The roller skate is designed for outdoor skating with balancing control being attained by a pair of center wheels, a front wheel and a rear wheel. Center wheels are on opposite sides of an imaginary center line while the front and rear wheels are aligned with each other along said imaginary line. All wheels are of the same size. A discrete shock absorber is provided for each of the front and rear wheels with a common shock absorber being provided for the center wheels.

Roller skates traditionally have a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels. Roller skates for use outdoors are generally of the clamp-on type whereas roller skates for indoors are generally of the shoe type. Roller skates of the shoe type for use indoors are not satisfactory for outdoor skating on pavements, sidewalks, parking lots and the like.
I have found that better balance and control for outdoor skating is attained by providing only one front wheel, one rear wheel aligned with the front wheel, and a pair of center wheels with all wheels of the same size.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,623 teaches a shoe having wheels removably attached thereto with the front and rear wheels of different widths, and with three wheels being in the sole portion of the shoe. Thus, in said patent, the pair of wheels on a common axle are not positioned so as to be equidistant from the front and rear wheels.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,393,813 to provide a pair of center wheels equidistant from front and rear wheels which are aligned with one another. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,393,813, the front and rear wheels are substantially smaller than the center wheels whereby the skate does not roll on all four wheels at the same time. As will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 of the last-mentioned patent, the front wheel is wider than the rear wheel, the center wheels are not beneath the shoe, and the rear wheel is supported by a spring bracket which yields under pressure to apply friction when it is desired to stop.
The skate of the present invention has features in common with skates in each of said patents. However, the skate of the present invention differs substantially from the skates in each of said patents as will be made clear hereinafter.


A block suitable for use as edging or wall formation has on one end thereof a conically shaped, hemispherical indentation in the surface thereof, and a corresponding protruding member as a male protrusion thereof. On the other end of the block, the positioning of this corresponding protruding member and indentation are reversed. Thus, the bricks can be laid end to end and supported. The slots in the brick and the top step permit a strong block shape. The lip also permits a stepped portion structure to form a wall having the height of several layers of bricks or blocks.

It is critical that a brick or block for forming a wall be simply assembled into that wall. Block and brick may be used interchangeably as terms herein. It is always desired to design a block that a layman can use. A layman must be able to use the block in a simple fashion and achieve the same strength and appearance of a wall as a professional can achieve.
If the block has a complicated structure and is hard to manufacture, it follows that the layman cannot use it to build the wall, in a simple fashion. It further is clear, that the difficulty of manufacturing increases the cost of the block for the consumer. Thus, it is desired to simplify this structure while at the same maintaining the necessary strength of the wall made from the block.
If the blocks are used to form an edge or a border for a yard or a sidewalk, the edge thus formed from the blocks must have sufficient strength to keep natural shifts therein from pushing the blocks along the edge thereof out of the way. In this manner, the edge or border can keep the desired appearance and strength factors. Such shifts can push aside almost any type of edge structure. The brick or block must be shapeable into a strong edge form.
When a sea wall or a retaining wall is desired, the block must have a dual function. The wall requires a block with both an end, and a top to bottom joining mechanisms. If these joining mechanisms are simply joined, the layman can use it to build the wall. This block structure must be simplified, while at the same maintaining the necessary strength of the wall.

Building block, and wall or yard edging therefrom


A white pigment dispersion includes 10 to 60 wt % of low effective density TiO2, 1 to 40 wt % of a latex, and the balance a dispersing medium. Inks using the low effective density TiO2 and methods for preparing the low effective density TiO2 are also disclosed.

There are several reasons that inkjet printing has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper and photo media substrates. Some of these reasons include low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording, and capability of multi-color recording. Additionally, these advantages can be obtained at a relatively low price to consumers. With respect to inkjet ink chemistry, the majority of commercial inkjet inks are water-based. Thus, their constituents are generally water-soluble, as in the case of many dyes, or water dispersible, as in the case of pigments. Furthermore, inkjet inks have low viscosity to accommodate high frequency jetting and firing chamber refill processes common to thermal inkjet architecture.
In inkjet printing, tiny drops of ink fluid are projected directly onto an ink-receiver surface without physical contact between the printing device and the ink-receiver. The printing device stores the printing data electronically and controls a mechanism for ejecting the drops image-wise. Printing is accomplished by moving a printhead across the ink-receiver or vice versa or both.
When jetting the inkjet ink onto an ink-receiver, the ink typically includes a liquid vehicle and one or more solids, such as dyes or pigments and polymeric binders. It will be readily understood that the optimal composition of such ink is dependent on the printing method used and on the nature of the ink-receiver to be printed.
An ink jet white ink provides a recorded product with a good visibility when printed on a surface with a low lightness such as a black surface. In addition, the white ink is also useful for marking industrial products such as those made of plastic products and is also suitable for printing onto woods, metals, glass, porcelain and leather, thus having been investigated from various aspects.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A memory system is provided that performs error correction at a memory device level that is transparent to a memory channel. The memory system comprises a memory hub device integrated in the memory module and a set of memory devices coupled to the memory hub device. The memory hub device comprises first error correction logic provided in write logic integrated in the memory hub device. The memory hub device comprises second error correction logic provided in read logic integrated in the memory hub device. The first error correction logic and the second error correction logic performs error correction operations on data transferred between a link interface and the set of memory devices. The memory hub device transmits and receives data via a memory channel between the external memory controller and the link interface without any error correction code.

