For a battery system including a battery pack and a battery management system, the battery system having output battery terminals, a method and apparatus for preventing inadvertent connection and disconnection the output battery terminals from the battery pack is disclosed.

A battery system may include a battery pack coupled to a battery management system. The battery pack may include a plurality of battery cells, such as lithium ion battery cells, coupled in series and/or parallel to achieve desired parameters such as capacity and output voltage. It may be desirable to selectively change the state of the battery, alternating the state of the battery between an activated state and a deactivated state. For example it may be desirable to deactivate the battery, placing the battery in what may be referred to as a 'shipping mode,' wherein the battery is effectively turned off, disconnecting one or more battery terminals so that any external contact with the terminals, such as might occur during shipping of the battery, would be benign. Beyond actual shipping, this 'shipping mode' may also be useful to provide additional safety while installing, mounting, storing, or working in any way with the battery.
It may also be desirable to reactivate the battery, switching the battery out of the 'shipping mode,' wherein the battery is turned on, reconnecting the battery terminals.
According to one conventional battery design, the battery may include a user actuated input device which alternatively activates and deactivates the 'shipping mode' of the battery. See for example, FIG. 3, wherein an input device, such as a pushbutton switch, may be actuated, changing the state of the battery, initially in either an 'on' or an 'off' state, to that of the other state. However in certain circumstances, such as when shipping, or otherwise handling, the battery, the input device may be inadvertently actuated, thereby inadvertently alternating the state of the battery.


The invention relates to a method for obtaining viruses from a liquid viral suspension, according to which:                the viral suspension is subjected to density gradient ultracentrifugation,        the ultracentrifugation is carried out continuously, and        the density gradient is a discontinuous gradient comprising at least 2 steps.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of viral purification, in particular to a method for obtaining viruses from a liquid viral suspension.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Methods for purifying viral suspensions are known in the pharmaceutical field, and in particular in the vaccines field.
Thus, patent FR2201079 describes, in particular, a method for purifying viruses from a viral suspension which is introduced into a zonal centrifuge rotor while it is stopped; after the rotor has begun to slowly rotate (between 2000 and 5000 rpm), at least 2 cushions of liquid of different density are introduced at the periphery of the rotor; then, once the rotor is filled with the liquid to be treated, said rotor is accelerated to a speed sufficient to separate the viruses from the impurities and, finally, after the speed of the rotor has been brought back to between 2000 and 5000 rpm, a liquid of density equal to or greater than the content of the rotor is introduced by the periphery, in order to empty the rotor by its central channel; and the fractions containing the virus freed of the impurities is subsequently collected.
During rotation, the cushions of different density are converted by diffusion into a nonlinear gradient.
The method described in said patent, which is a discontinuous method, has however the drawback of making it possible to process only constant and limited volumes of viral suspension, and therefore of making it necessary to pre-concentrate the viral suspension to be purified and/or to reproduce the same procedures several times in order to process a large volume of liquid.
The fact of using such a method also complicates attempts to have a process which is carried out entirely under sterile conditions.


Disclosed is a method of measuring the OF width of a cylindrical single crystal ingot using an optical non-contact type displacement measuring device. This method can avoid the labor and measurement errors as generally seen in the conventional manual method and provide an easy and precise measurement. Further, the method can be automated if necessary. This method comprises the steps of detecting the boundary points between the OF and the round surface of the single crystal ingot from the displacement to be obtained by scanning the sensor while detecting the distance between the sensor and the ingot surface including the OF, and calculating the OF width C from the scanning distance A of the sensor from the first boundary point detection position to the second boundary point detection position and the difference B between the first distance 1.sub.1 from the first boundary point to the sensor and the second distance 1.sub.2 from the sensor to the second boundary point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of measuring with ease the width of the orientation flat (hereinafter referred to as "OF") which indicates the crystallographic orientation of a single crystal ingot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The measurement of the OF width in the surface of a cylindrical single crystal ingot has been carried out by reading graduations of a scale, such as slide calipers, placed on the corresponding OF portion. However, such a manual measurement requires much labour and can not avoid measurement errors. Thus an easy and precise method of measuring the OF width has been required.

Method of measuring orientation flat width of single crystal ingot


The subject application is directed to a system and method for user-specific discovery and initiation of a default document processing device. First, a computing device is placed in data communication with an associated data network. Device data corresponding to document processing devices accessible by the computing device is then retrieved. Via the associated data network, data communication is established between the computing device and the document processing devices. The relative location between the computing device and each of the document processing devices is then determined according to the established data communication. A default document processing device subset is thereafter selected from the available document processing devices based upon the determined location. Operation of the document processing device subset is then enabled via the computing device.

The subject application is directed generally to selection of one or more available networked document processing devices from a list of available devices. The application is particularly applicable to automatically identifying and installing of an optimal default printing device for individual computer users.
Many businesses employ a large number of shared document processing devices, such as printers, copiers, scanners, and facsimile devices, as well as devices having more than one of such functions, referred to as multifunction peripherals or MFPs. The document processing devices are accessible to users via their computing devices, such as desktop computers, portable computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones, or the like. Connection between the computing devices is typically completed via a data network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or a hybridized network having both local and remote segments. Data interchange in such networks is suitably accomplished via a wired data connection, such as Ethernet or token ring, or any suitable wired data transmission system; wirelessly via WiFi, WiMax, or any suitable wireless data transmission system; or through a hybridized network employing wired and wireless data transmission capability.
Many enterprises have a large number of document processing devices available for use. Users will typically have a default device assigned for use. Then, commencing an operation, such as a print operation from an application running on a computer, would result in a printout of a document on a default printer. Default devices are typically chosen as those more physically proximate to a computing device or those relatively proximate devices which have requisite capabilities, such as an ability to print in color.
When a computing device is initiated, a listing of all available printers may be displayed. By way of example, this function may be accomplished via a service location protocol (SLP), such as that set forth in the standards RFC 2608, which is incorporated herein by reference. When there are many available document processing devices, it is difficult to determine which one may be in a best relative location, which devices are functional and which devices have needed capabilities. These problems are exacerbated further given the mobile nature of many users or computing devices. There are frequent occurrences where a location from which a computing device will be operated is changed, either temporarily or indefinitely. A user may move to a different part of a floor, a different floor of a building, a different building or a different geographical location. Such movement requires again identifying, selection and installation of one or more default document processing devices.

System and method for user-specific discovery and initiation of a default document processing device


A seat reclining mechanism for adjusting the angular position of a seatback relative to a seat cushion by a planetary gear arrangement includes a rotatable shaft, a base plate, a pivotable arm, a control gear, a plurality of planetary gears, and two supporting plates. The pivotable arm is rotatably connected to the base plate through the rotatable shaft. Each planetary gear has two opposed cylindrical projections. Each supporting plate is coaxially mounted on the rotatable shaft for supporting the planetary gears in such a manner that the cylindrical projections of each planetary gear is rotatably supported by the supporting plates and that the planetary gears are held in a predetermined revolution orbit around the control gear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a seat reclining mechanism, and more particularly to a seat reclining mechanism for adjusting the angular position of a seatback relative to a seat cushion by a planetary gear arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese Utility Model First Provisional Publication 60-187645 discloses a seat reclining mechanism which comprises a base plate, a pivotable arm, a rotatable shaft, two control gears, four planetary gears and a supporting plate. The base plate and the pivotable arm are pivotally interconnected by the rotatable shaft. The base plate and the pivotable arm have circular recesses which are generally opposed to each other, respectively. The base plate and the pivotable arm are respectively formed with ring gears at cylindrical surfaces defined by the circular recesses. The control gears are mounted on the rotatable shaft, and one of them is selectively fixed to the rotatable shaft so as to be rotatable therewith. The planetary gears are meshed with the control gears and also meshed with the ring gears surrounding the planetary gears. Each planetary gear has larger-diameter and smaller-diameter toothed portions. The supporting plate is rotatably mounted on the rotatable shaft. The supporting plate is generally disklike in shape and has four concave depressions by each of which the smaller-diameter toothed portion of the planetary gear is held in a predetermined revolution orbit around the control gears.
The seat reclining mechanism has an unsatisfactory durability.


Embodiments of the present invention include an occupancy sensing unit configured to monitor an environment illuminated by a lighting fixture. An inventive occupancy sensing unit may include an occupancy sensor to detect radiation indicative of at least one occupancy event in the environment illuminated by the lighting fixture according to sensing parameters. The occupancy sensor can be coupled to a memory that logs sensor data, which represent the occupancy events, provided by the occupancy sensor. A processor coupled to the memory performs an analysis of the sensor data logged in the memory and adjusts the sensing parameters of the occupancy sensor based on the analysis.

