-3 to said acetylated molecule, and, (e) detecting and quantifying specific binding of the Ficolin-3 to said acetylated molecule, (f) determining in the sample complement activation and/or deposition by the detection of a C2, C3, C4 and/or a C5 cleavage product and/or by detecting any of the terminal complement complex components C6, C7, C8 or C9 or 15 the C5b-9 terminal complement complex as such. The present invention also provides assays and kits comprising the methods of the invention.

The complement system is part of the innate immune system, which protects the body against invading pathogens. Initiator molecules of complement system recognize conserved patterns on the surface of microorganisms, which then initiates a cascade of enzymatic reactions. This results in targeted removal and in some cases destruction of the microorganisms. Three activation pathways of the complement system have been described; the classical pathway, the alternative pathway and the lectin pathway. C1q activates the classical pathway; the alternative pathway is activated by spontaneous hydrolysis of C3 and in some cases properdin. The lectin pathway is activated by mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and the Ficolins (Ficolin-1, Ficolin-2 and Ficolin-3). Ficolin-1 is expressed by cells of myeloid origin and is found circulating in serum at low concentrations. Ficolin-2 and Ficolin-3 are both expressed in the liver and are circulating in serum at a mean concentration of 5 μg/ml and 24 μg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, Ficolin-3 is abundantly expressed in the lungs, suggesting a role for this molecule in pulmonary immune defence.
In humans, three ficolin genes have been identified: FCN1, FCN2 and FCN3, which encode Ficolin-1 (synonymous with M-ficolin and Ficolin/P35-related protein), Ficolin-2 (synonymous with L-ficolin, Ficolin/P35 and Hucolin) and Ficolin-3 (synonymous with H-ficolin, Hakata antigen and thermolabile β2-macroglycoprotein, HAKA1, collagen/fibinogen domain-containing lectin 3 P35), respectively. FCN1 and FCN2 are both located on chromosome 9q34, and are 80% homologous at the amino acid level, whereas FCN3 is assigned to chromosome 1 (1p36.11, 1p35.3) ((Endo, Y., et al. (1996), Sugimoto, R. et al., (1998)).
On the amino acid level, Ficolin-3 reveals ˜40% homology with both Ficolin-1 and Ficolin-2. FCN1 contains nine exons, whereas FCN2 and FCN3 are composed of eight exons. Ficolin-2 and Ficolin-3 are found in serum and exhibits inter-individual variation in serum concentrations (Kilpatrick, D. C. et al., (1999), Matsushita, M. et al., (1996), Yae Y., et al., (1991)). FCN2 is predominantly expressed in the liver and FCN3 in the liver and lung (Endo, Y., et al. (1996), Akaiwa, M., et al., (1999)). Ficolin-1 is expressed in the lung, the spleen and by undifferentiated monocytes (Endo, Y., et al. (1996), Harumiya, S., et al., (1996), Lu, J., et al., (1996)). Ficolin-1 is present in serum in lower concentrations (Honore, C., et al (2008)).
The ficolins are synthesized as a single polypeptide containing N-terminal collagen-like and C-terminal fibrinogen-like sugar-binding domains, which are oligomerized into higher oligomeric forms comprising triple helix structures (Matsushita, M., Fujita, T. (2001)). The collagen-like multimeric structure is shared with C1q, mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and surfactants proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D).
The fibrinogen-like domains of Ficolin-1 and Ficolin-2 have been shown to interact with carbohydrates, such as N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) (Teh, C., et al., (2000)).
Moreover, a general specificity for N-acetylated groups for Ficolin-2 has also been demonstrated (Krarup, A., et al., (2004)). Both Ficolin-1 and Ficolin-2 appear to bind to different types of bacteria and Ficolin-2 may specifically bind to lipoteichoic acid from gram-positive bacteria (Teh, C., et al., (2000), Lynch, N. J., et al., (2004)). The ligands for Ficolin-3 are unknown, but distinct binding to certain strains of bacteria has been demonstrated (Tsujimura, M., et al., (2002)). Ficolin-1 has been shown to enhance uptake of bacteria to monocytes and Ficolin-2 and Ficolin-3 have been shown to interact with the Ficolin-3-associated serine proteases enabling activation of the complement system (Teh, C., et al., (2000), Matsushita, M., et al., (2000), Matsushita, M., et al., (2002)). Taken together, these results provide evidence for the fact that the ficolins are important molecules in imparting innate immunity.
Conventional functional assays for evaluating complement activation through the different pathways mostly use an MBL-specific ligand for assessing the lectin pathway. WO/2005/051662 describes methods for detecting Ficolin-2 dependent activation of the lectin pathway.
Recently a frameshift mutation (FCN3+1637delC) in the gene (FCN3) encoding Ficolin-3 was described (Hummelshoj, T., et al (2005)). This mutation results in premature termination leading to expression of a non-functional protein. Individuals heterozygous for the FCN3+1637delC mutation showed significantly lower levels of Ficolin-3 in serum and from studies using recombinant protein expression it was found that an individual homozygous for this mutation would result in Ficolin-3 deficiency (Munthe-Fog, L., et al (2008)).
The allele frequency of this mutation was 0.011 in Caucasians, meaning that homozygosity for the FCN3+1637delC mutation will be found in approximately 1 out of 8000-10, 000 individuals. The frameshift mutation (FCN3+1637delC) was analysed in are large group of patients with suspected non-HIV related primary immunodeficiencies. We identified one patient that was homozygous for the FCN3+1637delC allele. This patient suffered from unexplained recurrent bacterial lung infections, brochiectasis, lung fibrosis and obstructive lung disease and had experienced one incidence of cerebral abscesses. Thus, Ficolin-3 deficiency appears to result in a novel complement deficiency state. This observation calls for an assay that can identify functional and genetic deficiencies of Ficolin-3.


