An energy distributing side structure for a vehicle is disclosed. The side structure includes a B-pillar having a wide base and an internal reinforcing tube, a rocker having an internal bulkhead, a rear rocker, and at least one cross-member extending vehicle-inward from the rocker. The cross-member may extend to the vehicle tunnel and may be attached to a tunnel brace. One or more additional cross-members may be provided which also extend vehicle-inward from the rocker and define secondary load paths. By this arrangement loading is transferred to the floor and cross-members of the vehicle during a lateral impact event.

Side impact events involving automotive vehicles typically include the imposition of dynamic loading to the vehicle body sides. The side impact event imposes severe loading on the structural members of the body. This situation is complicated by the fact that many compact or mid-sized vehicles have low rocker heights that may pass below the bumper of an impacting vehicle, resulting in high door velocities.
Although automotive bodies used in conventional body-on-frame construction have typically used cross members for decades, such cross members have not been involved in the management of crash-related energy. In essence, with a more typical construction, the space between the inner rocker panel and the end of the underbody cross members must first be closed by plastic deformation of the sheet metal bridging between these two structures. This sheet metal is usually flat and comprises a portion of the floor pan.
In an effort to allow the side structure to react in a more controlled manner against laterally imposed loads, transverse tube structures have been provided between the rocker and the tunnel. In the event of a side impact the load is passed to the center of the vehicle. The vehicle front seat is typically attached to the tube structure. This arrangement created a package problem for occupant foot space in the rear seat. On the other hand, if the structure is part of the seat then gaps are required between the structure in the seat and the B-pillar and the center console. This arrangement does not effectively take a load until after the deformation of the vehicle occurs.
Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle safety technology, there is room in the art for further advancement in the design of vehicle side structures.

Energy distributing side structure for vehicle side impact occupant protection


Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for dynamically modifying data scrub rates based on RAID analysis. The method includes determining a grouping for an array based on a temperature for the array, a configurable threshold temperature range for the array, and an I/O distribution of the array. The method further includes modifying the data scrub rate for the array based on the grouping.

The present invention relates generally to the field of RAID restoration, and more particularly to dynamically restoring RAIDs based on properties of the array.
Redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is a data storage virtualization technology used for data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. Often, a data scrub is performed on the RAID by a RAID adaptor. The data scrub scans and verifies available customer data on the array. When errors are detected during a data scrub, they can be corrected via an array read reconstruct.
Often, in RAID data rebuilding, the system comprises a data scrub, performed at a specific rate, and a rebuilding access. In some instances, where the data scrub is performed after the rebuilding access, a window can be exposed on an array, resulting in data loss. Additionally, a data scrub can interfere with a customer's ability to write data to a RAID.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dynamically restoring disks based on array properties

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for producing construction panels comprising cellulose fibers as the reinforcing means and of at least one inorganic binder such as cement and possibly of fillers, wherein the crude panels are subjected to air hardening by being stored in stacking structures so that in spite of the use of cement as the binder, cellulose fibers are used without being destroyed.. The invention provides that the sulfur trioxide content in the cement shall be less than 2%.

The present invention concerns a method for producing construction panels consisting of reinforcing organic fibers, preferably cellulose fibers, and of at least one organic binder such as cement and possibly of fillers, wherein the crude panels are subjected to air hardening by being stored in stacking structures.
Of all the materials which are known and available for roofing and cladding, asbestos reinforced corrugated cement sheets and boards are among the best, since they possess good strength and their weathering characteristics give them a long life. A basic disadvantage of asbestos-cement sheets is the fact that they contain asbestos, a fibrous material the dust of which is thought to constitute a health hazard, and the industry is therefore constantly seeking alternatives to this materials.
No single material has been found with characteristics which satisfactorily match all those of asbestos, and it has thus been proposed to use mixtures of materials, e.g. mixtures of fibrous materials such as cellulose and glass fibers.
The state of the art of Asbestos-Cement Board and the chemistry of the portland cement bonding thereof may be ascertained by reference to the Kirk-Othmer ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY, 2nd Edition (1970), Volume 21, pp 607 and 608.
The state of the art of non-asbestos cement panels may be ascertained by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,969,567; 4,101,335 and 4,428,275, and European Patent Specification 68,741 published Mar. 19, 1986, the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,969,567; 4,101,335 and 4,428,275 are incorporated herein by reference.
The Hatschek method used in the present invention is disclosed in the book ASBESTZEMENT by H. Klos, published by Springer-Verlag (1967), pp. 113-199, particularly p. 113.
The state of the art of air hardening by being stored in stacking structures may be ascertained by reference to Ullmann's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TECHNICAL CHEMISTRY, Volume 4, (1953), pp. 232 and 233, and ASBESTZEMENT TECHNOLOGIE UND PROJEKTIERUNG, published by Springer-Verlag (1967), pp. 113 , particularly 119.
When cement is used as the binder, there is a danger that over an extended period of time the calcium-sulfate/aluminum-hydrate (ettringite) is formed, which in the long run destroys the cellulose fibers.
For that reason attempts already have been made to replace the cellulose fibers with plastic fibers, illustratively polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers or polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. However, plastic fibers of this type are expensive compared to cellulose fibers and thereby the reinforced panels become uneconomical.

Method for producing construction panels using air hardening


A dynamic semiconductor multi-value memory device has memory cells each of which includes a series circuit of one storage capacitor and two transistors. A first capacitor is connected between a first bit line of a first bit line pair and a second bit line of a second bit line pair which is adjacent to the first bit line pair. A second capacitor is connected between a second bit line of the first bit line pair and a first bit line of the second bit line pair.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic semiconductor memory device, and more particularly to a dynamic semiconductor multi-value memory device which can rapidly operate.
2. Description of the Prior Knowledge
While the operation speed of a dynamic semiconductor memory device has been remarkably improved, a dynamic semiconductor multi-value memory device remains to operate slower than a two-value dynamic semiconductor memory device, and has a less read-out margin.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a dynamic semiconductor multi-value memory device which is disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 455,989 commonly assigned and filed on Dec. 22, 1989 and now abandoned. The multi-value memory device of FIGS. 5A and 5B comprises a plurality of four-level memory cells 10, and two sense amplifiers 16 and 17. Each of the four-level memory cells 10 consists of a storage capacitor 11, and two transfer gates 12 and 13. The sense amplifiers 16 and 17 are constructed in the same manner as a sense amplifier used in a conventional two-value memory device.
In this memory device, when the sense amplifiers 16 and 17 are operated to sense the data stored in the four-level memory cells 10, the reference level is determined by capacitors provided in a read-out circuit 28. This requires that during the operation of the sense amplifiers 16 and 17 the capacitors must be charged in response to signals UP1 and UP2, resulting in a problem in that the commencement of the operation of the sense amplifiers 16 and 17 is delayed by the rising period of the signals UPI and UP2.
Furthermore, in the multi-value memory device of FIGS. 5A and 5B, transistors are used to select the capacitors to be charged in the read-out circuit 28. Therefore, the read-out margin of the memory device is restricted by the variation in the threshold value of the transistors in the read-out circuit 28.

Dynamic semiconductor multi-value memory device


An energy cable includes, at least one cable core including an electric conductor, a crosslinked electrically insulating layer, and zeolite particles placed in the cable core. The zeolite particles are able to extract and absorb, very efficiently and irreversibly, the by-products deriving from the cross-linking reaction, so as to avoid space charge accumulation in the insulating material during cable lifespan. A method for extracting crosslinking by-products from a cross-linked electrically insulating layer of an energy cable core, which includes manufacturing the energy cable core containing zeolite particles, heating the energy cable core up to a temperature causing migration of the crosslinking by-products from the crosslinked electrically insulating layer; and then placing a metal screen around the energy cable core.