In many situations, it is desirable (but not necessary) for lighting to be activated as soon as a person/object of interest enters a particular area of interest. This can be accomplished by using occupancy and/or motion sensors to monitor the area of interest. When a sensor detects occupancy and/or motion, e.g., based on radiation or a change in radiation emitted in the area of interest, it sends a signal to a lighting fixture that causes the lighting fixture to illuminate the area of interest. The lighting fixture illuminates the area for as long as the sensor detects an occupant. As soon as the sensor stops detecting the occupant, a timer in the lighting fixture begins counting down a predetermined timeout or delay period during which the light remains on. The lighting fixture turns off when the delay period ends (unless the occupancy sensor detects another occupant, in which case the timer stops counting down). Consider, for example, a sensor whose timeout period is 60 seconds: if a person enters the sensor's field-of-view at 11:27:03 and stays in the field-of-view until 11:31:18, the light remains on until 11:32:18 provided that nobody else enters the field-of-view. If the predetermined timeout or delay period is too long, then the light remains on unnecessarily, wasting energy and running down its useful life. If the predetermined amount of time is too short, then the light turns off prematurely, which may be annoying and possibly dangerous as well.
Occupancy sensors sense radiation at different wavelengths, including infrared, ultrasonic, visible, and/or radio-frequency wavelengths, to detect the presence or absence of people in a space. Passive infrared (PIR) sensors sense the difference in heat emitted by humans in motion from that of the background space. These sensors detect motion within a field of view that generally requires a clear line of sight; they cannot "see" through obstacles and have limited sensitivity to minor (hand) movement at distances greater than about 15 feet. PIR sensors tend to be most sensitive to movement laterally across their respective fields of view, which can be adjusted when the sensor is installed.
PIR sensors generally are most suitable for smaller, enclosed spaces (wall switch sensors), spaces where the sensor has a view of the activity (ceiling- and wall-mounted sensors), and outdoor areas and warehouse aisles. Potentially incompatible application characteristics include low motion levels by occupants, obstacles blocking the sensor's view, mounting on sources of vibration, or mounting within six feet to eight feet of HVAC air diffusers.
Ultrasonic sensors use the Doppler principle to detect occupancy by emitting an ultrasonic high-frequency signal (e.g., 32-40 kHz) throughout a space, sensing the frequency of a signal reflected by a moving object, and interpreting a change in frequency as motion. The magnitude and sign of the change in frequency represent the speed and direction, respectively, of the object with respect to the sensor. Ultrasonic sensors do not require a direct line of sight and instead can "see" around corners and objects, although they may need a direct line of sight if fabric partition walls are prevalent. In addition, ceiling-mounted sensor effective range declines proportionally to partition height. Ultrasonic sensors are more effective for low motion activity, with high sensitivity to minor (e.g., hand) movement, typically up to 25 feet. Ultrasonic sensors tend to be most sensitive to movement towards and away from the sensor. Ultrasonic sensors typically have larger coverage areas than PIR sensors.
Ultrasonic sensors are most suitable for open spaces, spaces with obstacles, restrooms, and spaces with hard surfaces. Potentially incompatible application characteristics include high ceilings (greater than 14 feet), high levels of vibration or air flow (which can cause nuisance switching), and open spaces that require selective coverage (such as control of lighting in individual warehouse aisles).
Dual-technology sensors employ both PIR and ultrasonic technologies, activating the lights only when both technologies detect the presence of people, which virtually eliminates the possibility of false-on. Dual-technology sensors keep the lights on so long as they continue to detect the presence of people using at least one of the two sensing technologies, which significantly reduces the possibility of false-off. Appropriate applications include classrooms, conference rooms, and other spaces where a higher degree of detection may be desirable.
For effective occupancy sensing, generally required coverage area and required sensitivity are coordinated by a lighting designer/engineer. Generally the designer must determine range and coverage area for the sensor based on the desired level of sensitivity. Manufacturers of sensors publish range and coverage area for sensors in their product literature, which may be different for minor (e.g., hand) motion and major (e.g., full-body) motion. Various coverage sizes and shapes are available for each sensor type. In a small space, one sensor may easily provide sufficient coverage. In a large space, it may be desirable to partition the lighting load into zones, with each zone controlled by one sensor.
The lighting designer/engineer must also decide how long each light should remain on after the associated occupancy and/or motion sensor no longer detects motion. This timeout parameter is controlled typically in hardware, so the designer may have only a few discrete options, e.g., 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, five minutes, etc., for a particular type of lighting fixture. The operating characteristics and requirements of the lighting fixtures often determine the minimum timeouts. For example, fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) fixtures have relatively long warm-up times, so they may have minimum timeouts of about 10-15 minutes to minimize wear and tear that would otherwise reduce the fixture life.
The timeout parameter is controlled typically by setting a switch (e.g., dual in-line package (DIP) switches), dial, or other interface on the lighting fixture itself. Once the lighting fixture is installed, it may become difficult to change the timeout settings (if they can be changed at all). For example, industrial lighting fixtures, such as the high-bay lighting fixtures that illuminate aisles in a warehouse, are often too high to be reached without a lift. Even if the fixture is relatively easy to reach, it may be impractical to change the timeout parameter because the people who own, maintain, and/or use the facility have no way to determine the appropriate or optimum timeout setting.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0273307 to Westrick et al. discloses an automated lighting system that performs adaptive scheduling based on overrides from users. More specifically, Westrick's system follows a predetermined schedule to switch a lighting fixture from an "ON" mode (in which the fixture turns on in response to a signal from an occupancy sensor) to an "OFF" mode (in which the fixture does not respond to signals from the occupancy sensor). Firmware adjusts the amount of time the system spends in "ON" mode based on how often users override the lighting controls by actuating an override switch, such as an on/off paddle switch. If the system detects a high number of overrides immediately after a period in "ON" mode, the system increases the amount of time that the system is "ON" (and decreases the amount of time that the system is "OFF"). Although Westrick's system adjusts how long a light is enabled to respond to occupancy signals, it does not change how long the light remains on in response to an occupancy signal. It also requires direct user intervention. Westrick's system does not log or record any occupancy sensor data, so it is incapable of detecting, analyzing, and responding to more complicated occupancy behavior, such changes in occupancy patterns based on the hour of the day or the day of the week.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,035,320 to Sibert discloses an illumination control network formed of luminaires whose behaviors are governed by a set of parameters, which may be selected from templates or set by direct user intervention. Sibert's luminaire has an occupancy response behavior that depends in part on a high threshold, a low threshold, and a decaying average, or running average, that represents the average output level from an occupancy sensor over a recent time interval. When the luminaire receives a signal from the occupancy sensor, it updates the running average, then compares the updated running average to the high and low thresholds. If the updated running average is lower than the low threshold, the luminaire remains off (or turns off). If the updated running average is higher than the high threshold, the luminaire turns on (or remains on) for a predetermined timeout period. If the updated running average is between the high and low thresholds, the luminaire remains in its current state until it receives another signal from the occupancy sensor or, if the luminaire is already on, until the timeout period elapses. The luminaire does not adjust the length of the timeout period in response to an occupancy signal. Like Westrick's system, Sibert's luminaires do not log or record any occupancy sensor data, so they are cannot detect, analyze, or respond to more complicated occupancy behavior, such changes in occupancy patterns based on the hour of the day or the day of the week.

Method, apparatus, and system for occupancy sensing


An irrigated needle electrode ablation catheter has a distal tip section with a tip electrode, a needle electrode assembly longitudinal movable relative to the catheter, and a needle centering insert in a channel in the tip electrode. The assembly has a proximal tubing and a distal needle electrode, and the insert supports the needle electrode in the channel at a predetermined separation distance from the tip electrode while enabling irrigation to flow circumferentially around the needle electrode through the channel and exit at the distal end of the tip electrode. The catheter also provides a first dedicated fluid pathway through the assembly and exits at the distal end of the needle electrode, and a second dedicated fluid pathway to supply fluid to the channel in the tip electrode, wherein the second pathway is defined by a guide tube and directed by a plunger member.