An apparatus for multiplexing a plurality of sensor signals onto a common transmission line without employing electrically active devices at each sensor. A modulated carrier signal is coupled to propagate along the common transmission line to a plurality of sensor terminals wherefrom portions of the carrier signal energy are coupled to the sensors for the inclusion of data signals and returned therefrom to propagate through a common transmission line to a common demodulator. Modulated carrier signals from each sensor are distinguished by providing a different round trip path length for each sensor, thus establishing unique round trip time delays. These time delays may be utilized with pulse amplitude modulation applied to the carrier signals and concomitant pulse amplitude modulated carrier signal returns that may be resolved by determining the time of arrival or with linear fm cw amplitude modulation applied to the carrier signal and concomitant delayed linear fm cw returns which may be resolved by determining a constant frequency difference between the linear fm cw signal applied to the carrier signal coupled to the transmission line and the linear fm cw signals returned from each sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multiplexing apparatus and methods and more particularly to passive multiplexing whereby a multiplicity of signals may be multiplexed without employing electrically active devices at the information generating terminals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Underwater target locating systems may utilize active acoustic devices which comprise a radiation source and a receiver to detect reflected sound waves or passive devices which detect sound waves emanating from distance sources. The information obtained with active and passive systems is the same; mainly they determine a relative position of a multiplicity of dispersed discrete targets in a quiescent water ambient. Passive underwater locating systems are generally preferred for military applications. Since target position cannot be determined passively with a single acoustic receiver (hydrophone), a passive system requires a multiplicity of hydrophones, the minimum number being 3, one each positioned at the vertices of an equal angular triangle. These systems determine the relative position of a target by frequency filtering the target signal received at each sensor from the background noise, determining the relative signal phases at the sensors, and processing this phase information to obtain the relative range and angle location. Large numbers of hydrophones, 100 to 1000, are typically utilized in one or two dimensional arrays to provide sufficient signal sensitivity in the presence of ambient noise and to provide desired angular resolution over a broad acoustic frequency band.
In the prior art the hydrophones comprised piezolectric crystals to transform acoustic signals into electrical signals by converting pressure variations at the crystal into corresponding voltage variations across electrodes positioned on opposite sides of the crystal. These transducers typically supply very small voltages at very high output impedence levels. Generally each transducer is coupled to an amplifier in close proximity thereto which amplifies the signal and transforms the high output impedence of the transducer to a low output impedence which is coupled to the input terminals of a transmission line that, for example, may be a coaxial cable.
Acoustically passive hydrophone arrays are generally utilized for long distance covert sensing. Since the attenuation of acoustic waves in water increases rapidly with increasing frequency, the operating frequency band of an acoustically passive sensing array is generally limited to be within the range between 10 Hz to 10 KHz. The bandwidth capability of coaxial cable is significantly greater than 10 KHz, a characteristic that may be utilized to reduce the number of cables employed in the array. Coaxial cables exhibit signal attenuations of from 20 to 200 dB/Km for an operating bandwidth of 100 MHz and from 2 to 20 dB/Km for a bandwidth of 10 MHz. The ten MHz bandwidth would be preferred if the signals that propagate along the coaxial cable are of limited strength and the length of the cable exceeds 1 Km. With this cable bandwidth approximately one thousand 10 KHz bandwidth signals can be transmitted over the same cable. Electrical power for the transimpedence amplifiers and for multiplexing several acoustic sensors onto one transmission line must be transmitted through a sensor cable structure which must also contain the coaxial cable therewithin for returning the multiplexed signals to a common processing point. If the sensors are dispersed, transimpedence amplifiers must be located adjacent to each to establish sufficient signal to noise ratio for sensitive signal detection at the processing point. Coupling apparatus for injecting the amplified electrical signal from each transducer onto the coaxial cable without disturbing the signals from all the other transducers must also be provided. This coupling may be achieved with the utilization of the electrical signal generated at the output terminal of a transducer in response to a received acoustic signal to modulate a specific carrier signal at a frequency within the 10 MHz bandwidth and to couple this modulated carrier signal via a T junction and a tuned amplifier onto the coaxial cable. It is therefore apparent that acoustic sensor arrays are complicated systems comprising acoustical signal to electrical signal transducers, electronics for impedence conversion, electronics for multiplexing, cables for carrying power lines, coaxial cables for the propagation of electrical signals, and mechanical members for maintaining the various elements within a specified package.
The application of fiber optic technology has been investigated in an effort to simplify underwater target locating systems. One such application utilizes color as a means of multiplexing without requiring electrical power at the sensor location. In this system the emissions of a multiplicity of lasers, each operating at a distinct optical wavelength, are combined by a color (wavelength) multiplexer onto a common fiber. Filters (color demultiplexers) positioned at acousto-optic transducers, which are utilized as the hydrophones, couple each color to its assigned sensor. Modulated optical signals from the sensors are then coupled to the fiber (remultiplexed) whereon they propagate, jointly to a common receiving location whereat the colors are separated (demultiplexed) to provide individual hydrophone signals. This type of optical multiplexer employs one laser (light source), one detector, and at least one multiplexer unit for each sensor and is limited to low multiplexing ratios. Color multiplexing, moreover, does not effectively utilize the available channel capacity. These disadvantages cause the color multiplexer to be complex and expensive compared with alternative multiplexing systems. The present invention is directed to an electrically passive optical multiplexing system which is simple and inexpensive.

Multiple terminal passive multiplexing apparatus


A smart remote control system includes multiple terminals and a server. Each terminal is accessible by an electronic device through use of a registered account/password set. Upon receipt of an association request and a to-be-associated account/password set, one of the terminals is operable to transmit the to-be-associated account/password set to the server. In turn, the server determines whether the to-be-associated account/password set conforms with one of a plurality of user account/password sets stored therein, and enables the one of the terminals to be accessible by the electronic device through use of the to-be-associated account/password set when the determination is affirmative.

The Internet of Things (IoT) network involves connecting a plurality of objects (e.g., household and/or commercial appliances) using a computer system and network connectivity.
Using the IoT network, a user operating a terminal (e.g., a remote controller) is able to control a plurality of appliances that is coupled to the terminal. For the purpose of security, the terminal may request the user to register an account/password set and input the account/password set in order to access the terminal. In case a plurality of individual terminals are present (e.g., one in an office, one in a house, etc.), the user typically registers the account/password set individually.


A damper disc assembly comprises a radially flanged hub, connectable to an output shaft, flanked by lateral subplates, and surrounded by an input rotation member; a first torsional vibration damping mechanism; a second torsional vibration damping mechanism; and an action limiting member. The first torsional vibration damping mechanism elastically connects the hub and the lateral subplates and includes a first, low-rigidity elastic member and a first hysteric damping mechanism developing lesser hysteresis. The second torsional vibration damping mechanism, also elastically connecting the lateral subplates and the input rotation member, includes second and third elastic members more rigid than the first elastic member, and a second hysteretic damping mechanism developing greater hysteresis. The action limiter restricts the action or the elastic members such that only one of the second and third of these operates in the effective range of the second torsional vibration damping mechanism, thereby providing torsional vibration damping under operational characteristics in which the assembly is in a medium-rigidity phase meanwhile effecting the greater hysteresis.

The present Invention relates to a damper disc assembly employable in the clutch disc assembly of heavy-duty vehicles.
The torsional damping characteristics (torsional angle versus torque) of damper disc assemblies of this type are such that in effect there is a first, low-rigidity/low torsional hysteretic damping stage and a second, high-rigidity/high torsional hysteretic damping stage. Thus torsional vibration under low loads when the engine is idling is damped through the first response stage; under high loads torsional vibration Is damped through the second response stage of the damper disc assembly.
Under the functional characteristics of the assembly in torsional damping there is a point where the first stage shifts to the second stage, at which the assembly rigidity and the torsional hysteretic damping change rapidly. Under certain vehicle operation conditions in particular, the damper disc assembly may operate in the range including the transition point at which assembly rigidity and torsional hysteretic damping change sharply. Torsional vibration is therein not damped smoothly, giving rise to high-level growling noise due to gearbacklash in the transmission.
A PTO (power takeoff) mechanism equipped with both power take-off as well as drive damper disc assemblies for driving is provided in one type of heavy-duty vehicle. Therein, the power take-off damper disc assembly often is activated in the range of the abrupt stage-shifting point, giving rise to increased noise due to gear backlash and so on.