The present invention relates to an energy cable having a crosslinked electrically insulating layer, and to a method for extracting crosslinking by-products therefrom.
Cables for transporting electric energy generally include at least one cable core. The cable core is usually formed by at least one conductor sequentially covered by an inner polymeric layer having semiconducting properties, an intermediate polymeric layer having electrically insulating properties, an outer polymeric layer having semiconducting properties. Cables for transporting medium or high voltage electric energy generally include at least one cable core surrounded by at least one screen layer, typically made of metal or of metal and polymeric material. The screen layer can be made in form of wires (braids), of a tape helically wound around the cable core or a sheet longitudinally wrapped around the cable core.
The polymeric layers surrounding the conductor are commonly made from a polyolefin-based crosslinked polymer, in particular crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE), or elastomeric ethylene/propylene (EPR) or ethylene/propylene/diene (EPDM) copolymers, also crosslinked, as disclosed, e.g., in WO 98/52197. The crosslinking step, carried out after extruding the polymeric material onto the conductor, gives the material satisfactory mechanical and electrical properties even under high temperatures both during conventional use and with current overload.
The crosslinking process of polyolefin materials, particularly polyethylene (XLPE), requires addition to the polymeric material of a crosslinking agent, usually an organic peroxide, and subsequent heating at a temperature to cause peroxide cleavage and reaction. By-products are formed mainly deriving from the decomposition of the organic peroxide. In the presence of a continuous electrical field, such by-products, being entrapped within the crosslinked material, cause an accumulation of space charges which may cause electrical discharges and eventually insulation piercing, particularly in direct current (DC) energy cables. For instance, dicumyl peroxide, the most common crosslinking agent used for cable insulation, forms methane (light by-product) and heavy by-products, mainly acetophenone and cumyl alcohol. Methane can be eliminated from the cable core with a short degassing process at a relatively low temperature (about 70° C.), while acetophenone and cumyl alcohol can be removed only by subjecting the cable core to a prolonged degassing process, at a temperature suitable to cause migration of the by-products (usually about 70° C.÷80° C.) and subsequent evaporation from the cable core. This degassing process must be performed for a long time (usually from 15 days to about 2 months, depending on the cable dimensions) and cannot be carried out continuously but only batchwise in large degassing devices which can host a given cable length. This increases to a large extent the time and production costs of DC energy cables.
In US 2010/0314022 a process is described for producing an insulated DC cable with an extruded polymer based electrical insulation system, which comprises the steps of: providing a polymer based insulation system comprising a compounded polymer composition, preferably a compounded polyethylene composition; optionally cross-linking the polymer composition; and finally exposing the polymer based insulation system to a heat treatment procedure while the outer surface of the polymer based insulation system is covered by a cover impermeable to at least one substance present in the polymer based insulation system in a non-homogenous distribution, thereby equalizing the concentration of the at least one substance in the polymer based insulation system. The at least one substance comprises typically cross linking by-products and various additives, which typically increase the material conductivity. Preferably a thin metallic foil or similar is wrapped around the roll of DC cable. Alternatively, the impermeable cover can be the metallic screen or the outer covering or sheath arranged outside the metallic screen. The overall effect of such a process is that of equalizing as much as possible the concentration of the crosslinking by-products within the insulating layer, which, however, are not removed from the cable core.
JP 64-024308 relates to a DC power cable provided with a space charge buffer layer placed between the inner semiconducting layer and the insulating layer or between the outer semiconducting layer and the insulating layer, the space charge buffer layer being formed by a copolymer of ethylene with an aromatic monomer, e.g. styrene, in an amount from 0.01 to 2 mol % per 1 mol of ethylene. Due to the resonance effect of the benzene ring of the aromatic monomer, the surrounding electron energy is absorbed and the formation of space charge is prevented, and in addition it is possible to improve the dielectric strength of the base polymer.
JP 02-253513 relates to a cross-linked polyethylene insulation cable that should prevent oxidative degradation caused by contact with oxygen and should enable continuous operation at high temperatures. As by-product of the organic peroxide, cumyl alcohol undergoes degradation to form α-methylstyrene and water. The degradation of cumyl alcohol is accelerated in the presence of oxygen. The moisture that is formed by the above degradation may cause appearance of voids and bow-tie trees with consequent degradation of the insulating material. To prevent such drawbacks, a plastic material containing an oxygen absorbent is arranged on the central part and the outer semiconducting layer of the conductor.
As oxygen absorbent, a deoxidizer may be used, such as a commercially available product known as Ageless by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., which is formed by iron oxide/potassium chloride.

Energy cable having a crosslinked electrically insulating layer, and method for extracting crosslinking by-products therefrom


A fuel injector control valve assembly is provided that comprises a valve actuating mechanism, a cage member that is operatively connected to the valve actuating mechanism, a poppet valve member that is operatively connected to the cage member and that defines a perimeter and a longitudinal axis, a valve sleeve member that is disposed about the poppet valve member, a shim that includes an upper surface that at least partially makes uninterrupted contact with the cage member and a lower surface that at least partially makes uninterrupted contact with the sleeve member, thereby providing a fluid seal about the perimeter of the poppet valve member, and a bounce limiting mechanism that is adjacent the shim and that is interposed between the cage member and at least one of either the poppet valve member and the valve sleeve member.

Fuel injection is well known in the art for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine that is subsequently mixed with air or oxygen and then combusted for powering the engine. Fuel injectors often use control valves that control the timing and duration of a fuel injection event into the combustion chamber. As can be imagined, components of fuel injectors including the control valve may experience forces from other components or from its own inertia that causes the valve member to move. For example, when the control valve contacts another component including a valve seat or an actuating component intended to move the valve into the proper position, the control valve or another operatively connected component may move or bounce. This can lead to undesirable consequences.
By way of further example, the control valve may initiate a desirable main fuel injection event and then be moved to another position in order to stop this injection event. However, because of the forces, velocity and inertia transference of and between the various components including the valve member, the control valve may be unintentionally moved from a position where the fuel injection is prohibited to one where it is allowed due to its unintentional bouncing or other movement. This may lead to secondary, tertiary, or other after-injection events that are not intended and that may lead to an undesirable operation of the engine that leads to other problems such as poor engine performance and increased emissions. Hence, methods and devices for eliminating such valve bounce have been developed and employed.
Some control valve assemblies for fuel injectors use a lift shim that is interposed between components that move relative to each other such as a valve sleeve member and a cage member. Such lift shims have recesses that communicate the fluid that is immediately around the valve body with a pressure relief pocket or the like. These recesses are located on the top and bottom surfaces of the shim that contact the valve sleeve and cage members. It has been discovered that this shim design allows an undesirable amount of valve bounce in some applications.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a mechanism for preventing or limiting valve bounce for a fuel injector than has yet been devised for such applications.

Control valve bounce limiting mechanism for fuel injectors


An assembly bearing structure of a motor vehicle which is favorable in crash situations includes a holding arrangement disposed on the vehicle body. This holding arrangement includes a carrying member supported on the vehicle body as well as an elastically connected longitudinal support which is provided with a catch device for a front-side end of a transmission case and has at least one energy-absorbing deformation area.

This invention relates to an assembly bearing structure which is favorable in crash situations and includes a holding arrangement disposed on a motor vehicle passenger car body.
From German Patent Document DE-33 01 708 C2, a motor vehicle is known which comprises a drive unit which is held on a cross member which, in the case of a crash largely takes over a reduction of impact energy by means of a deformation.
It is an object of the invention to provide an assembly bearing which ensures a secure carrying function of the drive unit and, at the same time, a longitudinal support which is designed to provide crash safety.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing an arrangement wherein the holding arrangement comprises a carrying member supported on the vehicle body as well as an elastically connected longitudinal support which is provided with a catch device for a front-side end of a transmission case and has at least one energy-absorbing deformation area.
The principal advantages achieved by means of the invention connected with one another and which permit a separation of functions. One component, which consists of a carrying member, takes over the carrying function, specifically the vibration-isolated bearing of the drive assembly on the vehicle body, and the other component, which consists of a longitudinal support, provides the energy absorption in the case of a crash by means of a plastic deformation.
The longitudinal support is connected with the carrying member by means of an elastic rubber bearing element which is held in a molded-on receiving device of the transmission case. For the operative connection with the longitudinal support in the case of a crash, the receiving device has a projecting nose which engages in a catch device of the longitudinal support and deforms it in an energy-absorbing manner. For this purpose, stability-reducing zones are formed in the longitudinal support which consist of creases, notches, bores or the like. These zones also have the effect that, when the assembly is stressed by a crash, it can swivel out downwards.
The carrying member essentially comprises a tongue which is transversely arranged in the vehicle and has end-side bearings. The longitudinal support with deformation zones which consists of a profiled sheet metal preform is held on this tongue by means of the elastic bearing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Assembly bearing favorable in crash situations


A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment associate a persistent indicator with allocated memory and determine whether to preserve the contents of the allocated memory during an IPL (Initial Program Load) based on the persistent indicator. If the persistent indicator associated with the memory is on, the contents of that memory are preserved, and if the persistent indicator is off, the contents of that memory are discarded.

Computer technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, with significant developments being made in both software and in the underlying hardware upon which the software executes. One significant advance in computer technology is the development of multi-processor computers, where multiple computer processors are interfaced with one another to permit multiple operations to be performed concurrently, thus improving the overall performance of such computers. Also, a number of multi-processor computer designs rely on logical partitioning to allocate computer resources to further enhance the performance of multiple concurrent tasks.
With logical partitioning, a single physical computer is permitted to operate essentially like multiple and independent virtual computers (referred to as logical partitions), with the various resources in the physical computer (e.g., processors, memory, and input/output devices) allocated among the various logical partitions. Each logical partition may execute a separate operating system, and from the perspective of users and of the software applications executing on the logical partition, each separate operating system appears as a fully independent computer.
A hypervisor or partition manager, shared among the logical partitions, manages the logical partitions and allocates resources to the different logical partitions. If the partition manager encounters an error that prevents the partition manager from continuing to operate, the partition manager may need to be restarted via a technique known as a re-IPL (re-Initial Program Load). But, an ordinary IPL destroys the contents of volatile memory, which could contain information regarding the configuration of the partitions, which would be helpful on the re-IPL. The partition manager typically does not have an associated disk drive or other non-volatile memory in which to store its configuration information following an error because the partition manager typically allocates all disk drives on a per-disk drive basis to the logical partitions, which greatly simplifies the management of the logical partitions. Adding an additional disk drive solely for use by the partition manager would increase the cost of the system and decrease its competitiveness in the marketplace.
Thus, without a cost-effective way to preserve memory contents, the acceptance of computers with multiple partitions is hampered. Although the aforementioned problems of memory preservation have been described in the context of a logically-partitioned computer, they may also apply to other electronic devices.