1. Technical Field
The present application relates generally to an improved data processing system and method. More specifically, the present application is directed to performing error correction at a memory device level that is transparent to a memory channel.
2. Description of Related Art
Contemporary high performance computing main memory systems are generally composed of one or more dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, which are connected to one or more processors via one or more memory control elements. Overall computer system performance is affected by each of the key elements of the computer structure, including the performance/structure of the processor(s), any memory cache(s), the input/output (I/O) subsystem(s), the efficiency of the memory control function(s), the main memory device(s), and the type and structure of the memory interconnect interface(s).
Extensive research and development efforts are invested by the industry, on an ongoing basis, to create improved and/or innovative solutions to maximizing overall system performance and density by improving the memory system/subsystem design and/or structure. High-availability systems, i.e. systems that must be available to users without failure for large periods of time, present further challenges related to overall system reliability due to customer expectations that new computer systems will markedly surpass existing systems with regard to mean-time-before-failure (MTBF), in addition to offering additional functions, increased performance, increased storage, lower operating costs, etc. Other frequent customer requirements further exacerbate the memory system design challenges, and include such items as ease of upgrade and reduced system environmental impact, such as space, power, and cooling.
Furthermore, with the movement to multi-core and multi-threaded processor designs, new requirements are being made for the memory subsystem to supply very large data bandwidths and memory capacity into a single processor memory module socket. At a system level, the bandwidth and memory capacity available from the memory subsystem is directly proportional to the number of memory modules that can be supported by the processor pin counts, the frequency at which the processor pins operate, and how efficiently the processor pins are used to transfer data. That is, the memory modules connect to the processor through a memory interface bus and memory module sockets, which may also be called a memory channel. The memory module sockets are comprised of pins that connect to the pins located on a common edge of a memory module. Thus, the number of pins or pin count of the memory modules and the pin count of the memory module's sockets, which are connected to the processor, defines the bandwidth and memory capacity of the memory system.
For high bandwidth memory systems, multiple hub based memory modules and/or multi-ported hub based memory modules may be used in the memory system to generate bandwidth to fill up the high bandwidth memory channel. With a memory system that uses multiple hub based memory modules and/or multi-ported hub based memory modules, the total amount of bandwidth that is available on the memory modules may be significantly higher than the bandwidth available on the memory channel. Thus, the memory channel presents a limiting factor, or bottleneck, for the flow of data to/from the memory modules of a memory system.

Performing error correction at a memory device level that is transparent to a memory channel

International Business Machines Corporation


The disclosure relates to a method and system for presenting at least part of an image of a real object in a view of a real environment, comprising providing a first image of at least part of a real object captured by a first camera, determining at least part of the real object in the first image as an object image area, determining a first 3D plane relative to the first camera, the first camera being at a position where the first image is captured, providing at least one image feature related to the real object in the first image, providing at least one first ray passing an optical center of the first camera being at a position where the first image is captured and the at least one image feature, determining, according to a first plane normal direction of the first 3D plane, at least one first angle between the first 3D plane and the at least one first ray, providing a second image of a real environment captured by a second camera, determining a second 3D plane relative to the second camera, the second camera being at a position where the second image is captured, mapping at least part of the object image area to a target space in a view of the real environment captured at a viewpoint, wherein the at least one image feature is mapped to at least one target position in a coordinate system of the view, determining at least one second angle between the second 3D plane and at least one second ray passing the viewpoint of capturing the view and the at least one target position according to a second plane normal direction of the second 3D plane, wherein the at least one image feature is mapped to the at least one target position such that a difference between the at least one first angle and the at least one second angle is minimized.

The present disclosure is related to a method and system for presenting at least part of an image of a real object in a view of a real environment, and to method and system for selecting a subset of a plurality of images and determining at least part of a real object in at least one of the subset of the plurality of images for mapping to a view of a real environment.
Applications are known which augment a view of a real environment with one or more virtual objects using the so-called augmented reality (AR) technology. The view of a real environment may be captured as an image by a camera or captured as a visual impression by an eye, e.g. by using a so-called optical see-through device.
It is desired to correctly augment the captured view of the real environment with any virtual objects such that the virtual objects are merged with the view in a manner that the virtual objects fit in a perspectively and dimensionally correct fashion into the view of the real environment. For this, there is the need to determine the position and orientation (so-called pose) of a camera with respect to at least one part of the real environment in order to correctly augment the view of the real environment with any virtual objects.
The virtual object may be a computer generated object with a known 3D geometrical model (e.g. a CAD model or a set of 3D points). In this case, having a camera pose, the virtual object could be directly mapped or projected to a target area in an image of the real environment in a perspectively and dimensionally correct fashion. The virtual object may also be from at least part of an image of a real object captured by a camera. The image of the real object may be called a first image, and the image of the real environment may be called a second image, as also used herein below.
It is quite challenging to merge a part of the first image of the real object with the second image of the real environment in a perspectively and dimensionally correct fashion. The difficulty or challenge comes from the fact that the first image captures the real object from only one perspective view, wherein it may be difficult, or hardly possible, to represent this real object in another perspective view (e.g. the second image). Further, determining two camera poses in two different real environments where the first and second images are respectively captured is also quite difficult and prone to errors.
However, many AR applications exist, like furniture planning and room decoration, which would benefit from augmenting a view of the real environment (e.g. the second image of the real environment) with at least part of a first image of the real object. For example, the user could capture a camera image of a chair in a furniture store and augment his or her living room by overlaying the image of the chair onto a camera image of the living room. Then, the user may view the overlay on, for example, a display screen.
US 2010/0287511 A1 discloses methods and systems to merge a virtual object with a 2D image of a real environment or, by means of an optical, semi-transparent element, directly with the real environment. The virtual object is a computer generated 3D model. The method solves the problem of mutual concealments of the real environment and of the virtual object according to depth information and texture information associated with the 2D image.
US 2010/0208057 A1 discloses methods and systems for determining the pose of a camera with respect to at least one object of a real environment. It is proposed to manipulate a virtual reference model (i.e. a computer generated 3D model) in a 2D image of a real environment captured by a camera and determine distance data from a position of the virtual reference model resulted from the manipulation.
It would be beneficial to provide a method and system which supports merging or overlaying at least part of a real object of a first image with a second image of a real environment in a correct or an approximate correct perspective fashion.

Method and system for presenting at least part of an image of a real object in a view of a real environment, and method and system for selecting a subset of a plurality of images


A current monitoring system for an electric motor, whereby the current is halted to the motor if the electrical load exceeds calculated electrical load limits. The system includes a current measuring device, sensors for detecting operational functions, a system for setting an electrical current limit setpoint, and a switch for halting application of electrical current to the motor. A method of halting an electrical motor if the electrical load exceeds a calculated electrical current limit is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an overcurrent monitoring system for use with an electrical motor and, in particular, a system for determining press operating conditions based on the electrical load on an electrical press drive motor used in a machine press.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a machine press operates, there are variations in the electrical load drawn or created by the press motor. If the current load on the motor exceeds the motor's capacity, damage and loss of use may ensue. For example, current overload may cause burnout to the motor and associated portions such as the bearings, bushings, or commutators.
Load variations may be attributed to normal press operational functions. Alternatively, load variations may not be the result of normal press functions. For effective protection, it is essential to detect normal press functions which effect electrical load.
Normal press operations that effect the electrical load include initial starting of the press drive motor, engaging the press clutch, and varying the press operating speed. Other changes which effect the electrical load include lubricating oil temperature changes and die changes.
If the electrical load increase is not attributed to normal press operations, the current increase could be an indication of a potential problem in press operation. For example, when bearings or bushings overheat, the press speed tends to slow down and there is an increase in press motor drive load. Therefore, an increase in the electrical load may indicate that press bushings or bearings are overheating. In order to safeguard the press, it is advantageous to cut power to the motor when an increase in current load is not attributed to a normal press function to permit service personnel to determine the actual cause of the increased motor load.
In the art, monitoring systems have been limited to monitoring the effective power consumption of the press motor. In addition, such motor monitoring is not constant; rather, the monitoring is limited to only a portion of the press stroke.
It is advantageous to account for variations in motor electrical current draw attributed to normal press operations. Such detection would make it possible to stop the drive motor and press before potential damage may be caused to the motor, press bearings and bushings. In turn, there is a financial benefit in preventing damage to the machine press.
The present invention prevents potential damage to a machine press motor and press when the motor electrical current draw is above predetermined limits.