A sensor system that measures at least one parameter of water includes an electronics subsystem and includes a sensor housing electrically and mechanically coupled to the electronics subsystem. The sensor housing encloses a chamber that receives water via at least one inlet and that releases water via at least one outlet. At least one sensor has at least one electrode exposed to water in the chamber. A flow generator causes water to flow through the chamber. A plurality of objects within the chamber move in response to the water flow and abrasively clean the at least one electrode. Preferably, the sensor system includes a chlorine sensor having at least two electrodes. The electronics subsystem applies a first differential voltage between the two electrodes during a measurement interval and then applies a second differential voltage between the two electrodes during an interval following the measurement interval.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of systems for testing water chemistry, and, more particularly, is in the field of amperometric sensors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Amperometric chlorine sensors are used in measuring chlorine residuals in drinking water, wastewater, cooling towers. Some newer applications are measurement of Total Residual Oxidant (TRO) in seawater. Recent regulatory actions require treatment of ballast water onboard ships to inactivate invasive species and prevent their discharge into non-native waters. Another new application is the measurement of up 500 ppm TRO in seawater used for biofouling back flushes of pretreatment microfiltration membranes used in Reverse Osmosis Desalination Systems.
A common problem encountered with online measurement of water chemistry in the field is fouled electrodes in the sensor system. Electrode measurements can be rendered unreliable when the working electrode is covered with either inorganic (salts such as calcium carbonate) layers or organic (biofouling) layers that inhibit electrode processes.
Another problem with certain sensors is the lack of a flow independent measurement method that can installed in a process flow without adverse effects from changing flow rates on the sensor signal. Amperometric sensors, in particular, are significantly affected by flow rates. Preferably, a sensor system should provide accurate measurements with flow rates ranging from 0 to more than 7 feet per second without an appreciable change in the sensor output signal. Another limitation of most sensors is the lack of an ability to directly insert a sensor into a process flow pipe or fitting for a simple installation such as may be necessary in a drinking water distribution system.
Maintenance costs of online chlorine monitors often greatly exceed the cost of the unit. Frequent recalibration is necessary with most, if not all, commercially available sensors due to changing electrode surface, fouling, electrolyte depletion, membrane fouling or stretching, pressure changes or spikes, flow changes and changes in pH.
Many sensor systems require a reagent feed of either an iodide solution or a buffer to lower the pH to 4.0. Other systems are dependent on flow or pressure and require controlled flow with a drain to waste to provide a constant flow rate to the sensor. This requirement further complicates the installation, maintenance and logistical requirements. This results in excessive water loss or unnecessary consumption. Solution consumption and replenishment result in higher costs and maintenance requirements.
Polarization of many sensors causes a loss of sensitivity over the first 2-24 hours, requiring recalibration. Sensitivity is reduced and the calibration changes if the sensor is removed and replaced.
When amperometric systems with exposed electrodes are used with even low levels of cyanuric acid (CYA), a polarization of the electrode occurs with a layer of CYA that inhibits electron processes, rendering the electrode unusable after less than one day of operation due to the low signal response.
Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) is often used for residual control and provides a qualitative indicator of sanitizer efficacy. The probes used for ORP sensing often suffer from a reduction in sensitivity caused by organics, particularly when high levels of cyanuric acid are present. An ORP sensor is needed that does not have this limitation.
The vast majority of commercial amperometric systems use membranes and electrolyte to control the reaction that occurs at the working (measurement) electrode. Problems with these systems are well known. Membranes stretch and foul with oil and organics and must be replaced frequently. Another problem with most of these systems is that they measure only hypochlorous acid, a free chlorine fraction, not free chlorine as measured by a DPD test kit. As a result, membrane sensors' signals change radically with a change in pH compared to bare electrode sensors. This results in a limited operational range of 6.0 to 8.0 pH. Beyond a pH of 8.0, the sensors produce very little signal, which can produce large errors.
Electrolyte must be replaced on an ongoing basis, often monthly. In addition to these deficiencies, membrane sensors are affected by flow and pressure changes requiring recalibration when either changes.
A known sensor uses a replaceable thin-film sensor formed on a substrate with multiple electrodes and a screen printed membrane on the working electrode for chlorine. The sensor has a very short life of approximately 6 months.
Another issue with known sensors is the detection and/or interference of chloramines in drinking water. Chloramine (monochloramine) is a disinfectant used to treat drinking water. Chloramine is most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water. The typical purpose of chloramine is to provide a longer-lasting residual for disinfection as the water moves through pipes to consumers. This type of disinfection is known as secondary disinfection. Chloramine has been used by water utilities for almost 90 years, and the use of chloramine is closely regulated. More than one in five Americans uses drinking water treated with chloramine. Water that contains chloramine and that meets EPA regulatory standards is safe to use for drinking, cooking, bathing and other household uses.
Many utilities use chlorine as a secondary disinfectant; however, in recent years, some utilities have changed the secondary disinfectant to monochloramine to meet disinfection byproduct regulations.
Monochloramine (NH2Cl) is commonly used in low concentrations as a secondary disinfectant in municipal water distribution systems as an alternative to free chlorine chlorination. The use of monochloramine is increasing. Chlorine (sometimes referred to as "free chlorine") is being displaced by monochloramine, which is much more stable and does not dissipate from the water before it reaches consumers. Monochloramine also has a very much lower, however still present, tendency than free chlorine to convert organic materials into chlorocarbons such as chloroform. Such compounds have been identified as carcinogens; and in 1979 the United States Environmental Protection Agency began regulating levels of such compounds in drinking water. Furthermore, water treated with chloramine lacks the distinct chlorine odor of the gaseous treatment and so has improved taste. In swimming pools, chloramines are formed by the reaction of free chlorine with organic substances. Chloramines, compared to free chlorine, are both less effective as a sanitizer and more irritating to the eyes of swimmers. When swimmers complain of eye irritation from "too much chlorine" in a pool, the problem is typically a high level of chloramines. Some pool test kits designed for use by homeowners are sensitive to both free chlorine and chloramines, which can be misleading.
The following chart illustrates the current versus the Cl potential and versus the monochloramine potential that is used to determine which species is present:
Analytical Signal Analytical Signal (μA)(μA) (corr.)Potential (V)ChlorineBlankNH2ClBlankChlorineNH2Cl0.301.1790.0160.0340.0081.1620.0260.201.4000.0160.0090.0041.3830.0050.101.65950.0270.2480.0281.6330.2200.002.2870.2410.7450.3112.0460.434
In the foregoing chart, the concentration of Cl is 20 parts per million (ppm), and the concentration of NH2Cl is 20.5 ppm as Cl. The "blank" readings in the two columns are determined by measuring a known liquid with 0 concentration of chlorine or monochloramine. The corrected analytical signals for chlorine and monochloramine are determined by subtracting the blank values from the measured values at each applied potential. The data points for the corrected analytical signals versus the potential voltage are plotted in the graph shown in FIG. 40.
The following chart illustrates the ratios of the analytical signals for corresponding ratios of the potentials:
Ratios of Corrected Analytical Signals (μA) versus ratios of potentials (V)Ratios (V)Chlorine (corrected)NH2Cl (corrected)0.10:0.301.408.5780.00:0.301.7616.913
As can be seen from the foregoing data, it is possible to determine whether the species is monochloramine or free chlorine by the ratio of the measurement of two potentials. A ratio of greater than 5 indicates that the species is monochloramine. A display icon can be used to indicate that monochloramine is present to thereby invite the use to perform an action. For example, when used with a swimming pool, the icon may warn the operator that the water needs to be superchlorinated or that a non-chlorine shock compound needs to be added to lower the monochloramine level.
The data also illustrates the dramatic difference in signals produced by similar levels of free chlorine and monochloramine. Two stored calibrations can be used—one for free chlorine and one for total chlorine. The ratio can also be used to quantify the monochloramine and free chlorine fractions based on the magnitude of the ratio. The stored calibrations can be adjusted to read out in parts per million (ppm) of monochloramine if monochloramine is present. In a drinking water application, the residual displayed can be adjusted to display ppm monochloramine instead of free chlorine to more accurately display the chlorine level. Otherwise, the sensor system may drastically under report the sanitizer levels due to the lower signal response of monochloramine.


This disclosure discloses methods and apparatus for detecting and characterizing radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags.

RFID tags are commonly used for tracking inventory. For example, RFID tags can be individually associated with inventory items, and a reader can communicate with the RFID tags to track the inventory items. During operation, the reader requests information regarding the associated items (e.g., item descriptions, item tracking number, etc.) from the RFID tags. In response, the RFID tags provide the requested information to the reader. However, as the number of RFID tags in an environment increases, the reader may miss some RFID tags because of, e.g., interference between individual RFID tags and/or other factors. As a consequence, the tracked inventory may not be correct.

Method and apparatus for RFID tag detection and characterization


Anti-fogging systems for air-cooled, piston powered single engine aircraft which effectively prevent windshields from fogging during cold weather by directing a forceful stream of unheated, ambient air in a direction which intercepts exhaled air from an aircraft occupant to impede the moist exhaled air from directly reaching the windshield and condensing on the windshield. The disclosed systems keep the windshield of a small air-cooled, piston powered single engine aircraft from fogging while permitting a pilot to perform his pre-flight preparation, taxi and takeoff in cold climates.

Various systems have been suggested for defrosting the windshield of an aircraft, i.e. for removing frost after the frost has formed on the windshield. Large planes, commercial aircraft, jet aircraft and military helicopters are equipped with very extensive heating, defogging and air conditioning systems for the cabin, whether in flight or on the ground. Multi-engine, piston powered airplanes have auxiliary gas powered heaters which are usually ignited immediately after the engines are started. Such heaters include a combustion chamber, a heat exchange system and a battery-powered blower. Soon after being ignited, the auxiliary heater begins delivering heat to the cabin including the windshield's defrosting system without the need for aircraft motion or ram effect.
Small piston powered, single engine aircraft, however, are normally equipped with simple systems which, when in flight, take in outside air and the ram speed of the aircraft pushes the ambient air past a portion of the aircraft's exhaust system where it is heated and then through ducts into the cabin. Unfortunately, when such an aircraft is not in flight, there is virtually no ram air pushing through the heating system. Such systems also require sufficient heat from the engine. Also, some single engine, piston driven aircraft have no defrost provisions. This can create serious visibility problems in cold, wintry conditions, particularly in northern climates such as those found in Canada or the northern United States. During pre-flight preparations, engine start up, warm up, taxiing, and takeoff prior to flight, the cabin is not usually heated or is heated insufficiently by existing heating systems to defrost the windshield. During cold months, this can cause a very serious problem since the pilot's visibility of the outside can be poor because of fogging windows. During taxi and takeoff, this can lead to serious accidents.
Systems have been suggested for enhancing the heat supply to the defrosting systems for small aircrafts. For example, the present inventor disclosed a blower assisted heating and defogging system for small aircraft in U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,828 which utilizes heated air from a muffler shroud to heat external air drawn from outside the aircraft with the blower.
Thus, various systems have addressed the issue of clearing frost from a windshield, but have not addressed the problem of fogging windshields by impeding moist exhaled air from reaching a windshield and thereby preventing frost from forming on the windshield in the first instance.