Preservation of memory associated with a hypervisor partition


Methods of treating animal litter and/or bedding material for control of volatile ammonia and soluble phosphorous include applying granular partially hydrated ferric sulfate to the litter. The partially hydrated ferric sulfate ranges from gray to tan in color and is spread onto the litter at a rate effective to reduce ammonia volatilization and reduce soluble phosphorous. Relative to reagent grade ferric sulfate, the partially hydrated ferric sulfate exhibits lower hygroscopicity and higher deliquescence. The ferric sulfate is prepared by a process comprising oxidizing ferrous sulfate with sulfuric acid using a molecular oxygen oxidizing agent at an elevated pressure relative to atmospheric and at a temperature of 60° C. to 140° C. to produce a gray to tan colored granular product.

This disclosure generally relates to the use of iron salts to lower ammonia emissions and sequester soluble phosphorous in animal litter or bedding materials, and more particularly, to the use of a ferric sulfate composition applied as a granular solid to the animal litter.
Ammonia is a common by-product of animal waste due to the often inefficient conversion of feed nitrogen into animal product. Livestock and poultry are often fed high-protein feed, which contains surplus nitrogen, to ensure that the animals' nutritional requirements are met. Nitrogen that is not metabolized into animal protein (i.e., milk, meat, or eggs) is excreted in the urine and feces of livestock where further microbial action releases ammonia into the air during manure decomposition. Because of this, in-house air quality is a major concern. Producers spend much of their time and investment in maintaining good air quality to maximize growth and performance of livestock. Ammonia levels of 25 ppm or more can lead to significant health problems for the animals including respiratory infections and eye lesions, or even death of the animal. For example, previous work has correlated negative bird performance with poor indoor air quality in poultry growing and holding areas due to ammonia (NH3) and dusts. Low growth rates, low feed utilization rates, high mortality rates, costs of house ventilation especially in the cooler months are all losses that can be related to the quantities of ammonia and ammonia compounds generated by livestock. As used herein, the term "livestock" is intended to refer to poultry, swine, cattle, horses, and like animals that are generally contained within a confined area for extended periods of time.
Ammonia is a colorless, alkaline, water-soluble gas that is produced by microbiological deamination or reduction of nitrogenous substances. Animal litter, a combination of fecal material, spilled feed, bedding material, and the like, provides a source of ammonia emissions within floor-reared production facilities. For example, birds excrete excess nitrogen (N) in the form of uric acid and it is the microbial decomposition of uric acid within the litter, which is the primary source of ammonia generation. Litter type, management, humidity, pH, and temperature all affect ammonia generation and concentration. Ammonia volatilization is a complex physical and chemical process and emissions are generally related to four factors: ammonium ion concentration of the medium, temperature of the medium, pH of the medium and turbulent transport of the ammonia from the medium. There is a trend within the industry for tighter house design and less frequent litter or bedding material removal. These two factors have the potential to dramatically increase the ammonia concentration within production facilities.
With respect to poultry houses, commercial poultry producers generally employ some form of ventilation to mitigate volatile ammonia concentrations emanating from decomposing animal litter in their houses. Current ventilation methods consume energy both for air exchange and for heating makeup air.
Animals are also susceptible to ingestion of materials used in litter and/or bedding material treatments. A typical material used is alum, i.e., aluminum sulfate. Application of urease inhibitors to cattle and/or swine manure has effectively limited urea hydrolysis in laboratory and field studies. Such inhibitors are easily degradable and must be continuously applied to manure in order to reduce the production of ammonia from urea. Still other litter amendment materials include ferrous sulfate, liquid ferric sulfate or chloride, and the like. In U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0005784 A1, the use of the liquid ferric sulfate or chloride is described as an advantage over granular reagent grade ferric sulfate crystals because the animals can ingest the granular form of ferric sulfate crystals and the use of the solid form to be distributed in practical quantities is reported to be marginally effective. The ferric sulfate crystals, whether they be technical or reagent grade, have a yellowish to white color that is generally distinguishable from the litter and common materials used in the house such that it can be visible to the animals, which leads to accidental ingestion since the animals can confuse the litter amendment with feed.
In addition to the production and welfare impacts, there is growing public concern over outdoor air quality and the amount of pollutants released by animal feeding operations (AFOs). Of greatest interest are the emissions of ammonia and particulate matter. Environmental air and water quality potentially can be impacted by animal production emissions in the form of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Since these emissions originate from within the production facilities, strategies to reduce the generation of dust, ammonia, and odors within houses will have a corresponding impact on the level of house emissions.
One technique to reduce emissions from production facilities, such as poultry production barns, lowers the pH of the litter to maximize conversion of volatile ammonia to ammonium ion (NH4+). Application of litter treatments to reduce the pH of the litter is the mechanism used to accomplish the pH reduction. Typical acidifier litter treatments such as alum are effective for short-term ammonia reduction, up to approximately two weeks. Amounts required for longer-term effectiveness in chemically binding litter nitrogen are corrosive, represent additional hazards to the animals, and are difficult to apply with the animals present in the production facility.
Soluble litter phosphorous (P) in the form of phosphates (PO4−2) is another concern when land-applied to lands already overburdened with phosphates and susceptible to surface water runoff and edge of field erosion. Products that can bind soluble phosphorous in land-applied animal litter and/or bedding material would benefit the industry in addressing water quality impacts from these various operations.
In view of the foregoing, there accordingly remains a continued need in the industry to more efficiently address the problems associated with volatile ammonia emissions and soluble phosphorous in animal litter and/or bedding materials.

Treatment of animal litter with ferric sulfate granules


An image input apparatus having a lens unit and a photoelectric transducer and includes an automatic exposure circuit for controlling an amount of exposure onto the photoelectric transducer so that it becomes a predetermined standard value, a correction circuit for modifying the standard value, and a reset circuit for converting a correction value corrected by the correction circuit into the aforementioned standard value. Also provided is a controller for selecting a first mode for modifying data representing an amount of light exposure on the photoelectric transducer, and a second mode for modifying data representing a focal length of the lens unit. The reset circuit further includes a common increase/decrease change-over switch for increasing and decreasing corresponding data in each mode selected by the controller.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image input apparatus, and more particularly to an improvement in means for modifying the exposure thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional image input apparatus having a lens unit and a photoelectric conversion means, modification of exposure is performed by manually adjusting the iris of the lens unit.
However, since this kind of the apparatus is of manual adjustment, its operation is troublesome, its accuracy is poor, and there is a posibility of producing a deflection of the image due to vibration; thus is desirable to provide an automatic exposure mechanism.
However, because then nature of image originals may cover an extremely large variety, e.g., letters, picture tones, photographic tones, or black and white, color and the like, it is actually extremely difficult to provide a proper exposure with the naked eye for all of these originals, and it becomes necessary to perform some degree of exposure correction.
In such a case, as for the adjutment operation, a method can be considered wherein an iris is opened or closed step by step by a motor with the aid of, for example, a button and the like. However, this method is extremely troublesome, since a reverse operation with regard to the correction operation described above must be repeated when the correction value is returned to the original standard value of the automatic exposure mechanism.

Image input apparatus for resetting the amount of exposure from a correction value for a predetermined standard value