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation of cardiac and other tissue is a well-known method for creating thermal injury lesions at the tip of an electrode. Radiofrequency current is delivered between a skin (ground) patch and the electrode. Electrical resistance at the electrode-tissue interface results in direct resistive heating of a small area, the size of which depends upon the size of the electrode, electrode tissue contact, and current (density). Further tissue heating results from conduction of heat within the tissue to a larger zone. Tissue heated beyond a threshold of approximately 50-55 degrees C. is irreversibly injured (ablated).
Resistive heating is caused by energy absorption due to electrical resistance. Energy absorption is related to the square of current density and inversely with tissue conductivity. Current density varies with conductivity and voltage and inversely with the square of radius from the ablating electrode. Therefore, energy absorption varies with conductivity, the square of applied voltage, and inversely with the fourth power of radius from the electrode. Resistive heating, therefore, is most heavily influenced by radius, and penetrates a very small distance from the ablating electrode. The rest of the lesion is created by thermal conduction from the area of resistive heating. This imposes a limit on the size of ablation lesions that can be delivered from a surface electrode.
Methods to increase lesion size would include increasing electrode diameter, increasing the area of electrode contact with tissue, increasing tissue conductivity and direct mechanical penetration of the tissue by the ablating electrode/needle.
The electrode can be introduced to the tissue of interest directly (for superficial/skin structures), surgically, endoscopically, laparoscopically or using percutaneous transvascular (catheter-based) access. Catheter ablation is a well-described and commonly performed method by which many cardiac arrhythmias are treated. Needle electrodes have been described for percutaneous or endoscopic ablation of solid-organ tumors, lung tumors, and abnormal neurologic structures.
Catheter ablation is sometimes limited by insufficient lesion size. Ablation of tissue from an endovascular approach results not only in heating of tissue, but heating of the electrode. When the electrode reaches critical temperatures, denaturation of blood proteins causes coagulum formation. Impedance can then rise and limit current delivery. Within tissue, overheating can cause steam bubble formation (steam "pops") with risk of uncontrolled tissue destruction or undesirable perforation of bodily structures. In cardiac ablation, clinical success is sometimes hampered by inadequate lesion depth and transverse diameter even when using catheters with active cooling of the tip. Theoretical solutions have included increasing the electrode size (increasing contact surface and increasing convective cooling by blood flow), improving electrode-tissue contact, actively cooling the electrode with fluid infusion, changing the material composition of the electrode to improve current delivery to tissue, and pulsing current delivery to allow intermittent cooling.
Needle electrodes improve contact with tissue and allow deep penetration of current delivery to areas of interest. Ablation may still be hampered by the small surface area of the needle electrode such that heating occurs at low power, and small lesions are created. An improved catheter with needle ablation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,287,531, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
While needle electrodes improve tissue ablation, the structural integrity of a needle electrode may be compromised by steam pops arising from RF "arcing" between the needle electrode and adjacent conductive components of the catheter, including a tip electrode through which the needle electrode extends. When electrical conduction occurs between the needle electrode and the distal end of the tip electrode, the resulting cavitation or mini-shockwaves produced by the steam pops can cause premature wear and tear on the needle electrode that could lead to breakage and detachment from the catheter.
The "arcing" may be reduced by increasing the distance, especially the radial distance, between the needle electrode and the tip electrode. However, by increasing the distance, the formation of coagulum between the needle electrode and the tip electrode may increase despite surrounding blood flow that typically tends to minimize or prevent coagulum formation.
Accordingly, it is desirable for a catheter to have a distal tip configuration that increases distance, especially radial distance, between the needle electrode and the tip electrode, and provides irrigation between the needle electrode and the tip electrode, especially at the distal end of the tip electrode, to minimize the formation of coagulum. It is also desirable that the irrigation be supplied by a dedicated fluid path with sufficient pressure so as to avoid blood seepage into the catheter while minimizing the risk of trapped air bubbles. It is further desired that the irrigation be supplied circumferentially around the outer surface of the needle electrode for uniform cooling.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Ablation catheter with dedicated fluid paths and needle centering insert


A method of rocking a wheeled infant carrier (30) comprises using a rocking device (10) having a pair of discrete units (12,14). Each unit has a ground-engaging base (18a,b) and a platform (16a,b) supported thereon through bearings for movement relative to the base in a first direction. A drive one (12) of the units has a motor in a housing (20) arranged to drive the platform (16a) of the drive unit relative to its base back and forth in said first direction. A first wheel (34) of the carrier (30) is placed on the drive unit and a second wheel (32) on the second, slave unit (14), with the axes of rotation of the wheels being arranged parallel said first direction. The motor is operated to rock that end of the carrier that is supported by those wheels from side to side.

There are numerous patents disclosing various arrangements of this kind. GB-A-2219199 discloses a moveable frame oscillated back and forth over a smaller, stationary frame by a motor mounted on the stationary frame. A crib or infant carriage is placed on the moveable frame. WO-A-95/23722 discloses a frame supported off the ground on which a pram can be disposed and a mechanism is provided to rock the frame in different ways. EP-B-415736 discloses an arrangement having two receptacles for the front or back wheels of a pram, and these are rocked backwards and forwards.
GB-A-2231005 provides a housing supported on the ground and a single wheel holder for a stroller, which stroller is pulled backwards and forwards by a motor in the housing reciprocating the wheel holder relative to the housing.
WO-A-89/00942 and FR2427238 both disclose an elongate support for two wheels of a pram, or legs of a cot, and providing an undulating rocking motion. The French document suggests a slave unit for the other legs of a cot if these are not provided with wheels.
FR-A-2651419 and FR-A-2649872 disclose a plate on rails on a support and a motor to drive the plate back and forth on the support.
There are various problems with all these arrangements, some of which are that the stroller or pram may be lifted a significant step up off the ground. Should the pram come off them, it will roll off some way before stopping. Alternatively, if only one end of the pram is lifted, there is an increased risk of the pram tipping over. Strollers and buggies are usually designed so that only a small force is needed on rear handles to lift the front wheels off the ground, whereby steering of the buggy is facilitated. Consequently, substantial lifting by a rocking device may destabilise a stroller.
Another problem is that the rocking device frequently needs to "fit" the buggy or pram in question. Nowadays there are such a plethora of different shapes and sizes of buggy and stroller that no single device presently available is suitable for them all, at least, not if it is portable or does not have complicated adjustments. The wheel bases change, the wheel sizes, some are ganged together in pairs, close together, or spaced apart. Thus, some arrangements provide a platform on which an entire buggy or cot (eg GB2219199) is supported. Any buggy can be rocked by such a device, but the device is consequently not portable. Likewise, some arrangements provide for adjustments whereby different configurations may be catered for (eg WO2004/062977), but these arrangements are complicated.
The requirement for a rocking device is most frequently away from home. At home, children are often quite docile and ready to sleep at appropriate times, but it is when they are in strange neighbourhoods that a rocking device finds its usual application. Yet, many of the devices presently available are far from portable, and some even challenge transportability.
Furthermore, a potential problem with portable arrangements is that babies and their buggies are a significant weight and the energy required to move them, particularly with up and down movements, can be substantial, making batteries having a useful lifetime, (and which are needed for driving the unit when away from home), very heavy. Indeed, the friction between buggy wheels and a carpet, or grass or even a hard surface such as concrete or tarmac, can be such as to make the forces necessary to move a buggy backwards and forwards on its own wheels very significant, again using substantial amounts of power. This is particularly the case with some buggies/strollers that have both soft elastomer, and small size, wheels, so that rolling friction is not insignificant.
Indeed, the situation is often that, because the friction is so high, instead of oscillating the pram or buggy backwards and forwards, the rocking device simply oscillates itself backwards and forwards, using the buggy as an anchor. Obviously, for such a system to work, the device has to be secured in place, either by its own mass, or by connection to an immovable object. Some patents disclose systems where a pram is connected to a solid object and pulls it backwards and forwards on its own wheels.
Another issue is that, where the stroller or pram is rocked backwards and forwards on its own wheels, and this means that absolute confidence must be had in the system that the buggy will not roll off its support and roll away by itself. Bearing in mind that the purpose of these rocking devices is to remove the necessity of constant attention, people must have confidence that no danger will result from their use.
It is an object of the present invention to address these points and provide a rocking device that does not suffer from the afore-mentioned problems, or at least mitigates the effects of at least some of them.


A method and system is provided which receives a desired humidity level from a user for the refrigeration compartment of a refrigerator, determines the current humidity level, and then activates an atomizer in the refrigeration compartment to increase the humidity level if needed. The humidity in the refrigeration compartment may be determined based at least in part on the temperature of the refrigeration compartment, the defrost timer, the door opening times, and the compressor timer.

The present disclosure generally relates to a refrigerator. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a refrigerator with an improved system for keeping food fresh.
In this regard, it has been determined that some refrigerated foods remain fresh and attractive to the consumer when the foods are exposed to water or moisture on a regular basis. However, the interior of the refrigeration compartment of a refrigerator is typically quite dry.
Moreover, it is often the case that additional moisture is undesirable in prior art refrigerators because it may make the cooling process more energy-intensive. Also, even when not directly designed to remove water or moisture, many refrigerators tend to minimize moisture purely as a by-product of their operation.

Systems and methods for multi-sense control algorithm for atomizers in refrigerators


A packet data transmission system is disclosed in which remote units, such as remote hand-held data gathering units, which normally communicate with remote base stations via a spread spectrum RF communications, are initialized via spread spectrum RF communications. A network chipping sequence is provided for encoding normal communications and a universal chipping sequence is provided for encoding communications relating to initialization of the remote units. The network chipping sequence is adjustable and must be initialized in each of the remote units to enable normal communications. The universal chipping code is fixed for all remote devices and base stations. Since the universal chipping code is fixed, spread spectrum RF communications of the initialization data, using the universal chipping code, can be effected even if the network chipping sequence is not initially set in the remote units. The initialization data communicated to the remote includes the network chipping code which is then stored in the remote units and used for subsequent normal communications.