A limited slip differential having a carrier with a plurality of recesses disposed symmetrically relative to a gear opening. The gear opening having a gear diameter, and each of the plurality of recesses having a recess diameter. The gear diameter intersecting the recess diameter of each of the plurality of recesses at corresponding first and second intersections, an acute angle between a line tangent to the recess diameter at the first intersection and a tangent line of the recess diameter along which first and second chamfers extend is between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 32 degrees.

The invention relates generally to differentials, and more particularly to limited slip differentials.
Limited slip differentials are known generally and employed commonly in rear wheel and center differentials, among many other applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,456 entitled xe2x80x9cSpin Limiting Differentialxe2x80x9d, assigned commonly herewith, for example, discloses a rotatable carrier having a plurality of open-sided bores with a corresponding plurality of planetary gears disposed symmetrically therein about a rotation axis of the carrier. A portion of each planetary gear protrudes from the open side of the corresponding bore and is coupled to a drive shaft, or axle. Friction between the planetary gears and the carrier bores limits the slip of the differential.
An object of the present invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials that improve upon and overcome problems in the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials that are economical.
A further object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials having improved reliability.
Still another object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials that produce less noise.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials having improved performance.
A more particular object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials comprising a carrier having a plurality of recesses disposed therein about a rotation axis thereof, each recess having an open side portion with opposite first and second edges, a chamfer disposed in the recess along each of the first and second edges thereof, and a planetary gear disposed in each of the plurality of carrier recesses having a portion protruding from the open side portion thereof.
Another more particular object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials comprising a carrier having a plurality of recesses disposed about a sun gear opening, the sun gear opening having a sun gear diameter, and each of the plurality of recesses having a recess diameter. Each of the plurality of recesses having a circular portion, an opening, and first and second chamfers extending along tangents of the recess diameter on first and second sides of the recess toward the opening thereof. The sun gear diameter intersecting the recess diameter of each of the plurality of recesses at corresponding first and second intersections, an acute angle between a line tangent to the recess diameter at the first intersection and the first chamfer between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 32 degrees, and an acute angle between a line tangent to the recess diameter at the second intersection and the second chamfer between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 32 degrees.
Another more particular object of the invention is to provide novel limited slip differentials comprising a carrier having a plurality of recesses disposed symmetrically relative to a gear opening. The gear opening having a gear diameter, and each of the plurality of recesses having a recess diameter. Each of the plurality of recesses having a circular portion, an opening, and first and second chamfers extending along tangents of the recess diameter on first and second sides of the recess toward the opening thereof. The gear diameter intersecting the recess diameter of each of the plurality of recesses at corresponding first and second intersections, an acute angle between a line tangent to the recess diameter at the first intersection and the first chamfer between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 32 degrees, and an acute angle between a line tangent to the recess diameter at the second intersection and the second chamfer between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 32 degrees.


A device (1) maintains a locked and closed state of a space separating device (2) in a releasable manner, in particular a protective device of a machine (4). The device has a first part (6) with an opening and a second part (8). The parts are movable relative to one another. The opening is at least partially closable. The device (1) includes a latch (18) for locking the closed state of the space-separating device (2), a holding element (30) for keeping the latch (18) in the latched position, and a release element (36) for releasing the catch of the latch (18). The catch of the latch (18) may be lifted by a rotational movement of the release element (36) relative to the latch (18).

In production engineering, for example, among other things, for safety reasons, machines and systems are set up within a space separated from the exterior and in which a person is not permitted to remain during operation of the machine. For example, to have access to the machine for maintenance work, the space-separating device generally has a closable opening. Generally speaking, operation of the machine should only be possible when the opening is closed, and the closed state is locked. Access to the machine is only possible when the locking of the closed state is neutralized.
DE 203 15 959 U1 discloses a device for monitoring the state of a space-separating device, in which it is ensured that a person located within the separated space is not able to close the space-separating device and lock it from the inside. Otherwise, there would be the risk that the machine could start inadvertently or intentionally while a person is located within the space-separating device.
DE 196 32 962 A1 discloses a door actuation device. From the interior of the space-separating device, a latch locking the closed state can be transferred into its unlocking position. The space-separating device can then be opened. Conversely, the latch cannot be transferred into its locking position, this movement possible only from the outside. In this way a type of "escape unlocking" is implemented.
DE 10 2005 057 108 A1, published at a later date, discloses a safety switch for producing a release signal depending on the position of a movable protective door. The part to be attached to the protective door has an actuator movable between a first position and a second position. The part to be attached to the frame has a recess engagable by the actuator in the second position. A blocking element can block the actuator in the second position.
DE 298 24 200 U1 discloses a device enabling an individual inadvertently locked within the protective enclosure to leave this protective enclosure. At the same time, the machines located within the protective enclosure can only be operated when the door on which the device is located is not only closed, but locked.

Device for maintaining a locked and closed state of a space-separating device in a releasable manner


An attachment for use on a ladder to provide a step or tool support having a frame which can be supported on a ladder, and a movable structure which is pivotally mounted on the frame for movement between a retracted and extended position to provide the step.

Various ladder attachments have heretofore been proposed for the purpose of providing a user with a shelf or ledge on which tools or supplies such as a can of paint can be placed to free the user's hands for the task at hand.
Such known attachments could not, however, be used as a tread or step on which the user could place one or both of his feet since the security of attachment was not sufficient to support the user's weight. With other known ladder attachments, there was a danger of the attachment becoming detached from the ladder.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a ladder attachment which has a sufficiently robust contruction to support a user's weight and which can be mounted on a ladder so that there is minimal risk of accidental detachment from the ladder.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a ladder attachment meeting the foregoing principal object and yet which is of simple and relatively inexpensive construction
A further important object of this invention is to provide a ladder attachment which includes a movable structure which can be used as a ledge or step, the position of which can easily be adjusted so that it is essentially horizontal regardless of the inclination of the ladder itself.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a ladder attachment which is not easily accidentally dislodged from a ladder on which it is mounted.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description herein proceeds.