A toy hovercraft apparatus and which includes a toy hovercraft and a launcher therefor. The hovercraft comprises a frame having an outwardly flaring skirt with a downwardly projecting peripheral lip to form an air chamber therebeneath. A motor, e.g., an electric motor, supported centrally of the skirt, rotates a fan located in an upper portion of the chamber to draw in air through inlets and create a pressurized air cushion in the chamber, which, in turn, causes the hovercraft to float or hover over a floor, or other surface. One or more relatively small rechargeable batteries are also carried on the frame and connected to the electric motor for powering the motor and the batteries may be periodically recharged. The hovercraft is preferably round and is constructed so that the weight is symetrically distributed which permits the torque created by the fan to cause rapid rotation of the hovercraft in a level horizontal plane without imparting horizontal motion to the hovercraft. The launcher includes a base for receiving the hovercraft and a manually actuable ejector mechanism for imparting horizontal thrust to the hovercraft to cause it to travel in a generally horizontal path. The hovercraft has no means for imparting motion to itself or changing the direction of motion, but will travel in a generally horizontal path or change direction in response to forces external to the hovercraft which are imparted to the hovercraft. The launcher also includes a source of electrical power and a recharging mechanism which can be coupled to the hovercraft for recharging the batteries in the hovercraft.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in toy hovercraft apparatus, and more particularly, to a toy hovercraft apparatus which includes a self-contained toy hovercraft having means for self generating an air cushion to support hovering but no means to impart horizontal motion and direction and a launcher therefor which imparts motion and direction to the toy hovercraft.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
There are a number of commercially available passenger-carrying hovercraft of the type which create an air pocket in a skirt portion formed on the underside of the hovercraft. This air cushion supports the hovercraft above a supporting surface such as a body of water, or any other body capable of creating a type of air bearing between the surface and the underportion of the hovercraft. This skirt portion on the hovercraft generally defines a downwardly opening air chamber and a fan or similar mechanism creates sufficient air under pressure to form this air cushion to raise the hovercraft with respect to the supporting surface. In addition, these commercially available hovercraft include means for imparting motion, in a horizontal direction, after the craft has been raised above the supporting surface. Further, the commercially available hovercraft includes a means for guiding i.e., changing the direction of the hovercraft during the course of its travel.
Commercially available hovercraft capable of carrying passengers and/or freight would normally be subjected to a severe torque by the blower means which creates the air cushion which would thereby cause rapid rotation of the hovercraft and this would of course be undesirable. Consequently, the commercially available hovercraft employ some means to counteract the torque which would be caused by the blower. The means to counteract the rotational effects may adopt the form of motor driven propellers which would tend to rotate the hovercraft in a direction opposite that of the torque created by the blower means, or otherwise air ducts which are designed to permit air escapement in a manner to overcome the effects of the torque. In either case a great deal of energy is required to overcome the effects of torque.
There has been a toy hovercraft which included a blower in the form of a fan, but which did not contain any source of power in the toy hovercraft to operate the fan. The user of the toy hovercraft was provided with a hand held assembly which included a motor and which was connected to the fan in the hovercraft by a tube containing a rotatable internal cable capable of causing operation of the fan in the hovercraft. Thus, this type of toy hovercraft was not self contained and hence was limited by the length of the tube and cable arrangement.
There have been self contained toy models of commercial hovercraft, where the model was powered by an internal combustion engine. Such models create fumes and noise, they are difficult to start and operate, and the fuel they burn is dangerous to have around children because of its toxicity as well as its inflammability. Electrical or comparable power avoids such disadvantages, however applicants do not know of a satisfactory self contained toy hovercraft in the prior art. This may be due to certain practical constraints in the design of hovercraft which have not heretofore been overcome. One of the principal problems in developing a self-contained electrically powered toy hovercraft is that the hovercraft itself must include a motor of sufficient size to generate a large enough air cushion in order to support the toy hovercraft. Moreover, the toy hovercraft must also include a source of power for powering the motor. There is a paradox in the design of a toy hovercraft in that the larger the source of power, the larger the motor must be in order to support the weight of the source of power. Accordingly conventional C-type or D-type batteries often used in toy vehicles would add considerable weight to the toy hovercraft thereby requiring the use of a larger motor.
Another problem present in the design of toy hovercraft is the fact that additional motive means required for imparting motion to the hovercraft for movement in a horizontal path may present an added weight and cost to the toy hovercraft. Here again, the motive means which supports the hovercraft over a support surface must be sufficiently large to compensate for the additional weight of the horizontal drive mechanism, as well as any means to give direction to the movement of the hovercraft.
The horizontal drive of the toy hovercraft could be enabled by permitting air from the air cushion to escape at the rear of the hovercraft or otherwise to direct escaping air in a manner to provide a horizontal force to the hovercraft. However, this would still require additional energy and therefore the motor which is used to operate the fan creating the air cushion and the source of power for this motor would still have to be large enough to provide this horizontal momentum. Consequently, the very fact that the hovercraft is capable of providing its own horizontal movement would require a motor considerably larger, and a greater amount of stored electrical energy than a hovercraft which did not require means to provide horizontal movement. If means to provide horizontal momentum were self-contained in the toy hovercraft and the size of the motor and stored energy were not increased than the amount of time that the hovercraft could remain aloft would be sacrificed.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems. The illustrated toy hovercraft is designed so that it is self-contained and of light weight and hovers by a self generated air cushion. The toy hovercraft has symmetrical shape and weight distribution for rapid rotation without generating any horizontal thrust. The hovercraft also has a source of power that may be conveniently rechargeable. Further, there is provided an external launcher mechanism for the hovercraft so that the launcher may impart motion in a horizontal path to the hovercraft.


A device is described for optically scanning a record carrier with a radiation beam having a high numerical aperture. The radiation beam is focused on the record carrier by means of an objective lens and a plano-convex lens. The plano-convex lens has a gap with the record carrier of several tens of micrometers. It focuses the radiation beam to a point at least 30 focal depths away from an aplanatic point of the plano-convex lens. As a consequence, the lens has a relatively large tolerance for sideways movements.

The invention relates to an optical scanning device for optically scanning a record carrier comprising an information layer and a transparent layer, the device comprising an objective lens and a piano-convex lens for converging a radiation beam through the transparent layer to a focus on the information layer, the plano-convex lens having a convex surface facing the objective lens, and a planar surface facing the transparent layer.
The amount of information that can be stored on an optical record carrier depends inter alia on the size of the radiation spot formed by the scanning device on the information layer of the record carrier. The information density and hence the amount of stored information can be increased by decreasing the size of the spot. The spot size can be reduced by increasing the numerical aperture of the radiation beam forming the spot. When using a single objective lens, such an increase of the numerical aperture is in general accompanied by a decrease of the free working distance of the lens forming the radiation beam, i.e. the smallest distance between the record and the lens. At higher numerical apertures, the manufacturing costs of such objective lenses become high, the field of the lens reduces and the dispersion of the material the lens is made of gives increasing problems. The problems may be mitigated by inserting a plano-convex lens between the objective lens and the record carrier. The plano-convex lens, sometimes called a slider lens or a solid immersion lens, is arranged at a very small distance above the record carrier. The convergence of the radiation beam is then distributed over the objective lens and the plano-convex lens. An advantage of the use of the plano-convex lens is that it hardly adds aberrations to the radiation beam.
A scanning device having such a plano-convex lens is known from the European patent application no. 0 727 777. The device comprises an optical head in which an objective lens and a plano-convex lens converge a radiation beam to a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.84 for scanning the record carrier. The plano-convex lens is arranged at a small height above the record carrier. The lens may be mounted on a slider in sliding contact with the record carrier or floating on a thin air layer. The lens has a free working distance of several micrometers. When the optical head of the device, flying above the surface of the record carrier, collides with a dust particle on the surface, the head and record carrier will be damaged. The free working distance should therefore be larger than the size of the contamination expected on the record carrier. A disadvantage of the known device is that the manufacture of the optical head of the device becomes increasingly difficult at increasing free working distance.
The above citations are hereby incorporated in whole by reference.

Focusing a light beam more than thirty focal depths from the aplanatic point with a plano-convex lens


Disclosed are a coating composition, coated article, and a method for treating one or more sides of the printable web with the composition, for providing improved printing ink dry time and gloss. The coating composition comprises: a calcium carbonate pigment component comprising a mixture high and low surface area calcium carbonate pigment; a metal salt drying agent; and a cationic dye fixing agent; a pigment binder; optionally a plastic pigment; and optionally an optical brightener; and which provides: a solids content of at least about 25%; a ratio of high to low surface area calcium carbonate in the range of from about 0.5:1 to about 20:1; and a ratio of calcium carbonate pigment component to pigment binder in the range of from about 4:1 to about 50:1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to a coating composition which may be used with printable (e.g., paper) webs. The present invention also broadly relates to printable (e.g., paper) webs treated on one or both sides with the coating composition to impart benefits such as, for example, improved ink dry time and gloss. The present invention further broadly relates a method for treating one or more sides of a printable (e.g., paper) web with the coating composition.
2. Related Art
In a conventional calendered papermaking process, the fibrous web from the press roll section may contain from about 32 to about 45 wt. % solids. These solids may include wood pulp and/or synthetic fibers along with various additives such as sizing agents, binders, fillers, pigments, etc. The print quality of such calendared papers, as well as other properties of the papers, such as brightness, opacity, paper smoothness, etc., may be improved by coating the paper with different coating compositions that include color solids. The coating composition used to provide these color solids may comprise a mixture of: (1) a coating color having pigment(s) such as clay, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, etc., (2) a binder or binders such as modified starch, styrene butadiene rubber, polyvinyl acetate, vinyl acrylic, polyvinyl alcohol, etc.; and (3) various functional additives such as dispersants, viscosity modifiers, crosslinking agents, lubricants, etc. The resulting mixture may be applied to the paper web at a solids content of, for example, about 40% or greater by weight.
These coated papers may be used for a wide range of products including packaging, art paper, brochures, magazines, catalogues, leaflets, etc. For example, these coated papers may be used in inkjet printing and recording processes. Ink jet printing and recording systems using aqueous inks are now well known. These systems usually generate almost no noise and may easily perform multicolor recordings for business, home and commercial printing applications. But conventional coated papers for inkjet printing may remain poor in balancing good print density, internal sizing (as measured by the Hercules Sizing Test or HST), color-to-color bleed, print sharpness, image dry time, gloss, etc. Accordingly, there is still a need to provide such high-performance functionality to coated papers useful in inkjet printing, especially those substrates having improve image dry time and gloss.