In retail or commercial facilities, radio frequency (RF) networks are used to communicate information between remote devices, such as bar code readers and data terminals, and a central computer. In commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,183, for "Packet Data Communication Network", which is hereby incorporated by reference, a data communications network includes a number of remote devices, and a spread spectrum RF link for sending packetized data to a host computer and for receiving an acknowledge signal and data from the host computer.
To permit a remote device to communicate on a selected spread spectrum data communication network, it is required that the remote devices obtain and store information relating to parameters of the spread spectrum radio RF link for that particular network. The parameters which are required to permit communications include the frequency of operation and the pseudo-random chipping sequence of the selected spread spectrum network. Further, a new remote device often obtains and stores various network configuration information, such as, for example, what other equipment is available on the network, the identity of other network members, and its own identity in the network.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,183, an initialization procedure is described, in which, each remote device has an RS-232 connector which is temporarily coupled to the host computer. The pseudo-random chipping sequence and the operating frequency of the particularly spread spectrum network, and various other network information, are communicated, via the temporary RS-232 link, from the host computer to the remote device. The remote device then stores the received information in non-volatile memory. After the initialization procedure, the RS-232 connector is uncoupled from the host computer, and subsequent communications between the remote device and the host computer are made by way of the spread spectrum RF link, utilizing the chipping sequence and the operating frequency stored in the non-volatile memory of the remote device.
After remote devices have been initialized, it is often desired to change the chipping sequence of the network for security or other reasons. For example, the chipping sequences for each network can be made directly and uniquely dependent on the host computer's serial number. If the host computer is replaced, it is required to re-initialize the chipping sequence in each remote device so as to conform to the new unique chipping number of the network. In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,183, this re-initialization requires that the RS-232 connection between the remote device and the host computer be used.
In a typical retail or commercial facility utilizing a spread spectrum RF network, it is possible that the remote devices are widely distributed and/or that the remote devices are incorporated in large, non-movable devices. Accordingly, it is often difficult to connect each remote device, via a RS-232 link, to the host the computer to accomplish the above-described initialization and/or re-initialization procedure of the remote device.
To facilitate a periodic RS-232 connection between portable, rechargeable type remote devices and the host computer, it is known to build a RS-232 connection into a charging cradle (herein after referred to as a charging/communicating module). When the remote device is placed in the charging/communication module to be recharged, the RS-232 link is established between the remote device and the host computer, and appropriate initialization and/or re-initialization communications can be effected via the RS-232 link. However, it is known that the portable remote devices may not be placed in the charging/communicating module for long periods of time, and therefore, the re-initialization of the remote device is delayed. Further, during initialization, it is often inconvenient, due to physical layout of the facility, to place each portable device in a charging/communication module, to effect initialization. Still further, the charging/communication module can not be used for remote devices that are incorporated into devices that are not easily portable.
As can be appreciated, as an alternative to connecting the remote device via RS-232 to the host computer, it would be desirable to initialize and/or re-initialize a remote device via the spread spectrum RF link that is used during normal operation. However, to communicate over the spread spectrum link, the remote device must first know the pseudo-random chipping sequence for that particular link. Without knowledge of the pseudo-random chipping sequence, the remote device can not properly interpret received data.
It is theoretically possible for a non-initialized remote device to obtain initialization information, via the spread spectrum RF link, from the host computer, by sequentially cycling through every possible pseudo-random chipping sequence for each possible operating frequency. When the correct combination of pseudo-random chipping sequence and operating frequency is reached, the spread spectrum RF link between the host computer and the remote device channel is established, and the relevant initialization data can be transmitted. However, this approach is impractical due to the large number of possible pseudo-random chipping sequences available in a typical spread spectrum RF data communication network. An inordinate amount of time and energy would be required to accomplish the initialization of each remote device in this manner.

Radio network initialization method and apparatus


The present invention is a device for aligning the trailer hitch ball on the towing vehicle, and for lifting the trailer hitch on and off the ball. The device comprises a swiveling vertical post assembly in close proximity to the hitch ball. The swiveling vertical post assembly pivots at its attachment point with the towing vehicle, thereby allowing the user to load or unload a trailer from the vehicle even when the trailer is not perfectly aligned directly behind the vehicle. The swiveling vertical post assembly has a pivotal arm which can be moved from an upper pivot point position to a lower pivot point position. In both the upper position and the lower position, the pivotal arm is allowed to rotate from a generally vertical position to a rearwardly inclined position in order to provide a moving cable guide that helps determine the location and direction of movement of the cable and hence the forces exerted on the tongue end. The stationary post has a lower cable receiver for receiving a cable connected to a winch on the tongue of the trailer. Once the cable is anchored to the receiver, operation of the winch creates forces which move the tongue and socket relative to the hitch ball and also pivot the pivoting arm to redirect the direction of the cable and, hence, the socket. The invention has two (2) modes of operation: 1) on-loading the trailer hitch onto the ball; and, 2) off-loading the trailer hitch from the ball. Each of these two (2) modes of operation have two further modes of operation: (a) when the vehicle is at a higher elevation than the trailer; and (b) when the trailer is at a higher elevation than the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hitches for trailers, wagons and other towed vehicles. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus for, and method of, easily and quickly aligning the tongue and hitch first portion on the trailer ("coupler" or "socket") with the receiver and hitch second portion, usually a ball on a post ("ball"), on the towing vehicle, and for lifting the trailer hitch on and off the ball.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,445 (Williams, Jr.) discloses a trailer hitch with a winch and cable which passes around a pulley located below the tongue. The cable is provided with a hook which is connected to a ball mount.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,386 (Lazar) discloses a self-aligning and self-connecting ball and socket hitch. The hitch ball has a housing with rearwardly diverging walls which guide the tongue on the towed vehicle to align the tongue with the ball. Also, a vertically inclined slide plate engaging the hitch ball lifts the tongue up and over the ball.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,408 (Norton, et al.) discloses a trailer connecting guide which comprises a winch, a winch cable guide, and a pulley on the trailer tongue. In operation, the winch cable is connected to the towing vehicle near the ball post, passed around the pulley, and through the cable guide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,160 (Weaver) discloses a trailer hitch with a winch and a multi-position arm pivotally attached to the underside of the tongue of the trailer forward of the winch. In operation, the arm is locked into a downwardly extending position, and the winch strap passes over it to lift the tongue over the ball.
British Patent No. 477,180 (Scamell, et al.) discloses an improved towing hook for vehicles wherein a winch cable passes between a set of rollers above and forward of a pivotal hook hitch on the towing vehicle.
PCT Published Application No. WO 90/10550 (Suitor) discloses a trailer tongue with a mounting plate carrying a winch. The winch is located beneath a socket hitch which has a downwardly extending cable guide through which the cable passes when it is connected to the ball post.
Still, there is a need in the trailer hitch industry for a safe, effective and durable hitch alignment and lifting device. This invention addresses that need.

Swiveling trailer hitch alignment and lifting device with multiple pivoting points


There is provided a DC motor speed control system comprising a main motor circuit which supplies a motor current from an AC source through a full-wave rectifying circuit and a semiconductor element having a control electrode to a DC motor, a manually variable voltage setting means which is connected with the full-wave rectifying circuit, a charging circuit which is connected with the manually variable voltage setting means, a switching element having a control element which is connected with the charging circuit and, when the charged voltage in the charging circuit reaches a predetermined value, is made conductive to discharge the charging circuit thereby to supply a discharge current to the semiconductor element as a triggen current, a constant voltage element which is connected with the full-wave rectifying circuit, and a detecting means which detects the counter electromotive force induced in the motor. The constant voltage element and the detecting means are connected in series to form a series circuit the terminal voltage of which is applied to the control electrode of the switching element, and the predetermined voltage value for conduction of the switching element being variable in response to the counter electromotive force so as to delay the conduction angle of the semiconductor element for the increased counter electromotive force while to advance the conduction angle of the semiconductor element for the decreased counter electromotive force.

This invention relates to a DC motor speed control system and, in particular, to an improved speed control system which is little susceptible to influence from load fluctuation.
Heretofore, there have been provided motor speed control systems adapted to supply a full-wave rectified current through a semiconductor element with a control electrode to the motor, one of which control systems comprising a charging circuit which is connected through a variable current setting means to a full-wave rectifying circuit, a switching circuit which is connected with the charging circuit and, when the charging voltage in the charging circuit reaches a predetermined value, is made conductive to discharge the charging circuit thereby to supply the discharge current to the semiconductor element as a trigger current, and a detecting means for detecting the counter electromotive force induced in the motor, whereby the conduction phase of the semiconductor element is controlled in response to the detected counter electromotive force so as to stabilize the rotation speed of the motor in spite of load fluctuation. A typical example of a speed control system of this kind has been disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 811,625, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,455 entitled "Motor Speed Control System" by Katsuji Soeda et al, filed June 30, 1977, and assigned to the common assignee with the present applicant.
In this system, an automatically variable resistor means, such as a transistor, which is connected with the counter electromotive force detecting means is further provided so that the detected counter electromotive force is supplied as a bias voltage to the transistor whereby the charging current to the charging circuit is shunted by means of the transistor. Thus, the counter electromotive force is converted to the conduction current of the transistor so as to control the charging rate of the charging circuit in dependence on the counter electromotive force, whereby the conduction phase of the switching element or Diac is controlled in response to the counter electromotive force.
However, this system requires the automatically variable resistor means converting the counter electromotive force to the current, thus causing the construction to be complicated.