Anti-fogging system for single engine aircraft


The present invention relates to apparatus for stabilizing the operation of rotational machinery, particularly machinery which uses magnetic bearings. Accelerometers sense various vibrations within the machinery. The outputs of the accelerometers are analyzed by a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm and multiplied by an array of influence coefficients to calculate desired stabilizing forces to be applied to the rotating machinery. Compensating analog voltage signals are generated in accordance therewith and transmitted to magnetic control coils within the rotating machinery.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of magnetic bearings and more particularly to arrangements for cancelling the vibrations, such as those caused by rotor imbalance or fluid-induced hydrodynamic forces, by means of a rotating force generator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the past twenty years, magnetic bearings have progressed from a laboratory curiosity to specialized, sophisticated applications such as spacecraft mechanisms, to more conventional machines such as compressors and machine tool spindles.
Magnetic bearings offer the advantages of very long life and high reliability by the elimination of wear and fatigue failure modes; by the elimination of lubrication supply and circulation systems, and by providing a way to avoid the single-point failure limitations of conventional bearing designs. Additionally, the absence of rotational frictional forces of magnetic bearings makes possible lower bearing power loss, higher accuracy pointing systems, high resolution instruments, and lighter weight gyros and momentum wheels.
All practical magnetic bearing systems constructed and operated to date have employed active servo control for at least one of the possible five degrees of freedom (i.e., x, y, z, .THETA..sub.x, .THETA..sub.y).
A radial magnetic bearing typically has two perpendicular or orthogonal axes, both of which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation. It is desirable that sinusoidal forces at different frequencies be generated in these axes to suppress vibrations of a machine casing on which the magnetic bearings are mounted. The sinusoidal forces on two axes of a radial bearing resulting in a rotating force are illustrated by an example shown in FIG. 1, along with a pair of parametric equations.
In some radial magnetic bearing applications, the control systems may be extended to four degrees of freedom in order to control angular vibrations such as pitching and swaying, in addition to horizontal and vertical lateral vibrations. Typical causes of the vibrations are rotor imbalance and the hydrodynamic effect of the fluid layers surrounding the rotor. These vibrations are typically of a frequency equal to the rotational frequency of the rotor or a harmonic (i.e., an integer multiple) thereof. The vibrations are typically measured with accelerometers.
In the prior art, control of vibrations of casings where magnetic bearings are mounted is typically accomplished by manipulating each acceleration measurement separately by using high-gain and narrow band or notch filters in order to generate compensating sinusoidal forces. However, the signal manipulating procedure in the prior art requires extensive empirical trial-and-error adjustment. This trial-and-error adjustment is deficient in that the stability of the magnetic bearing control axes cannot be assured in view of the superimposition of the additional continuous feedback control signal. If these feedback control signals are improperly set or otherwise out of adjustment, the resultant instability could damage the machinery. Moreover, achieving optimal vibration control by trial-and-error is time consuming, especially when several axes of control, or degrees of freedom, with cross-coupling influences are involved.

Rotating force generator for magnetic bearings


A method and apparatus for converting data representation of an image between a first color space and a second color space. The quality of images must be preserved in situations where further processing of the image is required. The advance made in the art is the properties directly associated with the development of tuned round-trip tables. Degradation of the image quality from the conversion process is minimal and continued conversions of the image between color spaces does not propagate a further degradation of the image quality.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a color image processing system and more particularly to a method of reversibly converting a color image between a first color space and a second color space with minimal loss of image integrity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art it is common to convert an image from one color space to another. These conversions are necessary because the red-green-blue (RGB) color space that is used to display images on a display device such as a cathode-ray-tube (CRT) is not readily compressible when digitally recorded. To efficiently store the information, a luminance-chrominance (YCrCb) color space has been developed which enables the digital representation of the image to be much more greatly compressed. International standards have been developed for converting the representation of these different color spaces from one form to another. The Comite Consultalif International des Radiocommunications (CCIR) has established the formulas in standard CCIR 601 for converting between the luminance-chrominance (YCrCb) color space and the red-green-blue (RGB) color space. The formulas for converting RGB to YCrCb are: EQU Y=0.299R+0.587G+0.114B EQU Cr=0.713 (R-Y)+128 EQU Cb=0.564 (B-Y)+128
The formulas for converting YCrCb to RGB are: EQU R=Y+1.402 (Cr-128) EQU G=Y-0.714 (Cr-128)-0.344 (Cb-128) EQU B=Y+1.772 (Cb-128)
Using floating point arithmetic the conversion from one color space to the other can be achieved without loss of integrity as the calculations can be made as required to ensure that the ultimate result of any particular conversion is not subject to a rounding error. Also, such a conversion requires that each color point in each color space be convertible to a color point in the other color space. In the situation where each point of the color space is represented by three elements, such as Red, Green and Blue, each element can have one of 256 values or, in other words, the color space can represent 256.times.256.times.256=16.7 million colors. The conversion of each point to a corresponding point in the other color space can be very time consuming and requires large amounts of storage space.
One way of overcoming the time delays and storage constraints in performing the floating point conversion has been the development of a set of look-up tables whereby a point in a first color space is directly converted to a point in the second color space by looking up the corresponding value in a look-up table. For this table look-up process to provide effective and speedy conversion it is essential that the number of values in the tables and the number of tables be reduced to the minimal number necessary to enable a human viewer of an image to obtain a reasonably valid perception of the image when displayed.
The table look-up process for converting from YCrCb to RGB works satisfactorily in those situations where the image is to be converted once and then discarded, for example, when an image is printed. However, when the image is to be kept and displayed or manipulated a plurality of times where it is necessary to convert the image back and forth between the two color spaces, the quality of the image can deteriorate substantially because of rounding errors in the conversion process. As these errors compound with each conversion the quality of the resulting image becomes less and less acceptable.
The image distortion is similar to the following problem with photocopying a sample of text many times. A clean original sample of text on a page may be photocopied and will produce an accurate copy of the page. If you then photocopy the copy, a copy is produced with some amount of distortion. As you continue to photocopy the resultant copies, the distortion of the original sample increases with each copy until the point where the text becomes illegible.
The present invention compensates for the rounding errors by providing a process for generating and tuning the color space conversion look-up tables to maintain the reproducability of each original color point. Application of the look-up tables for converting YCrCb data into RGB data stabilizes 99.07% of the RGB data after the first conversion. The remaining 0.93% of the RGB data stabilizes after four conversions, ie. distortion will not propagate. For converting RGB data into YCrCb data, 99.93% of the YCrCb data stabilizes after the first conversion. The remaining 0.07% of the YCrCb data stabilizes after 3 conversions, again preventing propagation of errors.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to enable multiple conversions of an image between one color space and another with minimal distortion to the data representation of the image.
A particular object is to provide multiple conversions of an image stored in YCrCb color space to an RGB color space and back to YCrCb color space without propagating any distortion to the data representation of the image.
It is a further object to tune look-up tables for conversion of images between RGB and YCrCb color spaces so that the image information is substantially stable over an infinite number of conversions.
It is a further object to apply the look-up tables in a computer program for converting image data within a micro-processor based system.

Method and apparatus for converting data representations of an image between color spaces


Disclosed is an acetyl-CoA-producing microorganism, which is obtained by imparting malate thiokinase and malyl-CoA lyase enzymatic activities to a microorganism having none of the following (a), (b), (c) or (d), without imparting any of (a), (b), (c) or (d), or, even when one or more of (a), (b), (c) or (d) are imparted, not allowing the functions thereof to be exerted: (a) a carbon dioxide fixation cycle having an enzymatic reaction from malonyl-CoA to malonate semialdehyde or 3-hydroxypropionate, (b) a carbon dioxide fixation cycle having an enzymatic reaction from acetyl-CoA and CO2 to pyruvate, (c) a carbon dioxide fixation cycle having an enzymatic reaction from crotonyl-CoA and CO2 to ethylmalonyl-CoA or glutaconyl-CoA or (d) a carbon dioxide fixation cycle having an enzymatic reaction from CO2 to formate.