This invention relates to forskolin derivatives, their physiologically acceptable salts, and a process for producing these compounds. The forskolin derivative is represented by the general formula ##STR1## wherein; I. when R.sup.1 is hydrogen and R.sup.4 is vinyl, ethyl, or cyclopropyl,. (1) either of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 denotes a residue represented by the formula ##STR2## wherein each of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 denotes hydrogen or lower alkyl or R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 combine with each other to form a lower alkylene chain which may or may not contain an oxygen or nitrogen atom and m is an integer of 1 to 5, and the other one of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 denotes hydrogen or a residue represented by the formula CO(CH.sub.2).sub.n X, X being hydrogen or ##STR3## wherein, each of R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 denotes hydrogen or lower alkyl or R.sup.7 and R.sup.8 combine with each other to form a lower alkylene chain which may or may not contain an oxygen or nitrogen atom, and n being an integer of 1 to 5, or PA2 (2) R.sup.2 denotes hydrogen or --COCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2 H and R.sup.3 denotes hydrogen, --COCH.sub.3, --COCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2 H, or --COCH(OH)CH.sub.2 OH with the proviso that R.sup.3 is one of the last two residues when R.sup.2 is hydrogen, and PA2 R.sup.1 is a residue represented by a formula of CO(CH.sub.2).sub.p CO.sub.2 H and ##STR4## wherein, each of R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 denotes hydrogen or lower alkyl, p is an integer of 0 to 5, and q is an integer of 1 to 5, PA2 R.sup.2 denotes hydrogen , R.sup.3 denotes acetyl, and R.sup.4 denotes vinyl.. II. when

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel forskolin derivative having positive inotropic, hypotensive, and adenylate cyclase-stimulating actions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is already known forskolin that has positive inotropic, hypotensive, and adenylate cyclase-stimulating actions [Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-Open) No. 79015/77 and Arzneim.-Forsch., 31, 1248 (1981)].
However, forskolin is water-soluble as scarcely as in a concentration of 0.0026% at room temperature and therefore special pharmaceutical device is necessary in order to administer it. Thus it has been desired to develop a water-soluble derivative of forskolin.


A carbon foam battery useful for electrical applications is disclosed which includes a relatively low conductivity low density high porosity carbon foam.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to carbon foam for use in batteries. More particularly, the present invention relates to low conductivity carbon foams having improved cell size uniformity and high pore volume, providing for a better lead-acid battery. In addition, the inventive carbon foams have better chemical resistance than graphitic foams and are thus less likely to intercalate, swell, change shape, etc. The invention also includes the cell components of a battery which incorporate low conductivity carbon foam.
2. Background Art
Typical lead acid batteries are the most commonly utilized rechargeable batteries, comprising generally at least one positive element, at least one negative element, and an electrolytic solution. One of the drawbacks of lead acid batteries is that both the positive elements and the negative elements are formed from lead, thereby giving the battery a substantial weight. However, these batteries have maintained popularity as they are relatively low cost and can provide ample power for items such as starter motors for automobiles despite having one of the lowest energy-to-weight ratios of any currently produced battery type.
As noted, the substantial weight of a lead acid battery is due mostly to the lead elements which comprise the positive and negative elements within the battery. These elements function in transferring a current to and from terminals of a battery during both the charging and discharging of the battery. This action is facilitated by a paste within the battery, typically a lead paste, which provides for a chemical reaction which either stores or expends energy as an electric current from the battery.
The standard lead acid battery for an automobile is designed for a 12-volt system, most often including six cells of up to 2.1 volts. The cells contains positive and negative lead elements which function as electrodes, including both lead metal and also lead dioxide. The positive lead electrode in a charged state has paste containing lead dioxide whereas the negative lead electrode can be material such as lead in a sponge formation. The electrolytic solution is most often 6-12 molar sulfuric acid which encompasses both the positive and negative electrodes.
An inherent problem with traditional lead acid batteries is that during the battery's functional life, the lead dioxide is slowly converted into lead sulfate. Lead sulfate is considered a corrosion product and can impede the transfer of electrical energy to the positive electrode. An additional problem of this corrosion is the mechanical effects of the accumulation of the corrosion within the battery. Specifically, lead sulfate will cover the layer of the lead dioxide present on the positive electrode and can continuously compound resulting in a significant volume expansion within the battery, as the lead sulfate corrosion is less dense than other elements of the battery.
This volume expansion within the battery can result in a much less than desired electrical performance as well as poor recharge characteristics. Even more problematic, the volume expansion can impart significant mechanical stress upon the positive electrode resulting in electrode deformation as well as potential cell failure within the battery. As such, the performance of the battery will substantially decrease causing a decrease in the desired service life of the battery.
As a result of the corrosion problem associated with lead acid batteries, various attempts have been made to improve the performance of batteries. One method of improving the durability of a lead acid battery is to provide the positive electrode with improved corrosion resistance. One proposed method of accomplishing this is by using a carbon material for the composition of the positive electrode, as carbon is much less susceptible to oxidation and the resulting corrosion than is lead under the same operating conditions. One such method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,390 to Obushenko. The Obushenko patent claims this battery is advantageous over traditional lead acid batteries as graphite plates may serve as both positive and negative electrodes resulting in considerable weight savings when compared to a conventional lead acid battery. Furthermore, the battery of the Obushenko patent assertedly does not experience the corrosion associated with the lead electrodes of conventional lead acid batteries.
While the use of carbon instead of lead in a lead acid battery can alleviate many of the problems associated with conventional lead acid batteries, there are problems with specific modes of carbon used within the batteries. The Obushenko patent suffers from the inherent problems associated with graphite, graphite being a relatively flat and dense material with little surface area available for the necessary amount of paste to create the desired electrical performance. Essentially, an increase in the surface area of a carbon element would provide for more energy transfer thus providing for greater electrical discharge and recharge characteristics.
An alternative carbon structure for replacing the lead plates in a lead acid battery is carbon foam.
Carbon foams have attracted considerable interest recently because of their properties of low density, coupled with either very high or low thermal conductivity. Conventionally, carbon foams are prepared by two general routes. Highly graphitizable foams have been produced by thermal treatment of mesophase pitches under high pressure. These foams tend to have high thermal and electrical conductivities. For example, in Klett, U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,506, mesophase pitch is heated while subjected to a pressure of 1000 psi to produce an open-cell foam containing interconnected pores with a size range of 90-200 microns. According to Klett, after heat treatment to 2800° C., the solid portion of the foam develops into a highly crystalline graphitic structure with an interlayer spacing of 0.366 nm. The foam is asserted to have compressive strengths greater than previous foams (3.4 MPa or 500 psi for a density of 0.53 g/cc).
In Hardcastle et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,776,936) carbon foams with densities ranging from 0.678-1.5 gm/cc are produced by heating pitch in a mold at pressures up to 800 psi. The foam is alleged to be highly graphitizable and provide high thermal conductivity (250 W/mK).
According to H. J. Anderson et al. in Proceedings of the 43d International SAMPE Meeting, p 756 (1998), carbon foam is produced from mesophase pitch followed by oxidative thermosetting and carbonization to 900° C. The foam has an open cell structure of interconnected pores with varying shapes and with pore diameters ranging from 39 to greater than 480 microns.
Rogers et al., in Proceedings of the 45th SAMPE Conference, pg 293 (2000), describe the preparation of carbon foams from coal-based precursors by heat treatment under high pressure to give materials with densities of 0.35-0.45 g/cc with compressive strengths of 2000-3000 psi (thus a strength/density ratio of about 6000 psi/g/cc). These foams have an open-celled structure of interconnected pores with pore sizes ranging up to 1000 microns. Unlike the mesophase pitch foams described above, they are not highly graphitizable. In a recent publication, the properties of this type of foam were described (High Performance Composites September 2004, pg. 25). The foam has a compressive strength of 800 psi at a density of 0.27 g/cc or a strength to density ratio of 3000 psi/g/cc.
Stiller et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,469) describes production of carbon foam by pressure heat treatment of a hydrotreated coal extract. These materials are claimed to have high compressive strengths of 600 psi for densities of 0.2-0.4 gm/cc (strength/density ratio of from 1500-3000 psi/g/cc). It is suggested that these foams are stronger than those having a glassy carbon or vitreous nature which are not graphitizable.
Carbon foams can also be produced by direct carbonization of polymers or polymer precursor blends. Mitchell, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,999, discusses preparing carbon foams by heating a polyurethane polymer foam at 200-255° C. in air followed by carbonization in an inert atmosphere at 900° C. These foams have densities of 0.085-0.387 g/cc and compressive strengths of 130 to 2040 psi (ratio of strength/density of 1529-5271 psi/g/cc).
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,084, Droege described the preparation of open-celled carbon foams by heat treating organic gels derived from hydroxylated benzenes and aldehydes (phenolic resin precursors). The foams have densities of 0.3-0.9 g/cc and are composed of small mesopores with a size range of 2 to 50 nm.
Mercuri et al. (Proceedings of the 9th Carbon Conference, pg. 206 (1969)) prepared carbon foams by pyrolysis of phenolic resins. For foams with a density range of 0.1-0.4 g/cc, the compressive strength to density ratios were from 2380-6611 psi/(g/cc). The pores were ellipsoidal in shape with pore diameters of 25-75 microns) for a carbon foam with a density of 0.25 gm/cc.
Stankiewicz (U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,149) prepares carbon foams with a controlled aspect ratio of 0.6-1.2. The patentee points out that users often require a completely isotropic foam for superior properties with an aspect ratio of 1.0 being ideal. An open-celled carbon foam is produced by impregnation of a polyurethane foam with a carbonizing resin followed by thermal curing and carbonization. The pore aspect ratio of the original polyurethane foam is thus changed from 1.3-1.4 to 0.6-1.2.
In Kelley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,513, carbon foam is used as an electrode plate within an electrode chemical battery. The carbon foam is conductive 25 μ-ohm-m and made from a wood substrate which is carbonized to form a carbonized wood current collector.
Subsequently, the Kelley et al. patent discloses that a chemically active material may be disposed on the carbonized wood current collector to function as the electrode plate within the battery.
Unfortunately, the carbon foams that have been utilized thus far for electrode chemical batteries, specifically lead acid electrode chemical batteries, leave much room for improvement. The carbon foams generally available are not monolithic and do not have the uniformity, strength and density requirements for such applications. In addition, these foams do not have a high enough porosity or surface area making them ill suited for containment of a chemical paste. Moreover, conventional belief is that a foam material used in battery applications needs to be highly conductive (i.e., have low electrical resistance), and thus must be graphitic or graphitizable.
There is desired, therefore, a carbon foam material which has the controllable cell structure where the cell structure strength, density, and strength-to-density ratio make the foam suitable for use in electrochemical batteries as well as in other applications. Indeed, a combination of characteristics including uniformity, high strength and a lower relative density, even with an electrical resistivity of greater than about 100 μohm-meters have now been found to be useful for an improved electrochemical battery wherein carbon foam is utilized as at least one electrode plate.