In an image forming device including a volume supply type developing device, generation of an aggregate of a developer on a back surface of a layer thickness regulating member is suppressed, while occurrence of an image failure caused by the aggregate is suppressed. An image forming device includes: a photosensitive drum; a developing device including a developing roller; a toner container including a toner sensor; and a control portion. According to an increase or decrease of a retention part formed in a first transport path, a toner flows into the developing device from the toner container. The control portion causes the developing roller to reversely rotate at predetermined timing when the toner sensor senses that a residual amount of a toner in the toner container falls below a predetermined threshold value.

The present disclosure relates to an image forming device including a developing device.
A known conventional image forming device which forms an image on a sheet includes an image carrier, a developing device, and a developer container. When a developer is supplied from the developing device to the image carrier, an electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier appears as a developer image. The developer container includes a developer discharge port and supplies a replenishment developer to a developer replenishing port provided in the developing device.
A volume supply type developing device is also known. The developing device includes a developing housing, a developing roller, a developer transport member, and a layer thickness regulating member. The developer transport member is rotated in the developing housing to transport and stir a developer. Arrangement of the layer thickness regulating member so as to be opposed to the developing roller regulates an amount of a developer to be carried on the developing roller.
Additionally, in the developing housing, the above developer replenishing port is opened above the developer transport member. In the developer transport member, a transport capacity suppressing portion which partly suppresses a transport capacity is formed downstream of the developer replenishing port. As a result, a developer retention part is formed around the developer replenishing port. When the amount of the developer in the developing housing is increased, the retention part seals the developer replenishing port, so that an inflow of a replenishment developer from the developer container to the developing housing is regulated. On the other hand, when the amount of the developer in the developing housing is reduced, a gap is formed between the retention part and the developer replenishing port, so that the replenishment developer flows into the developing housing from the developer container.


This invention provides an analog to digital converter using bisection comparators to determine the Most Significant Bits of the input voltage. The bisection comparator is comprised of three inverting amplifiers and does not use an auto zero phase, which reduces the power dissipation in the bisection comparator significantly. The bisection comparator does not use a sample and hold circuit and no capacitors are required, which significantly reduces the size of the integrated circuit chip. The analog to digital converter uses a number of bisection comparators to determine the Most Significant Bits of the input voltage and fine analog to digital converters to determine the Least Significant Bits of the input voltage. The outputs of the bisection comparators are used to set the switches of the fine analog to digital converters.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to comparators used in analog to digital converters and to analog to digital converters using the comparators. The bisection comparator of this invention uses three inverting amplifiers. No auto zero phase is used in the bisection comparator. There is no sample/hold in the bisection comparator and capacitors are not used.
(2) Description of Related Art
An auto zero comparators are the most widely used comparators in CMOS Flash analog to digital converters and Two Step analog to digital converters. U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,028 to Fukushima describes a two step analog to digital converter using a plurality of resistors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,814 to Caruso describes comparators using inverting amplifiers with an auto zero phase. U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,217 to Dingwall describes two step analog to digital converters.
Conventional analog to digital converters use sample and hold circuits which require capacitors. These capacitors are large and require large integrated circuit elements. Conventional analog to digital converters using comparators with inverting amplifiers use an auto zero phase to bias the inverting amplifiers at the threshold voltage where the current and the power dissipation in the inverting amplifier is greatest. The bisection comparator of this invention does not use either an auto zero phase or a capacitor for a sample hold circuit. The bisection comparator of this invention has less power dissipation and is smaller than conventional comparators.

Sample/hold free most significant bit comparator using bisection comparators

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A printing system high in flexibility and/or user-friendliness which make it possible to use only post processing by a post-processing unit connected to a printing unit without requiring printing by the printing unit. An execution request receiving unit receives a request for execution of one of an inline job requiring post processing by the sheet processing unit after execution of printing by the printing unit, and an offline job requiring post processing by the sheet processing unit connected to the printing unit, without requiring printing by the printing unit. A controller performs control such that the offline job is executed by the sheet processing unit prior to an inline job associated with an execution request received earlier by the execution request receiving unit than an execution request associated with the offline job.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system, a job processing method, a storage medium, and a printing apparatus, which enable a post-processing unit connected to a printing unit to execute only post processing without requiring printing by the printing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a POD (Print On Demand) printing system using an electrophotographic printing apparatus or an inkjet printing apparatus has been proposed so as to outdo the conventional printing industry (see e.g. US Published Application No. 20040190057). The POD printing system of this type makes it possible to dispense with an operation for preparing a final copy for printing and other complicated operations.
However, there is still a lot to be studied before such a POD printing system is made commercially available i.e. put into practical use. For example, the conventional printing systems are not configured such that post processing by an inline finisher connected to a printer (i.e. a finisher having a sheet path connected to the printer) can be used without requiring printing by the printer.
From the above viewpoint, a technique should be proposed while considering beforehand a possibility that it will be demanded in the future to use only post processing by a post-processing unit connected to a printing unit without requiring printing by the printing unit. However, since such a demand is not strong in actuality, no effective proposal has ever been seen.

Printing system, job processing method, storage medium, and printing apparatus that restricts execution of a received printing job upon receiving a request for a non-printing job for post-processing


Genes VvPI from Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and LePI from Lycopersicon esculentum are described; together with the use of these genes to produce sterile male flowers and seedless or parthenocarpic fruits. Silencing vectors that comprise these sequences or a part thereof are disclosed. The methods of the invention are directed to producing sterile male flowers and parthenocarpic fruits by genetic silencing, and includes: obtaining the codifying sequence of Pistillata (PI)-homologous genes from the target species; analyzing the expression of the sequence obtained in step (a) to test its expression according to the pattern described for Pistillata genes; analyzing the complementation of PI-gene mutant with the PI sequence obtained from the target species, to assess that the obtained sequence fulfills the function of a PI gene; making a genetic silencing construct that comprises a region of the codifying sequence of PI in a plant expression vector; incorporation of the constructed vector into Agrobacterium tumefaciens; transforming target plants with Agrobacterium tumefaciens modified with the silencing vector and selecting said transformed plants; and checking the absence of Agrobacterium contamination and corroborating transgenic plants by transgene amplification.