A microwave sterilization system including a microwave oven having a microwave source that produces microwave radiation. The oven encloses a first chamber and a second chamber. Each chamber has a pouch containing an object and is positioned therein so as to be exposed to the microwave radiation, wherein each pouch has an interior which contains the object corresponding to that pouch. The system further includes a sensor system for detecting the temperatures of said both interiors and produces signals representative of those temperatures. Those signals are sent to the microwave source so as to control the emission of microwave radiation from the microwave source.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a method and system for simultaneously sterilizing a multiple number of metallic surgical instruments with microwave radiation and preventing arcing of the metallic surgical instruments.
2. Discussion Of Related Art
The constant exposure of dental and medical personnel and instruments to saliva and blood in virtually every dental and medical procedure is an ever present hazard and potential contributor to the transmission of infection. A variety of approved instrument sterilization methods are available. However, all methods have drawbacks in relation to surgical instruments or dental handpieces and burs.
The most commonly used method of sterilization, autoclaving, is damaging for almost all high-speed dental handpieces. In a study of dental handpieces claimed to be autoclavable, deterioration of performance was noted in a simulated 3-month period. Furthermore, autoclaving, without pretreatment in an oil emulsion, will destroy the sharp edge of burs.
A second method of sterilization is to apply heat to the instruments. This method has the drawback that temperatures of about 160.degree. C. are required while heat generators to rapidly produce such temperatures are not commonly available. The method has further disadvantages in that the rubber and plastic washers and bushings within the dental handpieces could potentially be damaged and long exposure times (approximately 1 hour) are needed.
Gas sterilization with an ethylene oxide mixture is acceptable for both handpieces and burs. However, this is impractical because of cost of equipment, long sterilization and aeration times involved, and cost of providing adequate protection for personnel.
Alkaline glutaraldehyde (2%) will sterilize equipment, but it must be used for 10 hours to kill spore-forming organisms or tuberculosis microorganisms and is irritating to tissue. It must also be constantly monitored as it is not effective when it is more than 2 weeks old.
Another method of sterilization of medical instruments is to scrub them in a detergent solution and wipe them with alcohol. However, because of their serrated or rough hand-grip surfaces, most instruments cannot be disinfected in this way. Except when dry heat is available, no practical method exists for sterilization of dental burs that will not quickly dull the cutting edge.
The above-described sterilization methods are not as advantageous as using dry heat to sterilize medical, dental and similar tools and instruments, because dry heat causes the least amount of damage, such as dulling or rusting to the tools. Dry heat sterilization requires the application of temperatures on the order of 130.degree. C. to 170.degree. C. for several minutes to destroy all pathogens including spore formers. Unfortunately, such techniques are slow when the tools are placed in hermetically sealed pouches since the heat transfer rate through a pouch is slow. Faster dry heat technology is available but it entails placing the tools in a perforated holder or open tray and using high velocity hot air to accomplish the sterilizing, after which the tools would be sterile but open to the air and subject to recontamination.
Microwave energy has been thought of numerous times in the past as a means of sterilizing materials including food products. However, when microwaves are used directly and indirectly to sterilize metallic tools and instruments, which are commonly used in the medical and dental professions, several problems are immediately apparent. The fact that the tools are metallic means they will be heated only slightly or not at all by the microwaves, unless they happen to be magnetic which is not common. This means an auxiliary heat source is required and that must be capable of direct interaction with the microwaves in order to produce heat which will, in turn, heat the tools and, thereby, sterilize them.
A second major problem which is common with any attempt to sterilize metallic tools or instruments is the production of arcs or corona discharge. This may occur between two tools in close proximity to each other or at the sharp edges, points or tips of a single instrument. Such an arc will actually melt the metal and destroy the usefulness of the tool.
Several approaches have been proposed to circumvent these two major problems. First, sterilization by the indirect application of microwaves has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,344; 5,019,359 and 5,039,495. In those patents it is disclosed to use microwaves to vaporize a liquid sterilant solution and to expose the instruments to either the vaporized sterilant alone or to both the microwaves and the vaporized sterilant. When using microwaves to sterilize the instruments, the instruments are placed in a shielded and pressurized atmosphere produced by the vaporized sterilant. The pressurized atmosphere prevents arcing and aids in sterilizing the instruments in conjunction with the microwaves.
In another microwave sterilization technique, dental instruments are directly exposed to microwaves within a microwave oven. The instruments may be placed in plastic autoclave bags when exposed. This technique suffers from several shortcomings, such as (1) needing to rotate the objects in a three-dimensional manner within the oven to uniformly heat the instrument; (2) needing to shield the oven from energy not absorbed by the instruments that is reflected back to the oven; and (3) requiring either an absorber of microwaves, such as water, or an absorber of radar waves within the oven to prevent arcing.
One way to deal with this problem is to surround the tools with a microwave impervious but absorbent material which will prevent the microwaves from "seeing" the tools but will become hot by itself and transfer its heat to the tools. Such materials, which are often used to make such consumer microwave cookware as browner and pizza trays, are usually bulky and expensive and do not lend themselves to the manufacture of disposable pouches.
Another approach is to use disposable inexpensive materials commonly known as microwave susceptors which can be formed into flexible or rigid pouches or boxes. These are generally made by thin film deposition of metals such as aluminum or steel upon plastic films such as polyester. This, in turn, is usually bonded to paper or paperboard to provide support when heated with microwaves. Such films when exposed to microwaves may rapidly reach temperatures of 200.degree. C. which would be useful for sterilization, however, they have a severe drawback for the application described--namely that they do not prevent arcing of metal objects. The reason is that they are largely transparent to the microwave energy and, thus, some microwaves will be received by a metal object. Though it is well known that microwaves reflect off metals, they actually penetrate the metal surface by about 1 .mu.m. This slight penetration causes an activation of the surface electrons in a random manner and creates a current moving along the surface. If a potential charge builds up on a material to the level where it exceeds the ability of the air to carry away the charge, an arc will occur. It is well known that the build up of charge is particularly prevalent at sharp edges or points of the metal surface. When metallic tools, such as dental explorers, are placed in a pouch or box made of commonly available susceptor products and then heated in a microwave oven arcing will occur between tools in close proximity or at their sharp tips. A common occurrence will be a large bright flash almost immediately after the magnetron is energized. This may cause the susceptor to ignite and vigorously burn, while the sharp tip of the dental explorer will be melted into a ball making it useless. In addition, this arcing can damage the oven.
The inventors have addressed the problem of arcing in microwave susceptor containers by inventing a container structure that allows for sterilization of metallic objects while preventing arcing. The container structure is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/319,944, filed Oct. 7, 1994.