Acetyl-CoA is an extremely important intermediate in metabolic pathways of microorganisms. Various metabolites are produced via acetyl-CoA. Known examples of such substances produced via acetyl-CoA include amino acids such as L-glutamic acid, L-glutamine, L-proline, L-arginine, L-leucine and L-isoleucine; organic acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, caproic acid, citric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, 3-hydroxyisobutyric acid, 3-aminoisobutyric acid, 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, methacrylic acid and poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid; alcohols such as isopropyl alcohol, ethanol and butanol; acetone; and polyglutamic acid.
L-Glutamic acid, or 2-aminopentanedioic acid, is a naturally occurring amino acid and a constituent of fermented foods like soy sauce, fish sauce, fermented bean paste and cheese. The sodium salt of glutamic acid, known as monosodium glutamate or MSG, is widely used in the food industry as a seasoning agent.
A promising candidate for industrial glutamic acid production is the Gram negative bacterium belonging to the genus Pantoea from the Enterobacteriaceae family. In addition to producing high glutamic acid titers, the bacterium Pantoea ananatis is also resistant to high concentrations of glutamic acid and can grow at acidic pH (Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 93:331-341 (2012)). With the establishment of genetic manipulation techniques for P. ananatis, superior recombinant strains have been successfully developed that demonstrate substantially higher glutamic acid production capacities (U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,419B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,015,010B1).
In P. ananatis, a carbon source like glucose is metabolized via the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway to form pyruvate. Subsequently, acetyl-CoA is formed from pyruvate by the action of pyruvate dehydrogenase and/or pyruvate formate lyase with the concomitant loss of valuable carbon derived from the sugar in the form of by-products like carbon dioxide and/or formate. Thereafter, glutamic acid is produced from acetyl-CoA via the Krebs cycle intermediate 2-oxoglutarate. Naturally, in this pathway, the maximum yield of glutamic acid that can be achieved is limited by the inherent loss of carbon as carbon dioxide and thus, engineering an alternate pathway that can circumvent this loss and/or cause the fixation of carbon dioxide into the pathway can help to improve the overall yield, efficiency and economics of the fermentation process.
There are several known pathways in which carbon dioxide is fixed to provide a carbon source in microorganisms (Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 77(6), 1925-1936(2011)). Specific examples of the pathways include the Calvin-Benson cycle, reductive TCA cycle, Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, 3-hydroxypropionate cycle and 4-hydroxybutyrate cycle. The Calvin-Benson cycle is a CO2 fixation pathway existing in plants and photosynthetic bacteria, and composed of about 12 kinds of enzymes, wherein CO2 is fixed by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RubisCO) to produce glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. The reductive TCA cycle is a cycle found in anaerobic bacteria and microaerophilic bacteria including green sulfur bacteria, and composed of 11 kinds of enzymes. The cycle is characterized by CO2 fixation enzymes using ferredoxin as a coenzyme (acetyl-CoA carboxylase, 2-oxoglutarate synthase), and pyruvate is produced from CO2 by a reaction in the reverse direction of the normal TCA cycle. The Wood-Ljungdahl pathway is a pathway found in anaerobic microorganisms such as acetic acid-producing bacteria, and composed of 9 kinds of enzymes, wherein CO2 and formate on a coenzyme are reduced by formate dehydrogenase, CO dehydrogenase and the like to finally achieve conversion to acetyl-CoA. The 3-hydroxypropionate cycle is found in Chloroflexus bacteria and the like, and composed of 13 kinds of enzymes, wherein CO2 is fixed by the action of acetyl-CoA (propionyl-CoA) carboxylase and acetyl-CoA is produced via malonyl-CoA and the like. The 4-hydroxybutyrate cycle is a pathway existing in archaebacteria and the like. In this cycle, CO2 is fixed by the reactions of pyruvate synthase, acetyl-CoA (propionyl-CoA) carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and acetyl-CoA is produced via 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,858B2 patent document describes the engineering of an alternate pathway for acetyl-CoA formation with reduced production of carbon dioxide by enhancing the activity of the Bifidum pathway enzymes D-xylulose-5-phosphate phosphoketolase and/or fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase. As a result, theoretically, 1 mole of CO2 can be saved per mole of glucose that is consumed via this alternative route. When this pathway was introduced to a glutamic acid-producing strain of P. ananatis, the glutamic acid titer increased by 2.6 g/L which corresponded to a 6% increase in overall glutamic acid yield.
On the other hand, several reports have been made as ideas attempting to introduce a pathway for fixation of carbon dioxide to a useful-compound-producing microorganism in order to produce a useful substance. For example, WO2009/094485 and WO2010/071697 disclose proposals to use a microorganism to which a pathway similar to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway in acetic acid bacteria was introduced, in order to produce acetyl-CoA from carbon dioxide. Further, as an example of production of a useful compound by fixation of CO2, WO2009/046929 discloses an attempt to use a microorganism to which hydrogenase and tetrahydrofolate lyase were introduced, in order to produce lactic acid from carbon dioxide. Further, WO2011/099006 proposes a cycle in which CO2 is fixed via a reaction for fixation of carbon dioxide on acetyl-CoA and a reduction reaction of malonyl-CoA. DE 102007059248 A proposes production of acetyl-CoA by a pathway similar to the 4-hydroxybutyrate cycle.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Microorganism for production of chemicals derived from acetyl-CoA


A work reversing system is provided which includes a pair of oscillation drive units, an elevation drive unit, an elevation block, and a pair of oscillation levers. The elevation block is moved up and down by an elevation lever of the elevation drive unit, and has fixed thereto a pair of guide plates which each have a guide recess formed therein. Each oscillation lever has a sliding block provided slidably thereon, which has a guide projection sliding in the guide recess. As the elevation block and oscillation levers are activated, the sliding block is moved in a direction defined by the guide recess. A work is caught by one of clamping members attached to the sliding blocks, and the clamping member is elevated and oscillated. The work is then caught by the other clamping member, and the clamping member is oscillated and lowered, so that the work is reversed.

Heretofore, there have been proposed many work reversing systems of this type, including a one which takes out a work once from a machine having worked the work, puts the work into a reversing receiver which is to be reversed automatically or manually, and then carries the work back into the machine.
In the conventional reversing system, an air cylinder (rotary actuator) or the like is used in combination to reverse a work.
However, such conventional reversing systems have a problem in that the procedure for taking out a work from a machine having processed the work, reversing it and then returning it into the machine takes a relatively long time. Also, the conventional work reversing systems are disadvantageous in that the air cylinder (rotary actuator) used in combination causes the impossibility of reversing the work quickly.
Accordingly the present invention has a primary object to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing a work reversing system capable of reversing a work smoothly, accurately and stably.
The present invention has another object to provide a work reversing system capable of reversing a work quickly.
The present invention has still another object to provide a work reversing system designed compact for easy installation in a machine or system which processes a work, and durable for an easy maintenance and reduced running costs.