Low conductivity carbon foam for a battery


Various systems and methods for disabling UAVs are presented. An interrogation system may transmit an identifier request message to a UAV. The interrogation system may receive, in response to the identifier request message, a response message that indicates a UAV identifier. The interrogation system may access one or more UAV identifier databases that relate UAV identifiers with airspace definitions. The interrogation system may retrieve from the one or more UAV identifier database systems an airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may determine that the UAV is to be disabled based on: a location of the UAV, a restricted airspace definition, and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier. The interrogation system may then transmit a disablement instruction message to the UAV based on the location of the UAV and the airspace definition corresponding to the UAV identifier.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also commonly referred to as drones, allow a remote pilot to control the UAV via wireless communication. UAVs have many legitimate commercial, military, and recreational uses, including surveillance, photography, videography, and entertainment. However, when UAVs are operated in an irresponsible or inappropriate way, UAVs can be dangerous or intrusive. For example, when operated near other aircraft, a UAV can be ingested into an engine or otherwise strike the aircraft, potentially resulting in a catastrophic crash. As another example, even if no other aircraft are in the vicinity, UAVs may be inappropriately operated in areas where privacy or secrecy is of concern, such as near sensitive government or commercial facilities.

Unmanned aerial vehicle transponder systems with integrated disablement

EchoStar Technologies International Corporation


Battery systems that can monitor and control multiple battery cells in electronic devices. One embodiment provides a battery system having multiple battery cells controlled by a single battery controller. Each battery cell is connected to a first end of a control path, a second end of the control path is connected to either a positive terminal or a negative terminal of the battery system. Each control path includes a charge control transistor that allows or prevents charging of a battery cell, a discharge control transistor that allows or prevents discharging of a battery cell, and a current sense resistor to sense currents into or out of a battery cell. The charge control transistor and the discharge control transistor can be controlled by control outputs provided by the battery controller. The battery controller also includes a balance switch to provide a low-impedance path between battery cells to reduce offset voltages between them.

Battery-powered electronic devices have become a ubiquitous staple of life. Electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablets, laptops, flashlights, keyboards, mice, headphones, and other portable devices are used on a regular basis, and as a result, need to be charged regularly. An attendant result is a demand by users for longer battery life in these devices.
A battery may run into various non-optimal conditions during operation. For example, a battery may be charged to a voltage that is near or above a safe operating condition. Such an over-voltage condition may necessitate the disabling of a charging path for the battery. To accomplish this, battery systems may incorporate a battery controller. The battery controller may include control circuitry that may prevent further charging in such an over-voltage condition. These controllers may provide safety and increase an overall useful life of a battery.
These electronic devices are also becoming smaller. This reduction in form places a premium on space inside these devices. The need to optimally locate and position each component in an electronic device becomes paramount.
In some circumstances, the space inside an electronic device that is available for a battery is not optimal for a single battery. This may be caused by the available space being non-contiguous. It may instead be caused by the available space not easily corresponding to the space consumed by a commercially available battery. For these and other reasons, multiple battery cells may be used in an electronic device.
In an electronic device that may include multiple battery cells, it may particularly be desirable to include a battery controller and related circuitry to prevent or recover from non-optimal conditions, such as the over-voltage conditioned described above.
Thus, what is needed are battery systems that may monitor and control multiple battery cells in electronic devices.

Multiple battery cell monitor having shared control lines and balance switch


Content creation collection and navigation techniques and systems are described. In one example, a representative image is used by a content sharing service to interact with a collection of images provided as part of a search result. In another example, a user interface image navigation control is configured to support user navigation through images based on one or more metrics. In a further example, a user interface image navigation control is configured to support user navigation through images based on one or more metrics identified for an object selected from the image. In yet another example, collections of images are leveraged as part of content creation. In another example, data obtained from a content sharing service is leveraged to indicate suitability of images of a user for licensing as part of the service.

Content sharing services have been developed as a technique to provide an online marketplace for creative professionals to sell content, such as images. A creative professional, for instance, may capture or create images that are exposed via the content sharing services to potential customers such as marketing professionals, casual users, and so on. In one such example, a creative professional captures an image of a coworkers conversing next to a watercooler. The image is then uploaded and tagged for availability as part of the content sharing service such that a marketing professional performing a search for "office" and "watercooler" may locate the image. The content sharing service also includes functionality to make the image available for licensing in response to payment of a fee, e.g., as part of a subscription service, pay per use, and so forth.
When creating content that is to be made available via the content sharing service, creative professionals often create a multitude of similar content items in order to create one or more that will actually be made available for sharing. For example, a photographer may capture photos of an item (e.g., a shoe) against a white background from a variety of different angles, using different lighting, and so on. Using conventional techniques, the creative professional then makes a best guess as to which photo has the greatest likelihood of being of interest to users of the content sharing service and uploads that photo to the content sharing service for licensing.
Users of the content sharing service, however, may disagree with the creative professionals best guess and actually desire a different version of the photo, e.g., captured from different angles, different lighting. Thus, these conventional techniques are generally inefficient and subject to error due to this reliance on guesswork and the varied tastes of users of the content sharing service. Further, these conventional techniques abandon potentially useful information that may be made available from the collection in order to process images in the collection.

Content sharing collections and navigation


A waterproof cover of a motor comprises a flange unit having a hollow section at a center; a cover unit formed around the flange unit to have a shape declined toward an outer circumference; an opening section opened to expose a hall sensor cover at one side of the cover unit; a plurality of ribs formed to be projected on the cover unit toward the outer circumference; a plurality of drain guides formed to be projected along the outer circumference of the cover unit; and a drain channel formed between adjacent drain guides among the plurality of drain guides.

The present invention relates to a motor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a motor which is more appropriate for miniaturization through a new structure of a hall sensor cover and capable of effectively blocking and draining moisture penetrating inside the motor through a new structure of a waterproof cover.
Generally, a motor used in a washing machine or the like has a hall sensor for measuring rotation speed of the motor by sensing changes in the magnetic field of a rotating rotor. A hall sensor cover is applied to install an insulator surrounding the stator core of a stator. The hall sensor is generally placed in a slot, which is a space between teeth of the stator core, and such a structure of the motor is disclosed in Korean Laid-opened Patent No. 10-2005-0067914.
According to the conventional structure shown in the Laid-opened Patent, if it is assumed that three hall sensors are installed, the three hall sensors should be installed in three slots, and thus the size of the hall sensor cover is increased to be larger the size of the three slots. Accordingly, since the size of the hall sensor cover should be larger than a certain size, it is difficult to miniaturize the motor.
Meanwhile, in the case of a motor applied to a washing machine, a washing tub is installed above the motor and rotates by the driving force of the motor. If water drops from above and penetrates into the motor when the washing tub rotates, the motor may have a problem of breakdown, malfunction or corrosion.
Therefore, in order to solve the aforementioned problems, the inventors of the present invention introduce a structure for installing at least two hall sensors at an end of a tooth and propose a motor of a new structure attaching a waterproof cover on the stator.