System for simultaneous microwave sterilization of multiple medical instruments


A spring clip in the form of a generally U-shaped clamp, the clamp comprising a pair of holding members for resiliently gripping sheets of paper or the like inserted therebetween. The holding members having forward or leading ends extending outwardly, folded back over themselves with J-shaped hook cross-section, and formed as outer lips portions of clamping jaws with the openings of the J-shaped hooks facing the rear ends of the holding members. The openings of the J-shaped hooks provide access to which leading guides of special opening applicator are engaged to open the normally closed clamping jaws. In contrast to the conventional spring clips of the similar type, the clip disclosed herein has no levers or widthwise, ear-like side projections for opening the clip is thus advantageous over the prior art devices because of its simplicity and ease in use.

The invention disclosed and claimed herein relates to a new and improved spring clips for holding or retaining sheets of paper or documents together. Clips for fastening papers or documents are well known in the prior art. They come in different forms, shapes, and sizes. One popular type of spring clips comprise pairs of flat jaw holding or gripping plates having forward edges or leading lips, which press against each other resiliently. A pair of levers are provided at the leading edges. A person desiring to use such a clip, uses the levers to spread or pry the leading edges away from each other whereby paper may be inserted therebetween or removed therefrom. Another form of such spring clips comprises ear-like side extensions and requires a special opening device having opening guides, rails, or the like which are inserted between adjacent extensions to thereby engage and spread the lips of the gripping plates. The structure of these types of clips is such that only the projected extensions of the clip are engaged with the opening guides so that in the case of relatively small or moderate size clips of this type, the clips may disfigure or permanently bend the projections, especially if they are used repeatedly. Moreover, such extensions may not be suitable for relatively larger clips. Also, in the case of such clips with side projections, the production thereof requires the inconvenience of an extra cutting step and the removal and wasteful disposal of material cut from rectangular blanks or sheets. Where the spring clip is made with levers for spreading the gripping plates, a substantial force is often required to open even relatively moderate size spring clips of this type. Moreover, such levers tend to prevent the clipped sheets from being turned up.
In a search of the prior art, the United States patents listed below were noted as being of interest:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Year Class/Subclass ______________________________________ 360,960 Hamilton 1887 24/67.9 487,960 McDonald, Jr. 1892 24/67.5 522,257 McDonald 1894 24/67.5 913,876 Cohen 1909 24/67.5 1,150,073 Spengler 1915 24/259 1,245,936 Loveland 1917 24/67.9 1,314,818 Lea 1919 24/67.9 1,590,682 Hart 1926 24/255 2,385,209 Joyce 1945 24/259 2,999,569 Wilson 1961 24/259 3,286,381 Wooge 1966 24/67.5 3,648,334 Swaim 1972 24/259 3,914,824 Purdy 1975 24/67.9 4,332,060 Sato 1982 24/67.9 ______________________________________

Spring clip for sheet material and applicator therefor


Disclosed are novel, as-crystallized RHO zeolite compositions with improved uniformity in morphology. These RHO compositions are useful for preparing cation-exchanged RHO zeolites that can be used as adsorbents for oxygen and/or nitrogen with improved properties. The adsorbents can be used in pressure swing adsorption processes for selectively adsorbing oxygen and/or nitrogen from feed streams such as an air stream or crude argon stream. Also disclosed are novel methods of preparing RHO zeolites with improved morphology control.