A motor controlling apparatus for a vacuum cleaner comprising a cylinder disposed on the base of the vacuum cleaner, a spring base mounted at lower portion of the cylinder and provided with an aperture communicating with the hole of the base, a spring mounted on the spring base, a piston biased by the spring, a cylinder head seal-tightly contacting with the piston and provided with a hole communicating with the atmosphere, and a limit switch contacting with the piston by means of an actuating rod penetrating the hole of the cylinder head in order to automatically turn off circuit of drive motor. The present invention can provide a motor controlling apparatus which can automatically open the circuit of the drive motor by means of the limit switch capable of being opened by the actuating rod as the piston moves downward resulting from rising of degree of vacuum inside the collection tank of the vacuum cleaner such as due to a clogging of the suction port and the filter pocket of the tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner capable of washing floors, carpets and the like by using washing water containing detergent, and more particularly to a motor controlling apparatus for the vacuum cleaner, the motor controlling apparatus capable of preventing overheating of a motor occurring due to clogging of a filter pocket and a suction port of the vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a known vacuum cleaner capable of washing floors, carpets and the like by using washing water comprises a vacuum pump as a suction part, the vacuum pump having a brush enclosed therein, and a reservoir containing washing water with detergent. In cleaning operation, the known cleaner can sprinkle the floors, carpets with washing water from the reservoir then wash and clean them, and thereafter, suck sewage after washing and cleaning. However, there has been a disadvantage of overheating of the motor of the vacuum cleaner occurring due to clogging of a filter and a suction port with dust.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,473 discloses a vacuum cleaner comprising a filter, a fan motor having a suction region disposed downstream of the filter, bypass air passage vented directly to the atmosphere and connected to the suction region of the fan motor in bypassing relation to the filter, and a pressure-responsive valve for opening or closing the bypass air passage in response to changes in pressure in the suction region under a predetermined value, the change in pressure being caused by dust collected within the vacuum cleaner. The bypass air passage includes an alarm sound producing unit actuated by air flow through the bypass air passage and a closure device mounted for manual actuation by the user to selectively prevent actuation of the sound unit by restricting airflow therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,805 discloses an apparatus for cleaning floors, carpets and the like comprising a movable container adapted for the collection of a liquid and including an annular-shaped side wall and a suction inlet connected to the container, an inner wall surrounding the suction inlet and a reservoir disposed between said inner wall and the annular side wall and adapted for containing cleaning liquid. The apparatus is also provided with collection part for collecting the cleaning liquid sucked from the inner wall by sucking air containing the cleaning liquid from the floors and the like by means of a fan, and colliding this air with the annular side wall and then changing the flowing direction of the air. A valve having an opening, through which the air is forced to enter said reservoir in order to provide cleaning liquid through a slim pipe, and also adapted for preventing float and overflow in the reservoir is also provided.
However, the above-mentioned embodiments of a known vacuum cleaner do not teach an apparatus for controlling the motor from overheating due to clogging of the suction port and the filter with dust.
Therefore, there is the drawback of the danger of overheating the motor of the known vacuum cleaner occurring due to clogging of the suction port and the filter.

Motor controlling apparatus for a vacuum cleaner


An apparatus and associated method for attaching a disc drive cover member to a disc drive base member. A fixture comprises a base and a stop guard, cradle and guide rails supported by the base. The disc drive base member is operatively receivingly engaged in the cradle adjacent the guide rails. The disc drive cover member is operatively abuttingly engaged at one end against the stop guard and pivoted toward the disc drive base member. Any substantial misalignment of the disc drive cover member with the disc drive base member causes the disc drive cover member to engage at least one of the guide rails and therefore be urged into proper alignment, preventing adverse contact between the disc drive cover member and the disc drive base member.

The present invention relates to the field of mass storage devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a drive test fixture for testing or assembling a disc drive.
One key component of any computer system is a device to store data. Computer systems have many different places where data can be stored. One common place for storing massive amounts of data in a computer system is on a disc drive. The most basic parts of a disc drive are a disc that is rotated, an actuator that moves a transducer to various locations over the disc, and electrical circuitry that is used to write and read data to and from the disc. The disc drive also includes circuitry for encoding data so that it can be successfully retrieved and written to the disc surface. A microprocessor controls most of the operations of the disc drive as well as passing the data back to the requesting computer and taking data from a requesting computer for storing to the disc.
The transducer is typically placed on a small ceramic block, also referred to as a slider, that is aerodynamically designed so that it flies over the disc. The slider is passed over the disc in a transducing relationship with the disc. Most sliders have an air-bearing surface (xe2x80x9cABSxe2x80x9d) which includes rails and a cavity between the rails. When the disc rotates, air is dragged between the rails and the disc surface causing pressure, which forces the head away from the disc. At the same time, the air rushing past the cavity or depression in the air bearing surface produces a negative pressure area. The negative pressure or suction counteracts the pressure produced at the rails. The slider is also attached to a load spring which produces a force on the slider directed toward the disc surface. The various forces equilibrate so the slider flies over the surface of the disc at a particular desired fly height. The fly height is the distance between the disc surface and the transducing head, which is typically the thickness of the air lubrication film. This film eliminates the friction and resulting wear that would occur if the transducing head and disc were in mechanical contact during disc rotation. In some disc drives, the slider passes through a layer of lubricant rather than flying over the surface of the disc.
Information representative of data is stored on the surface of the storage disc. Disc drive systems read and write information stored on tracks on storage discs. Transducers, in the form of read/write heads attached to the sliders, located on both sides of the storage disc, read and write information on the storage discs when the transducers are accurately positioned over one of the designated tracks on the surface of the storage disc. The transducer is also said to be moved to a target track. As the storage disc spins and the read/write head is accurately positioned above a target track, the read/write head can store data onto a track by writing information representative of data onto the storage disc. Similarly, reading data on a storage disc is accomplished by positioning the read/write head above a target track and reading the stored material on the storage disc. To write on or read from different tracks, the read/write head is moved radially across the tracks to a selected target track. The data is divided or grouped together on the tracks. In some disc drives, the tracks are a multiplicity of concentric circular tracks. In other disc drives, a continuous spiral is one track on one side of a disc drive. Servo feedback information is used to accurately locate the transducer. The actuator assembly is moved to the required position and held very accurately during a read or write operation using the servo information.
Many of these parts are easily damaged particularly when the disc drives are being assembled or tested. Existing assembly and testing methods include hand assembly of drives. Drive covers may be attached and aligned to the drive bases by using hand-eye coordination. The drive covers may include PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) connectors. In order to meet productivity goals, assemblers may inadvertently slip or misjudge the location of the parts to be assembled, causing inadvertent contact of sensitive parts resulting in damage and excessive defects. In order to prevent such damage, assemblers may be very deliberate and slow, decreasing productivity. In addition, if the tolerances are close, such as with aligning the male and female ends of a PCBA connection, aligning the parts may be difficult to accomplish by hand.
What is needed is a disc drive test fixture that eases alignment, improves productivity, and reduces damage and cost.
The present invention is a drive test fixture and method which provides ease of alignment, improved productivity with reduced damage and cost. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a drive fixture is provided including a base, a stop guard, a pair of guide rails, and a cradle. The stop guard and the guide rails may be located on the base for positioning a cover against the stop guard and between the guide rails. The stop guard, the guide rails, and the cradle may be located so that one end of the cover may be pivoted at the stop guard as the other end is lowered between the cradle and the guide rails. The guide rails may have a width and a height so that a misaligned cover contacts the top edge of at least one of the guard rails before contacting the base of the disc drive. The guide rails may have chamfered edges. The pair of guide rails may be parallel to each other and have an adjustable width of separation. The base may have slotted openings for adjusting the guide rails by fastening the guide rails through the slotted openings. The stop guard may have a slot or may be C-shaped for positioning the cover. The drive fixture may also include dowel pins for removably attaching the cradle to the base, with the base having dowel bores for receiving the dowel pins and the cradle having dowel slots for receiving the dowel pins. The cradle may have a recess opening for receiving the base of the disc drive.
Also disclosed is a method for assembling a cover of a disc drive to a base of a disc drive. The method includes the steps of providing a drive fixture having a stop guard and a pair of guide rails, positioning the cover against the stop guard, lowering the cover between the pair of guide rails and over the base of the disc drive, and fastening the cover of the disc drive to the base of the disc drive. Positioning the cover against the stop guard may also include pivoting one end of the cover at the stop guard and lowering the other end of the cover between the guard rails and the base of the disc drive with the guard rails protecting the base of the disc drive from damage by the cover. The cover and base of the disc drive may also include a PCBA connector with a male and female end. The PCBA connector ends may also be aligned, connected and protected. Providing a drive fixture may also include providing a pair of guard rails dimensioned so that a misaligned cover contacts the top of at least one of the guide rails before contacting the base of the disc drive. Providing a drive fixture may also include providing a cradle. Lowering the cover between the guide rails and over the base of the disc drive may include lowering the cover between the pair of guide rails and the cradle. The method may also include moving the cover away from the stop guard and parallel to the pair of guide rails for positioning the cover for attachment to the base of the disc drive, prior to fastening the cover of the disc drive to the base of the disc drive. The method may also include moving the cover away from the stop guard and parallel to the pair of guide rails for positioning the male and female ends of a connector, prior to fastening the cover of the disc drive to the base of the disc drive. The method may also include fastening additional parts to the disc drive.
The invention also discloses a drive fixture including a holding means for holding a base for a disc drive, and a positioning means for positioning a cover for the disc drive for attachment to the base for the disc drive.
Advantageously, the present invention provides ease of alignment, and improved productivity with reduced damage and cost. The drive fixture provides a device and method for easily aligning drive covers for attachment to drive bases. The present invention aligns the parts without the need of good hand-eye coordination. The stop guard and guide rails align the cover onto the base with minimal effort. In addition, the present invention allows the assembly of disk drives without the worry of damaging the disc drives or connectors by inadvertently slipping or misjudging the location of parts, increasing productivity and reducing damage.