The present invention discloses a method to produce sterile male flowers and seedless or parthenocarpic fruits. This method is based on silencing genes that are homologous to Pistillata genes from different plant species, by generating silencing vectors that comprise the entire sequence of a Pistillata-homologous gene specific for the used species or a part of this sequence, and the use of said genetic silencing vectors to produce sterile male flowers and seedless or parthenocarpic fruits.
In the present invention, the sequences of VvPI gene from Vitis vinifera (grapevine) cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and LePI gene from Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) are further disclosed, together with the use of these genes to produce sterile male flowers and seedless or parthenocarpic fruits. Furthermore, silencing vectors that comprise these sequences or a part thereof contained in said silencing vectors are disclosed, which allow silencing VvPI and LePI genes in Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon and Lycopersicon esculentum, respectively.
VvPI from Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon (grapevine) and LePI from Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) are genes that are homologous to the Pistillata gene from Arabidopsis thaliana, which is a gene involved in petal and stamen formation in Arabidopsis and other flowers.
Seedless varieties have a high commercial value and improved organoleptic properties. Moreover, seedless varieties solve problems in some cultures, such as pollination. In the production of various cultivars, such as Lycopersicon esculentum, pollination use to be a critical step and even a limiting step for production, since this step is affected by wind, humidity and temperature, both in sub- or supra-optimal conditions (Nothman et al., 1975; Romano et al., 1994). Parthenocarpy offers an alternative route, because fruit development can occur independently from pollination (Lukyanenko et al., 1991) and thus it assures a greater stability to the producer.
In the majority of flowering plants, once pollination and subsequent fertilization have taken place, ovules develop to seeds, while the surrounding tissue differentiates to the fruit (Coombe et al., 1975). Fertilization is a critical step to begin flower-to-fruit transition, except for those parthenocarpic plants in which fruit development is uncoupled to fertilization. Parthenocarpic fruits develop without previous fertilization of the ovules, thus these ovules grow senescent and the ovary develops to a seedless fruit (Gillaspy et al., 1993).
Two are the phenomena associated with the apparition of seedless (apyrenic) fruits: parthenocarpy and stenospermocarpy. While parthenocarpy is the development and growth of a fruit without previous fertilization, stenospermocarpy is the apparition of seedless fruits or a reduced number of partially-formed seeds once fertilization has taken place, which is caused by an abortion of the seed during its formation.
The first methodology used to artificially create apyrenic fruits consisted of spraying developing fruits and even flowers, with auxins and gibberellins (GAs) (Nitsch et al., 1970; Schwabe et al., 1981; García-Martínez et al., 1997). However, the most used methodology to produce seedless fruits has been mutant selection. Many of these seedless mutant variants have been obtained by induced mutagenesis. For example, in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) different parthenocarpic lines have been produced in this way (reviewed by Lukyanenko et al., 1991). The most important cultivar line is the mutant obtained by using ethyl methane-sulfonate (Bianchi et al., 1969), called pat (parthenocarpic fruit) (Soressi and Salamini, 1975; Philouze et al., 1983; Barg et al., 1990; George et al., 1984; Lukyanenko et al., 1991).
Polyploidy has also been used, such as in triploid watermelon (Terada et al., 1943; Kihara et al., 1951, 1958) and citrus (Deng et al., 1996; Chandler et al., 2000; Guo et al. 2000) mutants. These mutants are generated by fusing protoplasts or crossing a tetraploid (4×) maternal plant with a diploid (2×) pollinator, thus generating a triploid (3×) individual that is then pollinated by a diploid plant to obtain seedless fruits. A more novel way comprises pollinating flowers with irradiated pollen. As was shown by Watanabe (2001) and Sugiyama (2002), this method allows obtaining diploid (2×) watermelon plants that produce fruits having few soft and small seeds, known as "empty seeds".
Lately, parthenocarpic fruits have been obtained using an approximation analogous to exogenous hormone application. The procedure comprises altering the phytohormone production pathway by introducing genes as iaaM, iaaH and rolB that increase internal hormone levels in the ovary, ovules and placenta. Szechtman et al. (1997) expressed gene iaaH from Agrobacterium tumefaciens specifically in tomato ovary. This gene codes for an indoleacetamide hydrolase that hydrolyzes naphthaleneacetamide (NAM) to naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), an active auxin form. Thus, parthenocarpy was induced upon subsequently treating the ovary with NAM. Rotino et al. (1996) expressed a gene that codes for an enzyme involved in indol-3-acetic acid (IAA) biosynthesis that does not need any exogenous application of compounds. Said gene was the chimerical DefH9-iaaM gene, which has the codifying region of iaaM gene from Pseudomonas syringae pv. savastanoi and the placenta and ovule-specific promoter region DefH9 from Antirrhinum majus (Rotino et al., 1996). Gene iaaM codes for an enzyme, tryptophan monooxygenase, that produces indoleacetamide. Indoleacetamide is then enzymatically or chemically converted into the IAA auxin. Tobacco (Rotino et al., 1997), eggplant (Donzella et al., 2000; Rotino et al., 1997; Acciarri et al., 2002), Lycopersicon esculentum (Ficcadenti et al., 1999; Pandolfini et al., 2002) and strawberry and raspberry (Mezzetti et al., 2002; 2004) transgenics that have the transgene DefH9-iaaM are parthenocarpic in nature.
It has been previously shown that parthenocarpic apple (Malus domestica) varieties: Rae Ime, Spencer Seedless and Wellington Bloomless, had one transposon-insertion mutation in the orthologous Pistillata (PI) gene: MdPI (Malus domestica Pistillata). Furthermore, this PI gene requires the expression of Sepallata to carry out its function in Arabidopsis (Honma and Goto 2000; Pelaz et al. 2000, 2001). Therefore, lack of expression of genes that are homologous to tomato Sepallata (such as TM29, Ampomah-Dwamena et al. 2002; and TM5, Pnueli et al. 1994), leads to parthenocarpic fruit development.
Genetic Silencing.
Genetic silencing is a natural mechanism that allows gene expression inhibition at DNA level (transcriptional genetic silencing) or at messenger RNA level (post-transcriptional genetic silencing, PTGS). Currently, procedures have been developed to allow inhibiting gene expression by PTGS in various organisms, including plants. To this end, silencing plasmid vectors are used (e.g., Hellsgate) that generate sense and antisense RNA strands, thus forming double strand RNAs in the cytoplasm, which induce silencing of the target gene that has a similar sequence to that of the double RNA (Voinet, 2003).
In this invention, this technology was used to induce silencing of Pistillata genes from Vitis vinifera and Lycopersicon esculentum (grapevine and tomato, respectively), which are genes codifying for transcriptional factors responsible for petal and stamen formation in flowers.
Among the closest documents to this invention, the following could be mentioned:
Vliet G., 1998 (Patent Application WO 98/24301): this document claims a method to produce seedless tomatoes by crossing two homozygote tomato plants that are recessive for parthenocarpy (pk,pk) and functional sterility (fs,fs) characteristics; this is a technique totally different to that disclosed in the present invention.
In Ito et al., 2002 (US Patent Application US 2002/0152495), a polynucleotide is described that comprises a sequence codifying for cytochrome P450, and when this sequence is expressed in a plant, a parthenocarpic phenotype is produced and furthermore a larger fruit is obtained; this technique also differs from that of the present invention in the type of gene used and the mechanism by which it operates.

Method to produce sterile male flowers and partenocarpic fruits by genetic silencing, associated sequences and vectors containing said sequences

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile


The present invention discloses a system and a method for providing information to a communication device in response to a request for such service received from the communication device. The request may be in the form of a digits request trigger or short message service (SMS) origination message that is initiate from a wireless telephone. The digits request trigger and SMS origination request may be initiated when a user selects a menu option or it may be initiated using a microbrowser. The digits request trigger or SMS origination message is sent from the communication device to a wireless web information services gateway. The gateway retrieves the requested information from one or more sources. The gateway then forwards the retrieved information to the user via an SMS message or via a microbrowser message. The information may be formatted according to a preselected configuration that is stored in a user service information profile.

This application relates generally to wireless data information services, and more specifically to a system and method for allowing users to obtain specific data information over the Short Message Service (SMS) by dialing predetermined telephone number digits, feature code digits, or by an SMS origination message.
The Short Message Service (SMS) allows wireless subscribers and service providers to send alphanumeric messages of limited length. Subscribers may send or receive email messages via SMS. The wireless network may route email and other text messages to subscribers via the SMS. The SMS messages may contain preselected information, such as stock quotations or weather forecasts. In the prior art, SMS messages comprising preselected information are sent at predetermined intervals, such as at a certain time of day or when certain events occur. However, wireless network operators do not provide a mechanism that allows subscribers to trigger the receipt of such SMS messages. Accordingly, there is a need to provide wireless subscribers with the capability to request particular types of SMS messages at any time. It is a feature of one embodiment of the present invention to provide this enhanced network capability without requiring an update or modification to the existing Mobile Switching Center (MSC) software.
These and other objects, features and technical advantages are achieved by a system and method which provides the use of a trigger to cause SMS or microbrowser messages to be sent to a wireless telephone or other device. The trigger may be a dialed telephone number, feature code, other dialed digits, or SMS origination message.
The invention disclosed herein allows a wireless user to obtain data information from the Internet, World Wide Web (WWW) or other information source over the SMS or via a microbrowser in the phone. Users dial a predetermined service feature code, service ID, or telephone number on their wireless handset. The feature code or telephone number is routed to a Distributed Wireless Web Information Service Gateway (WWIS Gateway), which determines what information is being requested by the user and then collects that information from the appropriate source. The WWIS Gateway formats the information and sends it to the users"" handsets via the SMS or microbrowser message. As a result, wireless carriers can provide users with the capability to originate inbound SMS or microbrowser messages that are directed to the user""s handset. By using a valid telephone number, wireless carriers can provide this capability without modification of the Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Home Location Register (HLR) or Service Control Point (SCP) software.
However, feature codes or SMS origination messages can also be used to trigger the SMS or microbrowser information service if the MSC, HLR and/or SCP translation tables and software either already provide or are modified to provide such functionality. The wireless network treats the dialed digits, feature code, or SMS origination as a trigger and sends a service or origination request, such as a Web Information Service Request message, to a Distributed WWIS Gateway. The Distributed WWIS Gateway integrates wireless access with the Internet, Intranets, Extranets, the World Wide Web and other sources of information. In one embodiment, a feature code or dialed digits may be treated as an IS-41 trigger by the wireless network. The IS-41 trigger causes information to be sent to the wireless telephone via an SMS or microbrowser message. In other embodiments of the invention, an SMS origination message may act as a trigger to cause information to be sent to the wireless device via the SMS or microbrowser messages.
The Distributed WWIS gateway is able to handle call and data processing messages that are based upon any protocol. User information is stored on a Distributed WWIS Gateway database as service information subscriber profiles. The Distributed WWIS gateway is capable of accessing any information servers and/or web servers via the Internet or other connections using any applicable or required protocols. The Distributed WWIS gateway is also capable of sending the SMS or microbrowser messages comprising the requested information to the wireless carrier""s SMS server, microbrowser server or electronic mail server. The SMS, microbrowser server or electronic mail server then forwards the SMS or microbrowser messages to the user via the wireless network.
The present invention allows subscribers to define a set of preferences in an service information profile. Preferably, users access a web site or other computer network site to configure individual profiles. Users can select services such as stock quotations, location information, daily schedule, movie theatre or entertainment preferences, etc. Once the user profile is set, the invention provides the requested information via SMS or microbrowser as and when requested by the user. The user request is made by dialing the service request feature code, telephone number, or by invoking a SMS origination request. The service feature codes and SMS origination service message are preprogrammed in the user service profile at the WWIS web site. Alternatively, the user may preselect certain times or intervals for the information to be sent via SMS or microbrowser. Although the SMS or microbrowser information is triggered by sending dialed digits, a voice connection may not be completed for the call. Instead, the user receives an indication that the number is not available or that the information is being processed.
The Distributed WWIS Gateway that provide the SMS information service is a distributed computing server that can accept information service requests from HLRs, SCPs, MSCs, SMSCs, or microbrowser servers. The gateway authenticates the subscriber and gathers the requested information from databases and other providers via the Internet or from a local Distributed WWIS information database. The information is then formatted and sent to the subscriber through the wireless carrier""s SMS or microbrowser server.
The Distributed WWIS gateway consists of the following distributed wireless web gateway applications: information services, database services, SS7 message application, short message and email application, or microbrowser service application, system management, network management, profile management, device management, service management, interactive session management, queuing and messaging application, data markup language text application, webcast application, on-demand triggering application, billing application, authentication application, web server application, directory service application, affinity group service application, e-commerce application, advertising application, etc.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method to receive requested information via SMS or microbrowser message using dialed digits or SMS origination as the trigger. Subscribers initiate the trigger by entering a preselected feature code, telephone number or SMS origination message on their handsets. The trigger may be in the form of an origination request, service request message, initial DP message, SMS origination request or microbrowser data request sent by the wireless network.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a Distributed WWIS Gateway capable of querying a plurality of local or remote databases to obtain information pertinent to a wireless user""s request. The Distributed WWIS Gateway may receive SMS triggers, origination request messages, service request messages, initial DP request messages or SMS origination requests from the MSC, HLR, SCP, or SMSC of a wireless network via an SS7 or IP network.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless user with personalized information via the SMS or microbrowser in response to a service request, an origination request, an initial DP request or SMS origination made by the wireless user.
An additional feature of the invention provides for reformatting information gathered in response to a subscriber-generated trigger. The reformatted information is adapted for the subscriber""s handset display and is routed to the SMS or microbrowser server of the subscriber""s wireless carrier. Alternatively, the SMS message is sent to an email gateway at the wireless carrier""s location.
It is another feature of the present invention to allow advertisers and others to send SMS messages comprising embedded telephone numbers, feature codes or SMS origination message, wherein a subscriber may automatically respond to the message by pressing xe2x80x9cSENDxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cTALK.xe2x80x9d The subscriber may be connected to a service representative or a recorded message via the embedded number or code. Alternatively, the subscriber may receive additional SMS or microbrowser messages in response to selection of the embedded digits. The user may create a virtual session with the WWIS Gateway where a series of SMS or microbrowser messages may be sent to the handset based on the trigger digits or SMS origination message contained in the SMS or microbrowser messages sent to the user.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