A relatively simple log for use in log buildings includes a first large, longitudinally extending, V-shaped groove in the top of the log, and a pair of smaller longitudinally extending, inverted V-shaped grooves in the bottom of the log on opposite sides of a plane through the longitudinal axis of the log and through the vertex of the top groove, the spacing between the second grooves being such that outward extensions of the sides of the top groove in one log would intersect the outer sides of the second grooves in a superjacent log resting on such one log. In a wall structure, loose insulation fills the top groove and denser sealing insulation fills the smaller, bottom grooves.

This invention relates to a log for use in constructing a wall or log building, and to the wall constructed with a plurality of such logs.
Log buildings have been in existence since before Europeans arrived in North America. One of the major problems encountered when constructing buildings of logs involves the insulation and sealing of the area where logs meet. Logs are seldom completely rectilinear, and gaps between adjacent logs are common. One solution to the problem is to caulk both sides of the joints between logs. Somewhat more sophisticated joint structures are proposed in Canadian Patent Nos. 963,227, which issued to C. R. Fell et al on Feb. 25, 1975; 968,921, which issued to D. Bain on June 10, 1975; 1,010,216, which issued to T. B. Hisey on May 17, 1977 and 1,124,481, which issued to R. L. Collister, Jr. on June 1, 1982, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,000, which issued to R. L. Lewandowski on Apr. 3, 1979.
While recent proposals provide effective seals between logs, most such proposals rely on somewhat complicated, longitudinally extending tongues and grooves. The forming of complicated joint profiles is both expensive and time consuming.
The object of the present invention is to deal with the above defined problems by providing a relatively simple log for constructing a wall, and a wall structure incorporating a plurality of such logs.


A device is provided for binding together sheets of paper formed with two or more spaced holes and attaching the same to a folder or the like. The binder preferably is injection molded of a semi-flexible material and is formed with a flat backing plate and at least a pair of stems which initially are parallel to one another and perpendicular to the backing plate. The stems are spaced apart by a distance equal to the spacing between the holes in the paper and are formed with co-operating male and female elements along the length thereof which allow the stems to be folded one against the other in locking engagement. Each stem is provided with a hinged stop at the free end thereof, which stop folds in against the stem while papers are being inserted or removed and swings out perpendicular to the length of the stem to prevent accidental separation of papers from the stem. Extension pieces are connectable to the ends of the stems and are provided with stop means at the ends thereof. The extension pieces allow a group of papers to be transferred quickly from the stems to the extension pieces in order to remove one or more inner sheets and then replace the top most sheets without disturbing their alignment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for binding sheets of paper formed with two or more holes, and more particularly is directed towards a new and improved binder which readily accommodates a stack of paper of different thicknesses and which prevents accidental separation of sheets from the binder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice to bind together loose sheets of papers, often to a heavy backing sheet or in a folder, by punching two holes in the upper or side margins of the sheets and binding them to a folder by means of a fastener comprised of a relatively thin strip of metal having a cross piece and a pair of forwardly projecting tabs. The tabs extend through the punched holes and are adapted to fold over on top of the stack of paper to secure the stack in place. A compressor bar in the form of a plate with an opening at each end may be added and slide rings may be utilized to hold the tabs flat against the compressor bar.
While such devices have been in common use for many years, they suffer from certain disadvantages. For example, the thin strips of metal tend to cut into the paper so that sheets in a bound stack of papers which is in frequent use tend to become torn, particularly around the punched holes, allowing sheets to separate from the stack. Also, the metal strips tend to be rather sharp and a person using such devices may cut his hands if he is not careful. A more serious drawback of prior art devices is that when papers are being stacked onto the device, the top most sheets easily become displaced, until all papers are in place and the binder locked. Furthermore, the separation of an inner sheet from the stack is extremely difficult since those papers on top of the stack must first be removed, the selected sheet or sheets separated and the papers restacked. Since restacking involves threading the tabs back through the holes, particular care must be taken to keep the holes in registration.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in binders for sheets of paper having preformed holes.
Another object of this invention is to provide improvements in binding devices for stacks of paper which allow easy separation of inner sheets without disturbing the alignment of other sheets thereon.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a device for binding a stack of paper which locks each sheet onto the device when placed thereon.

Binder for paper sheets with pre-formed holes


An oral care implement comprises a head portion and handle portion comprising resiliently folding appendages. The appendages extend laterally outwards from a central body of the handle portion in opposite directions. In one embodiment, the appendages may each have annular loop structures with recurvant ends coupled to the body. The head portion comprises tooth cleaning elements such as bristles. The head portion, handle portion, and bristles may be a monolithic construction of a resiliently deformable material with elastic memory. The bristles may be especially pliable and adapted for infant or toddler use. The appendages have an undeformed width preventing the young child from over-insertion into the oral cavity when at maximum span. The appendages may be folded against the body for deeper insertion into the oral cavity by an adult. The implement is configured to prevent the head portion and tooth bristles from contacting a flat surface when placed thereon.

The present invention relates to oral care systems, and particularly to an oral care implement suitable for use with infants or toddlers.
Oral care implements such as toothbrushes are susceptible to bacterial contamination resulting from normal use and handling. Bacterial accumulations may be especially prevalent on the head portion of the toothbrush, particularly within the tooth cleaning elements such as bristles and/or elastomeric cleaning elements. The bacteria can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease. Bacterial contamination of the toothbrush head which poses a general health risk is also a concern considering the head is placed in the oral cavity. Such contamination may be transferred from various hard surfaces on which the toothbrush might be placed or accidentally dropped. It is desirable therefore to minimize bacterial contamination from various environmental sources.
It is further desirable to construct a toothbrush for use with babies (infants or toddlers) that is soft and pliable to prevent injury, and yet still be configured to prevent over-insertion into the oral cavity which could pose a potential choking hazard.


A modulating burner apparatus includes a variable speed blower feeding a multi-chamber burner having first and second burner chambers. A manifold system communicates the blower with the burner, and a flow control valve member is located between the blower and the second chamber of the burner. The flow control valve is configured to provide fuel and air mixture from the blower to only the first burner chamber at lower blower speeds of the blower and to both the first and second burner chambers at higher blower speeds of the blower.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a modulating burner apparatus, and more specifically, but not by way of limitation, to a gas fired appliance incorporating a modulating burner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most conventional gas fired burner technologies utilize a single chamber burner designed to operate at a fixed flow rate of combustion air and fuel gas to the burner. Such technologies require that the burner cycles on and off in response to a control system which determines when the demand for energy has been met, and cycles back on at a predetermined setpoint when there is a demand for more energy. One example of such a typical prior art system which is presently being marketed by the assignee of the present invention is that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,723,513 and 4,793,800 to Vallett et al., the details of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The assignee of the present invention has also developed a continuously variable modulating burner apparatus for a water heating appliance with variable air and fuel input, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,926 to Baese et al. In the Baese apparatus combustion air and fuel are introduced separately in controlled amounts upstream of a blower and are then premixed and delivered into a single chamber burner at a controlled blower flow rate within a prescribed blower flow rate range. This allows the heat input of the water heating appliance to be continuously varied within a substantial flow range having a burner turndown ratio of as much as 4:1. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a 4:1 burner turndown capability will result in the appliance remaining in operation for longer periods of time during a typical seasonal demand than an appliance with less than 4:1 burner turndown ratio, or with appliances with no turndown ratio at all.
More recently, the assignee of the present invention has developed a water heating appliance including a dual-chamber burner, with dual blower assemblies providing fuel and air mixture to the chambers of the burner, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,594 to Smelcer, the details of which are incorporated herein by reference. Through the use of the dual blower assemblies this system is capable of achieving turndown ratios of as much as 25:1 or greater. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a 25:1 burner turndown capability will result in the appliance remaining in operation for longer periods of time during a typical seasonal demand than an appliance with less than 25:1 burner turndown ratio, or with appliances with no burner turndown ratio at all.
There is a continuing need for improvements in modulating burners which can provide modulation of heat input over a wider range of heat demands. Particularly there is a need for systems providing high turndown ratios with reduced mechanical complexity at significantly reduced cost as compared to known practices today.