An optical recording apparatus for automatically compensating for focus offset which cannot be compensated for with a conventional focus servo circuit. A plurality of auxiliary signals differing from one another in the frequency domain is generated, a rotational synchronism signal is generated by detecting an index mark put on the optical disk in advance to indicate the reference point of the rotational phase, and a switching signal is generated in response to the rotational synchronism signal. In response to the switching signal, a plurality of auxiliary signals and an information signal are consecutively outputted and recorded onto a track of the optical disk.

The present invention relates to an optical recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal by emitting a laser beam onto an optical disk medium, and more particularly to a novel optical recording/reproducing apparatus equipped with an automatic focus offset compensator.
An optical recording/reproducing apparatus records and reproduces information by means of an optical head which emits a laser beam onto an optical disk, such as an optomagnetic disk, and involves a tracking servo circuit for enabling the laser beam to properly trace a recording track on the disk and a focus servo circuit for accurately focusing the laser beam on a recording medium face of the disk.
A conventional focus servo circuit utilizing a conventional focus error detecting method such as the knife edge method has a drawback that the compensating range of the focus servo is usually very narrow, only between .+-. tens of microns. Therefore, according to a prior art optical recording/reproducing apparatus, since the offset of the focusing position is substantially varied over the compensating range of the conventional focus servo circuit by an excessive change of temperature or humidity or by mechanical vibration, compensation due to the offset may be impossible. This might invite a deterioration in the error rate of a reproduced signal and further make it impossible for the tracking servo to trace the track.

Optical recording apparatus for recording auxiliary signals used for focus control


A bend segment for the track of a chain conveyor comprising at least two spaced, preferably flexible rails (4, 5) forming a track for the carrying surface of chain links (30), permanent magnets arranged below the track of the chain and flexible guide rails (11, 12) for guiding the return part of the chain, a number of supporting elements for supporting the rails being provided, which supporting elements are spaced in the conveying direction of the conveyor, the permanent magnets being accommodated in chambers (24, 24xe2x80x2) formed in an elongate, preferably flexible strip which is also supported on the supporting elements. The invention enables inexpensive manufacture of a bend segment of different lengths and radii.

The invention relates to a bend segment for the upper part of the track of a chain conveyor comprising at least two spaced rails forming a track for the carrying surface of chain links and permanent magnets arranged below the track of the chain.
The invention also provides a bend segment for the return part of the track of a chain conveyor comprising two spaced rails for guiding the sides of the carrying surfaces of chain links.
EP-A-0 325 333 discloses such bend segments for the upper part and the return part of the track of a chain conveyor. Both the upper part and the return part comprise a U-shaped element, the magnets being arranged in the legs of the U-shaped element of the upper part at the upper face of these legs forming the rails for guiding the sides of the carrying surface of the chain links. In this known bend segment the legs of the U-shaped element for the upper part are open in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the bend segment and form a chamber for accommodating the magnets, the legs with the magnets therein are closed by means of a flexible strip or a further U-shaped element. The U-shaped element for the return part is provided with slots for guiding the sides of the carrying surfaces of the chain links.
EP-A-0 159 074 also discloses such a bend segment in which in the upper part the magnets are arranged in the legs of a U-shaped bend segment, and EP-A-0 286 173 also discloses such a bend segment in which the magnets are arranged in the connecting part between the legs of a U-shaped bend segment. In such bend segments the magnets serve to keep the carrying surfaces of the chain links containing a ferromagnetic material or completely made of ferromagnetic material flat on the track in the bend segments forming part of the track of a chain conveyor. Without the downward force exerted by the magnets the chain links, as a result of the pulling force exerted on the chain, tend to move upwards in the outer bend or even come off the bend owing to which the articles conveyed on the chain can fall off the chain, which is of course undesirable.
The known bend segments are largely made of polyethylene having an ultra-high molecular weight, so-called UHMWPE. This material is molded under high pressure into plates, from which plates the bend segments can be formed by milling. This method of manufacture has a number of drawbacks. In the first place, as a result of the milling process, much loss of material occurs, up to more than 50%, which makes the bend expensive. In the second place, the polyethylene, also if allowed to rest for a considerable period of time after molding, is not quite free from material stresses. Consequently, also after milling a bend segment is not quite free from stresses, which is undesirable.
Dutch patent application 1003738 discloses that, to save on the cost price of a bend segment, this bend segment is not manufactured by means of milling, but by means of injection molding. This solution is economical indeed, but has the drawback that, in particular for small series of one type of bend segment, the cost of the injection molding die is high. After all, each type of bend segment has its own die.
Furthermore, EP-A-0 207 577 discloses a bend segment for a chain conveyor consisting of spaced magnets each positioned around an axis, with ferromagnetic bushes placed against these magnets. Such magnet assemblies are provided against metal plate-shaped rails, on which rails chain links made of ferromagnetic metal run. Provided on the interior and exterior of the rails are different plastic filler and guide strips. This known bend segment can be easily manufactured in various dimensions, that is to say with different radii and lengths, and is relatively insensitive to fouling. A drawback is that the construction is very complex and can in no way be automated. Moreover, this known bend is only suitable for chains having a ferromagnetic carrying surface, because only at the upper side of the metal rails the magnetic field is sufficiently strong. The bend is not suitable for plastic chains of the type described in EP-A-0 286 173.
The object of the invention is to provide a fundamentally different solution for the manufacture of a bend segment for the track of a chain conveyor, for both metal and plastic chains, thus enabling a very easy and inexpensive manufacture of this bend segment with a very high flexibility, without the necessity of expensive dies for each type of bend and without an appreciable loss of material.
To this end, the invention provides a bend segment for the upper part of the track of a chain conveyor comprising at least two spaced rails forming a track for the carrying surface of chain links and permanent magnets arranged below the track of the chain, characterized in that a number of supporting elements for supporting the rails are provided, which supporting elements are spaced apart in the conveying direction of the conveyor, and that the permanent magnets are accommodated in chambers formed in an elongate strip which is also supported on the supporting elements.
Preferably, the rails, at least in the conveying plane of the conveyor, are flexible, because this enables rapid and simple assembly and requires no different rails for various radii. It is also possible, however, to give the rails a rigid design for special applications. Preferably, the strip with magnets is also flexible, but here, too, a rigid design is possible for special applications.
According to a first embodiment, the bend segment for the return part of the track of a chain conveyor according to the invention is characterized in that the guide rails, at least in the conveying plane of the conveyor, are flexible in the lateral direction and are supported by a number of supporting elements spaced apart in the conveying direction of the conveyor.
Preferably, a supporting element for the rails in the upper part is always attached to a supporting element for the U-shaped rails in the return part, with or without interposition of spacer elements. It is also possible to manufacture both supporting elements as a single injection molding product.
According to a preferred embodiment the rails of the upper part are connected with the supporting elements by means of a snap or sliding connection, for which purpose the supporting elements are provided with an element suitable for a snap or sliding connection, which element can couple with a part of the rails complementary thereto. Consequently, the rails can be easily replaced in the event of wear. According to a further preferred embodiment the guide rails for the return part are also complementary to at least a part of the slots formed at the underside of the supporting elements, so that the rails can be arranged in these slots by sliding or snapping.
According to a preferred embodiment the flexible strip containing the chambers for the magnets consists of a chain consisting of a number of individual links which are capable of being hingedly coupled together, while in at least a number of links at least one chamber is formed for receiving the magnets. The chambers are formed such that, if desired, the magnets and, if required, closure plates can be automatically placed in the chambers.
Preferably, the exterior of the links is provided with means capable of coupling by means of, for instance, a sliding or snap connection with complementary means at the supporting elements of the upper part, thus enabling attachment of the strip to the successive supporting elements.
By taking the measures according to the invention a bend segment for chain conveyors is provided which combines a very low cost price with a very high flexibility and an easy exchangeability of the parts subject to wear, in particular the rails.
One of the most important aspects of the flexibility is that bends of different radii and lengths can be easily made with the supporting elements and rails according to the invention, which bends are suitable both for metal (ferromagnetic) chains and for plastic chains having a ferromagnetic hinge pin. If the supporting elements have been made suitable therefor, both single and multiple bends can be designed. Consequently, it is no longer necessary to have different types of bends on stock. A further advantage is that the bend segment, due to its very open structure, can be cleaned very easily and effectively, and that coarser dirt, such as fragments of glass, crown corks etc., cannot lead to jamming of the conveyor, because this dirt can fall through the bottom construction to the ground. Also, due to the open structure, the sound production of the chain in the bend is substantially lower than with the known massive bend segments which actually form a sound box.
The range of applications of the strip consisting of links with magnet chambers formed therein according to the invention is not limited to the use with the supporting elements for a bend segment according to the invention, also with other bend segments for chain conveyors this strip may be advantageously used. For instance with the bend segment disclosed in DE-A-3 540 002 intended for use with so-called tab chains in which the tabs engage below the rails to keep the chain flat in the bend parts of the conveyor. Bend segments suitable for flexible conveying chains can be combined with the magnet strip according to the invention, the sides of the hinges being flat for tab chains or for chains in which the hinge loops are provided with beveled parts, the chains of the so-called bevel type.