System and method for providing subscriber-initiated information over the short message service (SMS) or a microbrowser


A device for damping torsional oscillations, comprising:                a support capable of moving rotationally around an axis;        a plurality of pendulum bodies, each pendulum body being movable with respect to the support; and        a plurality of bearing members, each bearing member interacting with a first raceway integral with the support and with at least one second raceway integral with a pendulum body, the movement of each pendulum body with respect to the support being guided by two of those bearing members,        the support comprising a plurality of windows in each of which two bearing members are received, one of those bearing members interacting with at least one second raceway integral with one of the pendulum bodies, and the other of those bearing members interacting with at least one second raceway integral with another of those pendulum bodies, the pendulum bodies being circumferentially adjacent.

In such an application the device for damping torsional oscillations can be integrated into a torsional damping system of a clutch capable of selectively connecting the combustion engine to the gearbox, in order to filter vibrations due to irregularities of the engine.
As a variant, in such an application the device for damping torsional oscillations can be integrated into a friction disk of the clutch or into a hydrodynamic torque converter.
A device of this kind for damping torsional oscillations conventionally utilizes a support and one or more pendulum bodies that are movable with respect to that support. The movement of each pendulum body with respect to the support is generally guided by two bearing members each interacting on the one hand with a raceway integral with the support, and on the other hand with one or more raceways integral with the pendulum body.
Each bearing member is then received in a window that is configured in the support and is specific to that bearing member, a portion of the periphery of that window forming the raceway integral with the support. It is thus necessary to implement in the support twice as many windows as there are pendulum bodies. When each pendulum body comprises two pendulum masses riveted to one another, and those rivets are each received in a specific and different opening of an aforesaid window, for example in accordance with what is disclosed in the Application DE 10 2006 028 556, the number of passages to be configured in the support increases further.
A need thus exists to simplify implementation of the support of a device for damping torsional oscillations of the pendulum type without affecting the filtering performance provided by that device.

Device for damping torsional oscillations


A novel process is described for preparing azetidine and 2 or 3 methyl and ethyl azetidine free bases by reacting primary arylmethylamine having suitable bulk providing substituents attached to the methyl carbon and an appropriate propane derivative having leaving groups in the one and three position in hot organic solvent containing a non-nucleophilic base and an amount of water sufficient to promote azetidine ring formation to give N-protected-azetidines and deprotecting by hydrogenolysis under acidic conditions to give an acid salt of the azetidines and thereafter flashing off vaporized azetidine from a hot, agitated strong base solution or slurry and condensing to give the liquid azetidine free bases.

1. Field of Invention.
This invention relates to a novel process for the preparation of azetidine and 2 or 3-methyl and ethyl azetidine free bases starting with an .alpha.-substituted arylmethyl amines and an appropriate propane derivative having leaving groups in the 1 and 3 positions. The invention encompasses novel intermediates, use thereof, and methods of preparation and a novel method of obtaining the azetidines in free base form from their mineral acid salts.
2. Information Disclosure Statement.
Azetidine is available commercially only in small quantities. Szmuszkovicz, J., et al. in J. ORG. CHEM. (1981) 46, 3562-3564 prepared azetidine by heating tri-n-butylphosphoranilidine-1-propanol. They also discussed the work of others wherein azetidine has been prepared by reacting toluenesulfonamide and 1-bromo-3-chloropropane to obtain 1-tosylazetidine followed by reaction with lithium and wherein azetidine and 2 or 3-methyl or ethyl azetidines have been prepared by heating the appropriate 1-(2-carbethoxyethyl)azetidine together with potassium hydroxide.
More recently, but subsequent to the present invention, Nitta, Y. and Kanamori, Y., in HETEROCYCLES, Vol. 24, No. 9 (1986) pp 2467-2470 disclosed our novel 1-(diphenylmethyl)azetidine chemical intermediates and the preparation of the hydrochloride salt of azetidine therefrom. The 1-benzhydrylazetidine was prepared from tosylated-1-(benzhydryl)-3-azetidinol and sodium borohydride. That process employs entirely different starting materials and route from that of the present invention. The Nitta and Kanamori method employs leaving groups on the 2 or 3 position of the azetidine ring, which the present process does not. In addition, the process of the present invention provides a method of obtaining azetidine free base in vapor or liquid forms, which the disclosure of Nitta and Kanamori does not.
The present invention stems in part from our discovery that water in, or added to, a heated reaction mixture comprised of an .alpha.-substituted-arylmethylamine, a 1,3-dihalopropane, a non-nucleophilic base and an organic solvent induces progressive cyclization of linear intermediates as they are formed, in the same reaction mixture, to give the 1-(.alpha.-substituted-arylmethyl)azetidine which is the required precursor to the azetidine free base product of our overall process. In the absence of water, cyclization does not occur and uncyclized 3-(.alpha.-substituted-arylmethylamino)propyl halide and/or various dimers may result, for example, 1,3-bis-benzhydrylaminopropane. While the starting primary and intermediate secondary amines and the 1-(.alpha.-substituted-arylmethyl)azetidine are basic in nature, they are not capable of inducing the required cyclization to azetidine and addition of non-nucleophilic base is a requirement in the present process.
As is well known in the art, azetidine free base has great affinity for its solvents and tends to codistill with the solvent. It is also well known that azetidine free base tends to polymerize if left in contact with neutralizing agents. The present method of converting a mineral acid salt to azetidine free base overcomes these difficulties by providing a novel flash evaporating technique for an azetidine from an agitated mobile concentrated basic medium in which the azetidine salt in aqueous solution is quickly neutralized and is flash distilled out before the azetidine free base polymerizes. The solvent is undistilled for the most part due to its affinity for the remaining basic residue.
Azetidine and 2 and 3-methyl and ethyl azetidine free bases (Formula I below) have utility in the preparation of pharmaceutical agents; for example, in direct azetidination of a cycloalkanone as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,690.
Prior to the present invention, no practical method suitable to scaled-up production of liquid azetidine free base, relatively free of solvent, was available.