This disclosure relates to as-crystallized zeolite compositions of the RHO-type (hereinafter referred to as RHO zeolites), ion-exchanged RHO zeolites made from said as-crystallized RHO zeolites, and methods of making the same. The ion-exchanged RHO zeolites disclosed herein are useful as adsorbents in various applications, such as for kinetically separating oxygen from oxygen-containing streams such as for purifying crude argon, for separating nitrogen from air, for removal of trace N2 from argon, and/or for removal of CO2 from methane. In particular, disclosed herein are as-crystallized RHO(3.1-3.6) zeolite compositions with improved morphology that can be ion-exchanged and used as adsorbent compositions, and methods of making the same.
In the industrial gas production industry, there is a need to efficiently separate oxygen from oxygen-containing streams at ambient or sub-ambient temperatures.
In cryogenic air separation, nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and argon (Ar) are separated based on their boiling points and relative volatilities. A first cryogenic column provides a rough separation of the three main components of air: N2 (78%), O2 (21%), and Ar (1%). A side stream is removed and sent to a second column known as the side arm column or crude argon column. This stream is called "crude" because it exits this side arm column at only about 95% argon. The conventional methods for further purifying this crude argon are limited to: "Deoxo" purification, getter bed technologies, and additional distillation. The Deoxo process reacts controlled amounts of hydrogen with the oxygen in the argon stream to form water, which is more easily removed from the stream. Because the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen generates significant heat, this process can be dangerous if not controlled properly. Getter beds only function at lower oxygen concentrations by reacting oxygen with copper catalyst to form copper oxide. When high purity argon is desired, a third distillation column can be used to further concentrate it. Unfortunately, these distillation columns require upwards of 200 stages due to the similarity in boiling points of O2 and Ar and are less economical than is desired.
Compared to the conventional, very elaborate methods of recovering argon from a crude argon stream, a PSA (pressure swing adsorption) process provides a simple and effective alternative for argon purification and recovery. No hydrogen or additional cryogenic stages are required.
However, to achieve a kinetic or adsorption rate-dependent separation of O2 from either N2 or Ar by an adsorption mechanism, an adsorbent structure must be developed with very specific pore dimensions. The Lennard-Jones 6-12 kinetic diameter of Ar (3.40 Å) is smaller than that of O2 (3.46 Å), but O2 is not a spherical molecule and has a minimum molecular dimension that could be exploited. The symbol A represents the Angstrom, a unit of length, which is defined as 10−10 meters. Adsorption mechanisms suggest that the minimum molecular dimension is the limiting factor for kinetic exclusion. With the proper orientation, O2 should diffuse into a pore with an effective diameter of 2.8 Å. Argon, a spherical atom, will have a constant diameter of 3.4 Å. This 0.6 Å difference in diameters is the key sensitivity that an O2 selective adsorbent must demonstrate to achieve a kinetic separation between oxygen and argon. With such an adsorbent, a process could be derived that purifies crude argon from the cryogenic air separation process in a safer and more economical manner and removes O2 from argon much more rapidly and efficiently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,003 describes a hybrid process where crude argon produced in a cryogenic distillation plant is processed in a 2-bed pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit to produce 99.999% argon. If the crude argon contains significant amount of nitrogen in addition to oxygen, the patent reports to include a nitrogen selective adsorbent in a layer separate from the oxygen selective layer. Carbon molecular sieve (CMS), type A zeolite, clinoptilolite, and the adsorbents disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,418 are used as an oxygen selective layer. As a nitrogen selective layer, adsorbents such as CaA, type X zeolite (LiX or NaX), and zeolite of type A & X containing mixed cations selected from groups I and II of the periodic table (LiNaX) are mentioned.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/718,467, RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MAKING, AND USING THEM, and Ser. No. 15/718,620, PROCESSES USING IMPROVED RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference), describe novel RHO zeolite compositions, as well as previously described RHO zeolite compositions, and their application to PSA processes and specifically PSA processes for the removal of oxygen from oxygen-containing fluid streams.
A RHO zeolite has a symmetric, three-dimensional pore structure containing channels with openings made up of two, 8-membered oxygen rings, and in the as-crystallized form contains sodium and cesium cations. The nominal ring diameter or opening is 3.6 Å. This is close to the target pore dimensions, mentioned above, for the kinetic separation of O2 from Ar and N2, and N2 from Ar vide supra. This pore dimension could also be useful in the separation of CO2 from methane.
The as-prepared, hydrated, RHO zeolites crystallize with a centrosymmetric body centered cubic (bcc) structure, but it has been shown that this structure can undergo rather large distortions to lower symmetry upon dehydration and if subjected to certain types of extra-framework cation substitution. The distortion, which can be observed as a large unit cell contraction, is largely driven by the distortion of the RHO 8-rings. Corbin and coworkers have shown that the undistorted, essentially circular rings of the proton-exchanged RHO can distort to highly elliptical rings on exchange of small, high charge density cations such as Ca2+ and Li+ (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1990, 112, 4821).
RHO zeolites require the presence of large cesium extra-framework cations as the structure directing agent during synthesis, and do not occur naturally. They were first prepared in 1973 by Robson and coworkers (Advances in Chemistry Series, 1973, 121, 106.). This initial synthesis used no additional organic templating agents and produced RHO materials with a ratio of Si to Al atoms equal to 3.1 to 3.2, hereafter specified by the shorthand RHO(3.1) to RHO(3.2). Unfortunately, the template-free method of Robson has proven somewhat unreliable, often producing mixtures of RHO and other cesium-containing phases, such as pollucite, as well as a mixture of crystalline morphologies and particle sizes.
Corbin and coworkers (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1990, 112, 4821) describe a modified, template-free synthesis of NaCsRHO(3.2), which uses a soluble alumina source, sodium aluminate, and somewhat higher water content. This method more reliably produces pure zeolite RHO than the method of Robson vide supra, but the present inventors have found that it still leads to mixed RHO morphology phases. Moreover, the present inventors have found that these mixed morphology phases persist through subsequent ion exchange processes such as those required to make the ion-exchanged RHO compositions described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/718,467, RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MAKING, AND USING THEM, and Ser. No. 15/718,620, PROCESSES USING IMPROVED RHO ADSORBENT COMPOSITIONS (discussed supra), and that said mixed morphology phases have an adverse effect on the adsorption properties of the ion-exchanged RHO zeolite.
The presence of RHO of mixed morphologies from these existing NaCsRHO(3.2) crystallization routes was explored more fully by Mousavi and coworkers (Mousavi, S. F. et. al, Ceramics International, 2013, 39, 7149). They evaluated the effects of crystallization time, synthesis temperature, water content, and alkalinity during synthesis on the resulting NaCsRHO(3.2) particle shape and size. Though not explicitly cited, the authors follow a synthesis recipe found in Robson (U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,212). It was shown by microscopy studies in this study that RHO(3.2) naturally crystallizes concurrently in two different particle morphologies: 1) polyhedral crystallites of presumably uniform density and 2) polycrystalline aggregates of roughly the same overall size but composed of many small crystallites grown together. X-ray diffraction data presented in the study indicates uniform NaCsRHO(3.2), from which will be understood by those skilled in the art that both particle morphologies are RHO(3.2) with the same chemical composition, within the detection limits of XRD.
The present inventors have found that the presence of impurity phases in and even multiple morphology phases in the, as-crystallized, pure NaCsRHO(3.2), make the attainment of consistent and uniform adsorption properties in subsequent ion-exchanged RHO forms difficult.
More recently, RHO zeolites have been synthesized by Chatelain and coworkers using 18-crown-6 as a templating agent (Microporous Materials, 1995, 4, 231). The templated method more reliably gives highly crystalline NaCsRHO with Si/Al=3.9 to 4.5, i.e., RHO(3.9) to RHO(4.5), and very uniform particle sizes and morphologies, but is challenged commercially by the high cost of the 18-crown-6 templating agent and the added unit operation and difficulty fully removing the templating agent by calcination at high temperature.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for as-crystallized RHO(3.1-3.6) zeolites of consistently high purity with uniform particle sizes and morphologies, and for organic-template-free methods for producing the such zeolites, which zeolites can then be ion-exchanged (as for example described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 15/718,467 and 15/718,620, discussed supra) to provide improved adsorbents that are particularly suited for the separation of O2 from mixtures containing N2 and/or Ar.