Bend segment for the track of a chain conveyor


Thermal stability of a halide-promoted, supported noble metal reforming catalyst is improved by employing a modified alumina support whose alumina precursor comprises at least about 75 weight percent boehmite, having an average crystallite diameter no greater than about 60 Angstroms. The thermal stability of the support is improved by the inclusion of a minor amount of silica, preferably added as an orthosilicate ester to a mull of alumina prior to its extrusion and calcination.

Catalytic reforming of naphtha fractions has long been regarded as an attractive means for providing gasoline blending components having high octane numbers. The demand for such blending components has become critical as the use of organometallic octane appreciators, such as lead alkyls, has diminished in response to environmental constraints.
Catalytic reforming generally involves a complex series of hydrocarbon reactions, employing a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation catalyst, wherein a substantially paraffinic and/or naphthenic naphtha fraction of petroleum variously undergoes dehydrocyclization, dehydrogenation, isomerization and hydrocracking to provide a mixture substantially comprising aromatic, olefinic, naphthenic and isoparaffinic hydrocarbons. Such mixtures possess suitably high octane numbers and generally excellent blending characteristics. The reforming reactions are, on balance, endothermic and are generally conducted with serial flow through a plurality of reactors at elevated temperatures in the presence of hydrogen, with provision for heating between reactor stages.
Noble metal catalysts generally are effective in the promotion of the spectrum of chemical conversions characteristic of reforming. Such metals are quite effective at relatively low concentrations, for example, 1 weight percent or less, when extended upon a support material. Suitable support materials must possess sufficient surface area to provide an adequate base for dispersion of the noble metal. Further, the support must possess pores having dimensions large enough to accommodate the chemical reactants to be acted upon. In general, an adequate surface area for most reactants will be in excess of at least about 100 square meters per gram. For most reforming operations, a generally preferred noble metal is platinum and a preferred support material is alumina. Platinum is often used together with a second metal. Alumina is often modified to increase acidity of the support, as by contacting with a halide-affording material.
Catalysts comprising platinum, such as platinum dispersed on an alumina support, are generally employed in the reforming of naphthas because of their overall excellent performance, despite high cost, and high selectivity toward the production of aromatic hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range. Maintenance of platinum catalyst activity and selectivity can be improved by the use of a second metal. A preferred second metal is rhenium, whose use is particularly described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,415,737, 3,496,096 and 4,176,088.
Since most of the desirable chemical reactions, including hydroisomerization and dehydrocyclization, require acidic conditions, it is necessary to provide an effective level of acidity in the catalyst. This is generally accomplished by the introduction of a halogen, usually chloride, which is held on the surface of the catalyst support material together with the catalytic metals. The halogen material is replenished throughout the catalytic cycle by addition, usually in the form of an organic halide, to the hydrocarbon feedstock. Control of the halide concentration on the catalyst by control of the water-halide ratio in the feed is well known.
One method for increasing the activity of the reforming catalyst, particularly in terminal reactors, comprises significantly increasing the chloride content in the catalyst, for example, to a level substantially above 1.0 weight percent. However, this approach is often not feasible because loss of catalyst surface area with continuing on-stream time leads to loss of chloride from the catalyst, thus requiring an excessive make-up rate for chloride and causing excessive downstream corrosion.
Although much attention has been given to this problem, there is a continuing need for an improved support material, possessing suitably high and stable surface area and pore size characteristics. A desirably improved support will exhibit a substantially diminished rate of change in desirable surface parameters such as surface area and pore size upon continued exposure to high temperatures. Such increased stability of the support material will effectively reduce the tendency toward a gradual loss of halide promoter.


The high side pressure of a vapor compression system is selected to optimize the coefficient of performance by measuring the heat sink inlet temperature with a temperature sensor. For any heat sink inlet temperature, a single optimal high side pressure is selected which optimizes the coefficient of performance. The optimal high side pressure for each heat sink inlet temperature is preset into a control and is based on data obtained by previous testing. A pressure sensor continually measures the high side pressure. If the high side pressure is not at the optimal value, the expansion device setting is adjusted to alter the high side pressure to the optimal value.

The present invention relates generally to a method for optimizing the coefficient of performance of a transcritical vapor compression system by measuring the heat sink inlet temperature and adjusting the high side pressure to an optimum value according to a preset control strategy.
Chlorine containing refrigerants have been phased out in most of the world due to their ozone destroying potential. Hydrofluoro carbons (HFCs) have been used as replacement refrigerants, but these refrigerants still have high global warming potential. xe2x80x9cNaturalxe2x80x9d refrigerants, such as carbon dioxide and propane, have been proposed as replacement fluids. Unfortunately, there are problems with the use of many of these fluids as well. Carbon dioxide has a low critical point, which causes most air conditioning systems utilizing carbon dioxide to run transcritical, or above the critical point.
When a vapor compression system runs transcritical, the refrigerant does not change phases from vapor to liquid while passing through the heat rejecting heat exchanger. Therefore, the heat rejecting heat exchanger operates as a gas cooler in a transcritical cycle, rather than as a condenser. The pressure of a subcritical fluid is a function of temperature under saturated conditions (where both liquid and vapor are present). However, the pressure of a transcritical fluid is a function of fluid density when the temperature is higher than the critical temperature.
It is important to regulate the high side pressure of a transcritical vapor compression system as the high side pressure has a large effect on the capacity and efficiency of the system. In one prior system, the optimal coefficient of performance is maintained by sampling the refrigerant temperature and pressure at the outlet of the gas cooler and adjusting the high side pressure to an optimum value according to a predetermined control strategy. In another prior system, the high side pressure and low side pressure are coupled based on a pre-determined control strategy to adjust the high side pressure to an optimum value to maintain the optimal coefficient of performance.
A transcritical vapor compression system includes at least a compressor, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a heat accepting heat exchanger. Of course, this is a simplified system and other components may be included. Refrigerant circulates through the closed circuit system. Preferably, carbon dioxide is employed as the refrigerant. High pressure refrigerant flowing through the heat rejecting heat exchanger is cooled by a fluid, such as water, flowing in an opposing direction through a heat sink. The vapor compression system further includes a heat pump to reverse the flow of the refrigerant and change the system between a heating mode and a cooling mode.
In a transcritical vapor compression system, the high side pressure is independent of the operating conditions. Therefore, for any set of operating conditions, it is possible to operate the cycle at a wide range of high side pressures. For any set of operating conditions, there is also an optimal high side pressure which corresponds to an optimum coefficient of performance. Two variables determine the operating conditions: the outdoor air temperature and the heat sink inlet temperature. As the outdoor air temperature only slightly influences the optimal high side pressure, and therefore the coefficient of performance, only the heat sink inlet temperature significantly affects the optimal high side pressure.
In selecting the optimal high side pressure, and therefore achieving the optimal coefficient of performance, a temperature sensor measures the heat sink inlet temperature. For any heat sink inlet temperature, a single optimal high side pressure is selected to optimize the coefficient of performance. The optimal high side pressure for each heat sink inlet temperature is preset into a control and is based on data obtained by previous testing. A pressure sensor continually measures the high side pressure. If the high side pressure is not optimal, the expansion device is adjusted to alter the high side pressure to the optimal value.

Method for optimizing coefficient of performance in a transcritical vapor compression system