Process for synthesis of azetidine and novel intermediates therefor


The disclosure is for an apparatus and a method of adhering particulate matter to limited areas of adhesive on a moving web and enabling the use of a very limited amount of particulate matter so that material costs are minimized. The path of a moving web with zones of adhesive and with previously supplied loose particles is shaped to form a trough with substantially vertical sides, so that gravity clears the web of excess material as the web moves down and up through the trough. Meanwhile, the particles falling from the web, go into the bottom of the trough where they stay until they stick to a following portion of the web which has adhesive. The loose particles are thereby immediately recycled for use, without any exposure to other contaminating materials, and the amount of particulate material used approaches the ideal quantity which would be needed to cover only the adhesive areas.

This patent deals generally with material coating, and more specifically with an apparatus and a method for coating limited areas of a moving web with particulate matter.
One type of product in the flooring industry requires the application of particle such as different colored vinyl particles on sheet material to create a pattern. This is accomplished by first applying a pattern of adhesive to the sheet material, and then covering the adhesive with the particles which are to be attached to the sheet. This application of particles has typically involved covering the entire sheet with particles to a uniform depth, and then removing all the loose particles, i.e. those which have not adhered to the adhesive pattern. In many circumstances this can entail supplying five times the amount of particles that are actually needed, and, of course, removing 80% of the particles from the sheet material before subsequent processing.
The removal of such a large quantity of particles is a major task. It usually involves blowing high pressure, high volume air against the sheet to dislodge the loose particles and simultaneously using a large vacuum pickup to remove the particles from the sheet. These processes are both performed on a continuous, fast moving, wide width sheet, which requires air supply and vacuum pickup fixtures which span the entire width of the sheet and can handle very large volumes.
Moreover, because of the large excess used, the loose particles removed from the sheet must be recycled. This recycling can then be the source of contamination of the particles by dirt, moisture, adhesive, and other foreign matter, and such contamination can cause separation of the components in the particles. The particles used are frequently actually a mix of different colors and textures, and any contamination or separation can cause inconsistent and unacceptable final product.
It would be very advantageous to have a means for adhering particles to a moving sheet which did not involve the application of a quantity of particles which greatly exceeded the amount actually remaining on the sheet. It would be particularly beneficial if any excess of particles applied to the sheet were so small that there would be no need to recycle the excess or that contamination of the applied particles from the small amount of recycled material would be minimized.

Particulate coating apparatus and method


Provided are a method of voice-guidance and a navigation system that guide a travel route of a mobile vehicle using a 3D sound having directivity. The method includes detecting at least one of a proceeding direction and a destination direction of a mobile vehicle base on navigation data, calculating a proceeding angle of the mobile vehicle and an angle of a destination direction based on at least one of the detected proceeding direction and the destination direction of the mobile vehicle, and generating a 3D direction-guidance sound of corresponding angle by providing the calculated angles to 3D sound technology.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a navigation system, and more particularly, to a method of direction-guidance processing that guides a vehicle along a travel route by using a 3D sound having directivity and a navigation system using the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, navigation systems detect the current location of a mobile vehicle, which is currently traveling, using navigation messages, which are transmitted by a plurality of satellites belonging to a global positioning system (GPS), a gyroscope, a speed sensor or the like, and match the detected current location of a mobile vehicle with map data, so as to display the current location of the mobile vehicle on a screen. In addition, navigation systems determine a travel route from the current location of the mobile vehicle or the starting point of the mobile vehicle to a predetermined destination using the map data, and guide the mobile vehicle along the determined travel route.
Navigation systems guide a mobile vehicle along a road using a combination of an image and a sound. However, a driver depends more on a voice-guidance function than an image-guidance function due to the danger of an accident that is likely to occur when viewing the image while driving. Voice-guidance of a conventional navigation system is output through a mono speaker having no directivity. However, a conventional guidance function may confuse a driver when a mobile vehicle proceeds in one of the directions illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C. A reference number 110 denotes a vehicle, and a reference number 120 denotes a proceeding direction of the vehicle 110.
Referring to FIG. 1A, when the vehicle 110 is intended to proceed in a 2:00 o'clock direction, the driver has difficulty in finding a correct proceeding direction of the vehicle 110 although he has heard a voice-guidance such as 'right-hand turn and '2:00 o'clock direction' at a five-way crossing, an intersection or the like.
When the driver hears continuous direction-guidance such as 'Drive to the right after right-hand turn or the like at a five-way crossing or an intersection, he or she has difficulty in finding a correct proceeding direction for the vehicle 110.
When the driver hears voice-guidance such as 'right-hand turn ahead 300 meters', he or she has difficulty in selecting a point at which to carry out the instruction, i.e., a reacting point.
Referring to FIG. 1B, although the driver hears voice guidance instructing to carry out a change in direction such as 'right-hand turn' after a while, he or she may have difficulty in finding a correct traveling direction when there is at least one alley ahead, where the vehicle can turn right.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the driver is confused when he has to change direction, and then immediately has to change direction again.
Accordingly, a driver who uses a conventional navigation system has to see a map in order to decide a correct traveling direction. However, the likelihood of an accident is increased when the driver cannot concentrate during driving.

Method of direction-guidance using 3D sound and navigation system using the method


Technologies for estimating deviations in the performance characteristics of a newer version of software relative to an older version. Such performance characteristics include cache misses, pages faults, and the like. Estimations are typically made by instrumenting and profiling an older version binary, determining differences in code blocks between the older and a newer version, propagating profile data from the older version to the newer version based on a simulation heuristic, and estimating performance deviations based on the older version, the profile data, configuration parameters, and the changes in the newer version without actually executing the newer version of the binary.

Software testing can be complex and expensive. One import form of testing is to test that the performance characteristics of a newer version of software is acceptable relative to the older version. When dealing with very large software, such performance testing can be very time-consuming and expensive. Such testing typically includes instrumenting the software, executing the instrumented software, and profiling the execution to determine performance characteristics such as cache misses, pages faults, and the like. Techniques for reducing performance testing costs are desirable.


Provided is a chip tray which is capable of accurately reading out an IC tag for use in RFID without increasing a magnitude of a magnetic field generated by an antenna. A magnetic field generating antenna is disposed along a direction in which a plurality of tokens having embedded therein feeder antennas of IC tags for use in RFID are stacked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a token storage device for storing tokens such as gaming chips used in a casino or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, in a casino or the like, in order to identify gaming chips, used are gaming chips, each of which has an IC tag for use in RFID embedded therein. By reading the IC tag for use in RFID, each of the gaming chips can be identified and managed. Therefore, in a casino table, antennas for reading IC tags for use in RFID are provided.
Furthermore, it is desired not only to manage the gaming chips placed on the casino table but also to manage the gaming chips in a state where the gaming chips are stored in a chip tray. Therefore, there may be a case where the chip tray has antennas embedded therein. Also in a case where the chip tray has the antennas embedded therein, as with the casino table, the antennas are provided in the vicinity of a plurality of gaming chips stored therein. Magnetic fields generated by the antennas penetrate through the gaming chips stored in the chip tray and develop electromotive force onto the IC tags for use in RFID. Thus, identification information of each of the gaming chips stored in the chip tray also can be detected (for example, refer to United State Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0080845 and United State Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0296041).
The range in which the magnetic field generated by an antenna covers is determined depending on a shape of the antenna and a strength of an electromagnetic wave outputted from the antenna. Therefore, if a distance between the IC tag for use in RFID and the antenna is longer than a predetermined distance in accordance with a sensitivity of the IC tag for use in RFID, the electromotive force to drive the IC tag for use in RFID comes not to be developed. Therefore, it is difficult to read out a variety of pieces of information such as identification information of the IC tag for use in RFID.
As described above, even if the distance between the IC tag for use in RFID and the antenna is long, by making a size of the antenna larger or making the strength of the electromagnetic wave outputted from the antenna stronger, a scope in which the magnetic field generated by the antenna covers can be expanded. Thus, it is made possible to read out the identification information and the like of the IC tag for use in RFID away from the antenna. However, a scope in which the magnetic field covers expands in each direction of three-dimensional x-y-z directions. Therefore, even if it is desired to read out identification information of only gaming chips in the first row stored in a chip tray, it is highly likely to read out identification information of gaming chips in rows in the vicinity of the gaming chips in the first row.
In addition, when in a chip tray in which IC tags for use in RFID are stored, reading of a plurality of antennas is conducted, assumed is a case where the same one IC tag for use in RFID is read out repeatedly by the plurality of antennas, thereby leading to a problem in that a reading speed may be reduced. Furthermore, when a multitude of IC tags for use in RFID are read out by one antenna, also assumed is a case where the multitude of IC tags for use in RFID simultaneously respond to a reading command of a reader, thereby leading to a problem in that IC tags for use in RFID in positions, for which reading-out is not desired, are read out and hence, a reading speed may be reduced.
Therefore, in view of the above-described problems, the present invention was made. An object of the present invention is to provide a token storage device which is capable of accurately reading out IC tags for use in RFID without increasing a magnitude of each of the magnetic fields generated by the antennas.