RHO zeolites and method of making the same


A wiper blade assembly has a resilient wiper element with a crown having lengthwise grooves and a tip for wiping a window. An arcuate metal flexor has inner edges disposed in the grooves of the crown and outer edges. An elongate cover has an upper wall and a pair of flanges curled inwardly in spaced relation from the upper wall to provide elongate channels. The outer edges of the flexor are disposed in the channels. The connector is configured for attachment to a wiper arm, and has a lower surface with a pair of flanges curled in spaced relation from the lower surface to provide opposite facing pockets that slidingly receive the cover flanges therein. A projection on one of the connector or the cover is received in an opening of the other of the connector or the cover to lock the connector to the cover.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to wiper blade assemblies for wiping windows of a vehicle, and more particularly to spoilerless flat wiper blade assemblies.
2. Related Art
Wiper blade assemblies for vehicles are intended to maintain uniform contact with a window across their length while oscillating to prevent unwanted streaking from resulting on the window. Complicating matters is the airflow generated over the wiper blade assembly while the vehicle is moving, and while the wiper blade assembly changes its angle of attack relative to the airflow while oscillating. Further complicating matters is the non-uniform surface of the window, such that the wiper blade needs to be able to flex along it length to change its contour during oscillation. As such, in an effort to best prevent unwanted streaks from occurring, numerous types of wiper assemblies have come about, many of which are complicated to manufacture, and thus, tend to be costly.
One mechanism employed to maintain wiper blade assemblies in uniform contact with the window is to incorporate spoilers on the assemblies. Spoilers are intended to create a desired aerodynamic attack of the wiper blade assembly relative to the airflow over the wiper blade assembly, however, this approach is met with certain challenges. In some cases, the spoiler, rather than creating a uniform pressure distribution over the wiper blade assembly, can create unequal high and low relative pressures along an upper surface of the wiper blade assembly, and thus, portions of the assembly tend to lift from the window, thereby causing streaking and/or noise. Further, the addition of spoilers to the wiper blade assemblies adds cost. As such, the challenges of forming a wiper blade assembly that is both aerodynamic throughout various conditions of use and yet low in cost, both in material and in manufacture, remains.


A system for delivering drug is provided. The system includes an adapter and a device. The adapter is configured to establish fluid communication with a gas conduit of a ventilator circuit. The device includes an actuation member and an actuator. The actuation member is configured to pivot. A canister containing drug is disposed between the adapter and the actuation member. The actuator is engaged to the actuation member such that the actuator selectively causes pivotal movement of the actuation member, causing the actuation member to apply pressure over the canister, thereby causing the canister to deliver drug into the adapter.

The present disclosure, in general, relates to ventilators and drug delivery systems. More specifically, but not exclusively, this disclosure relates to systems and methods of automating actuation of a pressurized metered dose inhaler disposed in a ventilator circuit.
A mechanical ventilator is used for generating a controlled flow of gas into a patient's airway. Generally a set of flexible tubes, which may be part of a ventilator circuit, is used for establishing the flow of gas into the patient's airway. The flexible tubes may include an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube secured into a patient's upper respiratory tract. To aid in the treatment of ventilated patients, aerosolized medication may be administered to the ventilated patient.
Conventionally, aerosolized medication is delivered to the patient through a metered-dose inhaler canister. The canister is engaged to an adapter, which is in fluid communication with the ventilator circuit. Once the canister is engaged, a caregiver manually squeezes the canister and adapter together to enable releasing of one pre-measured dose of aerosolized medication into the ventilator circuit.
The caregiver should ideally administer the aerosolized medication as per prescription. Generally, the prescribed instructions may include time at which a first dose of the aerosolized medication has to be sprayed, number of sprays per dose and time between doses, among others. Apart from the above instructions, the caregiver has to keep a count of the number of doses left in the canister. Further, the caregiver may have to follow all of the above, not just for one patient, but a number of patients. Furthermore, the caregiver generally takes over these tasks at the beginning of his shift from one or more other caregivers, and hands over the tasks to one or more other caregivers at the end of his shift. Hence, effective administering of aerosolized medication to ventilated patients depends on diligence, records, and communications of not just one caregiver, but a team of caregivers.
Further, the caregiver has to synchronize each spray with the precise onset of inspiration. The caregiver is expected to wait approximately for at least 20-30 seconds between sprays, and repeat until the prescribed dose is delivered. It is but natural that, technique, proficiency, and patience vary among individual caregivers and, consequently, dose delivery are often delivered rapid-fire and at non-optimal timing, thereby reducing therapeutic efficacy.
In light of the foregoing discussion, there is a need for automating actuation of a pressurized metered dose inhaler disposed in a ventilator circuit.