An apparatus according to the present invention includes a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are stored, a contact guide member provided to face a side surface of the cassette, and pressing end surfaces of substrates stored in the cassette, an alignment device for moving the contact guide member to approach the cassette, and pressing the contact guide member against the end surfaces of the substrates in the cassette, thereby aligning the substrates all at one pressing time, and detectors, provided for the alignment device at positions corresponding to spaces of substrates held in the cassette, in the same or multiple number of the spaces for holding substrates, for detecting whether or not a substrate is present in each of the spaces for holding the substrates of the cassette.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-chamber system for carrying substrates such as LCD glass ones (which will be hereinafter referred to as LCD substrates) out of a normal into a decompressed atmosphere to process them in it.
2. Description of the Related Art
The vacuum processing apparatus provided with plural process chambers in which predetermined processes such as etching and ashing are applied to semiconductor wafers and liquid crystal device (LCD) substrates has been used in the course of manufacturing semiconductor devices and LCDs.
In the case of this vacuum processing apparatus, plural or three vacuum process chambers, for example, are arranged around an auxiliary vacuum chamber (or load lock chamber in which a substrate carrier mechanism such as the carrier arm is arranged. LCD substrates, for example, which are to be processed, are carried into and out of the process chambers by the carrier arm and predetermined processes are applied to them in these process chambers.
In the case of the vacuum processing apparatus in which LCD substrates are processed, it is an important technical problem how many sheets of substrates can be processed for a certain time or how the throughput of the apparatus can be enhanced. In addition, LCDs have been used as display devices for large-sized computers and televisions and they therefore become larger and larger in size for this purpose. As they become larger in size, however, the productivity of LCD substrates is reduced and the manufacturing cost per an LCD substrate is increased to greater extent.
One of cases which reduce the productivity as described above resides in that contamination is caused by contaminating matters such as particles in the apparatus. In addition, the shifting of LCD substrates from their predetermined positions is another cause. When they are shifted from their predetermined positions, they are dropped down and damaged while they are being carried, or the uniformity of the process applied to them is degraded. The productivity is thus reduced. Particularly when they become larger in size, they are more likely to be moved by the vacuum-making exhaust of the load lock chamber, for example. They are thus shifted from their predetermined positions.
Further, LCD substrates are various in size and processes applied to these LCD substrates are also various. The vacuum processing apparatus, therefore, must be made more flexible to meet these various sizes and processes.
The detecting of LCD substrates in the load lock chamber is conventionally conducted in such a way that a detecting beam is shot from a photosensor directly to the LCD substrates in the load lock chamber and that beam reflected from the substrates is received by the photosensor. According to this substrate detecting system, however, the reflection factor of the beam is greatly influenced by the surface condition of each substrate. The detecting accuracy of this system is therefore low. The sensibility of the photosensor is adjusted for every LCD substrate in this case, but it takes a large amount of time and effort because each LCD substrate is made of transparent glass.
Further, the photosensor is arranged together with the LCD substrates in a same chamber. The LCD substrates are thus influenced by heat emitted from the photosensor, or bad influence is added to the substrates in the case of sensor trouble. When the sensor is arranged in the load lock chamber, free space in it must be reduced or it must be made larger in size.
The substrate-carrying arm mechanism is arranged adjacent to an opening of the load lock chamber through which the substrates are carried into and out of the load lock chamber. Suction holes are formed in the top of each holder member of the carrier arm mechanism and an O-ring is attached to each of these suction holes. When the substrate is vacuum-sucked on each holder member through the suction holes, it is closely contacted with the O-ring on each holder member along its side rims. Friction and suction forces thus created can prevent each substrate from being positionally shifted on the holder member.
However, the conventional O-rings are made of silicon rubber of fluorine-contained rubber, for example, and when the close contact of the substrate with the O-rings is repeated, particles are caused from the O-rings and they adhere to the substrate.
Further, the LCD substrates (each being about 1.1 mm thick) tend to be made larger, having a size of 550 mm.times.650 mm. When they are held on the holder members, therefore, they bend downward at their center portions because of their own weight. This prevents each substrate from being fully contacted with the O-rings on each holder member along its side rims. The O-rings, sometimes, cannot suck the substrate on the holder member. Particularly when the O-rings are made of hard material, it becomes difficult that the O-rings can vacuum-suck the substrate firmly on the holder member.
During a course of the process, there are also LCD substrates which are being processed, in the processing chamber, and it is not always the case where LCD substrates are held in all the slots of a cassette. Therefore, the presence/absence of a substrate must be confirmed for each slot when LCD substrates are loaded/unloaded by conveying means. The term "slot" is a space or area for storing an LCD substrate.
With the conventional apparatus, optical sensors including laser beam emitters and beam receivers are arranged around a cassette such as to face with each other, and the cassette or the sensors themselves are moved up and down to detect the presence/absence of an LCD substrate for each slot. This operation is a so called mapping operation.
However, the detection of a substrate within a cassette (mapping operation) should be performed for each slot, and therefore it requires a long period of time, decreasing the throughput. Further, for the mapping operation, an ascend/descend drive mechanism for moving a cassette or sensors themselves up and down must be provided. As a result, the number of parts for the apparatus is increased, raising its production cost. In addition, particles are generated from the ascend/descend drive mechanism, and adhered onto an LCD substrate as contamination, reducing the yield. Further, it is very difficult to adjust the optical axis of the beam emitter of an optical sensor to be aligned with that of a beam receiver.

Apparatus for detecting and aligning a substrate


An intercom system (110) for a drive-in restaurant (102) is integrated with a point of sale system (118) through a computer (126) that provides for tracking and managing intercom calls to operators taking orders. The computer indicates to point of sale system when a call from an intercom extension is received, and the point of sale system indicates on a terminal (116) for the point of sale system that a call is waiting. In addition to providing an interface between the intercom system and point of sale system, the computer queues unanswered calls and tracks calls after they have been answered. The computer also maintains timing of calls to assist in management of the restaurant.

A point of sale system generally tracks sales of goods and services at a retail establishment. A point of sale systems can be a simple cash register. However, many retail establishments utilize computer systems with multiple terminals to track a wide range of data on each transaction, including, for example, the name of the customer, the cashier, the goods and services sold, time and date of the transaction, gratuities and taxes. These systems may be integrated with inventory tracking systems and, in restaurants for example, order taking systems that deliver food orders to a kitchen for preparation.
Restaurants basically sell the services of food preparation and delivery. Most restaurants rely on persons to take food orders, whether it is at a walk-up counter or by a wait person at a table. However, in a certain restaurants, food orders may be taken over an intercom system. An intercom system generally has several extensions connected through a single switching apparatus. The majority of restaurants using an intercom simply have a drive-through window where customers order and pick-up food to take off-premises to eat. The intercom systems in these "fast-food" restaurants generally employ a single remote extension next to a drive-in lane operated by a person taking the order.
Drive-in restaurants often rely on intercom systems to take food orders, as do some novelty restaurants that place an intercom extension on each table or booth in a dining room. In drive-in restaurants, customers drive into a parking stall and eat in their vehicles on the premises. A menu and speaker is placed next to the drive-in stall. The customer orders food by pushing a call button next to the menu, which calls an order taking station via an intercom system. Someone then delivers the food to the car on a tray.
Like all retail service establishments, quality of services in a drive-in restaurant is paramount to customer satisfaction. However, patrons are remotely located on premises and can communicate with staff only through an intercom, making it more difficult to ensure that they are receiving an adequate level of services. Because the intercom is the primary mode of communication, establishing timely communication is critical to providing good quality service.

Intercom system for a service establishment


The invention provides a method and device for creating a model for classifying a data point in imaging data representing measured intensities, the method comprising:                training a model using a first labelled set of imaging data points;        determining at least one first image part in the first labelled set which the model incorrectly classifies;        generating second image parts similar to at least one image part;        further training the model using the second image parts.

Advances in computed tomography (CT) allow early detection of cancer, in particular lung cancer which is one of the most common cancers. As a result, there is increased focus on using regular low-dose CT screenings to ensure early detection of the disease with improved chances of success of the following treatment. This increased focus leads to an increased workload for professionals such as radiologists who have to analyze the CT screenings.
To cope with the increased workload, computer-aided detection (CADe) and computer-aided diagnosis (CADx) systems are being developed. Hereafter both types of systems will be referred to as CAD systems. CAD systems can detect lesions (e.g. nodules) and subsequently classify them as malignant or benign. A classification need not be binary, it can also include a stage of the cancer. Usually, a classification is accompanied with a confidence value as calculated by the CAD system.
CAD systems typically follow a number of general steps. In an optional first step, the input imaging data is segmented, for example to distinguish lung tissue from the background signal. Then, regions of interest are identified, for example all lung tissue with nodule-like forms in them. It is also possibly to simply examine every data point, without a pre-selection of region of interest. For a selected data point a number of input values is calculated, the so-called feature vector. This feature vector is used as input in a decision function, which projects the feature vector to a classification.
Hereafter the term "model" will be used to indicate a computational framework for performing one or more of a segmentation and a classification of imaging data. The segmentation, identification of regions of interest, and/or the classification may involve the use of a machine learning (ML) algorithm. The model comprises at least one decision function, which may be based on a machine learning algorithm, which projects the input to an output. For example, a decision function may project a feature vector to a classification outcome. Where the term machine learning is used, this also includes further developments such as deep (machine) learning and hierarchical learning.
An example of a suitable model is the convolutional neural network (CNN), which is primarily used in computer vision fields. For the case of two dimensional (2D) images, 2D CNN has been widely used in many applications. The principles of 2D CNNs can, however, also be extended to process three dimensional (3D) images such as the earlier mentioned medical imaging data.
Whichever type of model is used, suitable training data needs to be available to train the model. In many applications, there is not enough training data available or the available data is not fully representative of the problem field. For example, in the case of training data to detect nodules there may not be enough samples of a particular type of nodule, leading to a trained model which is not capable to reliably detect that type of nodule.

Method and apparatus for classifying a data point in imaging data

Abstract: Preferably the imaging data points and the second image parts comprise 3D data points.