Disclosed is a method, system, program, and data structure for selecting a path to one of at least two controllers. Each controller is capable of providing access to storage areas, such as Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). Path information is received from the controllers indicating a preferred controller to use to access each storage area. An input/output (I/O) command directed to a target storage area is processed and the I/O command is directed to the controller indicated in the path information as the preferred controller for the target storage area. The controller receiving the I/O command executes the I/O command against the target storage area. The path information to the storage controllers providing access to the storage areas is encoded with information designating one controller as the preferred controller and another as a non-preferred controller. The encoded path information is returned to a requesting computer. The requesting computer initially sends an input/output (I/O) command to the preferred controller and sends the I/O command to the non-preferred controller if the preferred controller cannot execute the I/O command.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system, method, program, and data structure for selecting a preferred path to a storage device and, in particular, providing path information indicating a preferred controller and non-preferred controller that can be used to access the storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In prior art storage systems, one or more host computers access a storage space maintained in a storage device through a storage controller. In mass storage systems, the storage device may comprise one or more Direct Access Storage Devices (DASDs), comprised of interconnected hard disk drives. The storage controller manages the flow of data from host systems to DASDs. Host systems view the physical storage space as a partition of Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). The hosts will submit input/output (I/O) commands to a particular LUN, and the storage controller will translate the target LUN to a physical storage area.
To avoid total system failure in the event that one system component fails, storage controller subsystems incorporate redundant hardware components. For instance, one typical prior art storage subsystem includes multiple storage controller processors to provide hosts multiple paths to the same DASD and LUNs. In the event that one storage controller path fails, the path to the other storage controller can be used to access the DASD.
In high end storage controllers, such as the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) 3990 and Enterprise System Storage Server,** a host may send an input/output (I/O) command to any host or controller I/O adaptor in the subsystem and the I/O adaptor would then route the I/O to the controller handling the target LUN of that I/O operation. With such prior art high end systems, the host does not need to know the controller that is primarily managing a particular LUN because the controllers include the interface circuitry to route the I/O to the primary controller. Such solutions require expensive interface hardware that is not feasible for lower cost storage subsystems.
**Windows and NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; AIX and OS/390 are registered trademarks of IBM and MVS and Fibre Channel Raid Storage Controller are trademarks of IBM.
Lower cost storage subsystems also use two controllers, such as Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) or Fibre Channel controllers, that provide separate paths to the same DASD. However, such systems do not include the interface circuitry and added ports used in the higher end controllers that allow the controllers to route I/Os between the controllers. Instead, with the lower cost storage subsystems, the host will select a path to a storage controller for the I/O operation and could alternate between controllers to reach the LUN. The problem with this solution in the lower cost models is that the storage controllers need to communicate to coordinate the execution of I/O operations against the same LUN to ensure that data consistency is maintained, i.e., a controller with a later instance of data does not write to the same storage location as the other controller which includes an earlier instance of the data. Such cross-controller communications use high latency communication paths to coordinate I/O operations. These coordination activities can introduce significant overhead into the I/O execution process and adversely affect the response time for all I/O operations in the subsystem.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved mechanism for selecting the appropriate I/O path that reduces system overhead in processing I/O commands and provides for a failover and failback in the event of a failure along the path to one of the controllers.
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, preferred embodiments disclose a method, system, program, and data structure for selecting a path to one of at least two controllers. Each controller is capable of providing access to storage areas, such as Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). Path information is received from the controllers indicating a preferred controller to use to access each storage area. An input/output (I/O) command directed to a target storage area is processed and the I/O command is directed to the controller indicated in the path information as the preferred controller for the target storage area. The controller receiving the I/O command executes the I/O command against the target storage area. In preferred embodiments, the path information to the storage controllers providing access to the storage areas is encoded with information designating one controller as the preferred controller and another as a non-preferred controller. The encoded path information is returned to a requesting computer. The requesting computer initially sends an input/output (I/O) command to the preferred controller and sends the I/O command to the non-preferred controller if the preferred controller cannot execute the I/O command.
Still further, the received path information indicates at least one non-preferred controller to use to access each storage area. The I/O command is directed to one non-preferred controller indicated in the path information for the target storage area if the I/O command directed to the preferred controller fails to complete execution.
In preferred embodiments, the path information from at least one host system to at least two storage controllers providing access to the storage areas is encoded with information designating one controller as a preferred controller and another as a non-preferred controller. The encoded path information is returned to a requesting computer. The requesting computer initially sends an input/output (I/O) command to the preferred controller and sends the I/O command to the non-preferred controller if the preferred controller cannot execute the I/O command.
Still further, when encoding the path information, the designation of one controller as the preferred controller is performed in a manner that balances an I/O workload between the controllers.
Preferred embodiments provide a technique that instructs host systems, such as servers or any other computing system, to direct I/O commands to a target storage area, such as a LUN, to one controller that is designated as the preferred controller. This ensures that I/O commands for a storage area are not directed to both controllers, which could result in delays in processing I/O commands because of the need for the controllers to coordinate the separate execution of I/O commands against the same storage area or LUN. Preferred embodiments further provide a non-preferred controller to use in the event that the connection to the preferred controller is not functioning. Thus, preferred embodiments provide a technique for selecting a controller and path to use for an I/O command that minimizes I/O processing at the controllers and provides for a controller to use during failover if one controller fails.
In preferred embodiments, the designation of the preferred and non-preferred status occurs at the storage controller level, where load balancing considerations can be taken into account in designating a controller as a preferred or non-preferred controller for a storage area.

Method, system, program, and data structure for selecting a preferred path to a storage device


A method for imaging the surrounding of a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of (i) taking a series of two dimensional images of the vehicle surrounding, (ii) taking a series of three dimensional images of the vehicle surrounding that including depth information, (iii) determining at least one object in an area of interest in one of the series of images and tracking the object in the area of interest, (iv) processing the others of the series of images to retrieve object information from said other series of images, (v) adjusting the objects to be tracked in the one series of images in accordance with the object information received from processing the other series of images.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for imaging the surrounding for a vehicle. The invention also relates to a cruise control system in which a control unit controls driving parameters of the vehicle.
2. Related Art
The use of image sensors, such as cameras, is proliferating in vehicles. By way of example, cameras are used in park control systems where the image sensor images the back of the vehicle to detect obstacles and to show the surrounding of the back of the vehicle to the driver. Additionally, cruise control systems have been developed in which the front of the vehicle is investigated to look for approaching objects, such as other vehicles. In these cruise control systems, the relative distance between the object moving in front of the vehicle and the vehicle must be determined. When it is determined that an object is getting too close to the vehicle, the driver may be informed or the cruise control system may even actively control the motor by decelerating or accelerating the vehicle. Conventional image sensors, such as CCD or CMOS image sensors, measure the intensity of the scene, but lacks depth information. Conventionally, three dimensional ("3D") information can be obtained by using two, two dimensional ("2D") image sensors such as CCD cameras and mathematics.
Additionally, 3D image sensors have been developed, these sensors overcoming drawbacks faced by commercially available 2D sensors. Such 3D optical measurements deliver the absolute 3D geometry of objects that are largely independent of the objects' surface reflectivity, the distance of the objects from the sensor and the illumination conditions. One example of a 3D camera is a PMD (photonic mixer device) sensor. The PMD sensor measures the distance by emitting a light signal and by calculating the time of flight of the reflected light signal. These 3D image sensors are semiconductor elements. A 3D image can be obtained by positioning several 3D sensor elements in a matrix allowing the measurement of different pixels and therefore the measurement of a complete image.
When the signal of an image sensor is to be used in systems assisting the driver by detecting objects approaching the vehicle or by tracking the vehicle in front of the image sensor, the image data has to be updated at a high rate. When the image signal should be used on highways with high velocity, frame rates (images per time) such as 100 frames/second are necessary. When a complete 2D image is calculated 100 times a second, high computing power is needed to process the images and to detect the relevant information in the images.
Accordingly, a need exists to provide a method and system for imaging the surrounding of a vehicle in which the computing power can be reduced and in which nevertheless the object detection is assured.

Method for imaging the surrounding of a vehicle


The present invention provides a composition comprising a synergistic combination of melatonin, valerenic acid and carnosic acid. The composition may be used in the treatment and prevention of several different disorders including inflammatory conditions, sleep disorders and anxiety. The invention also relates to several dosage forms which are suitable for the delivery of the claimed composition to subjects in need of treatment therewith.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a naturally occurring substance that is found in animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. In humans and other mammals, melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and acts as a neurohormone, playing a key role in the maintenance of circadian rhythms. As such, it has a significant influence on many physiological functions including sleep. In this regard, it has been found that melatonin may be used in order to regularize sleep and to treat certain sleep disorders, notably insomnia.
Various clinical studies of the use of melatonin in the treatment of insomnia have been performed, and the results of some of these studies indicate that prolonged-release melatonin may indeed be effective in improving sleep latency, sleep quality and daytime alertness in adults. Other studies have also shown that melatonin administration may provide an effective treatment sleep-wake cycle disorders associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
In addition to its effects on sleep, a number of additional and different health benefits have been associated with melatonin. For example, melatonin has been found, in a number of well documented studies, to have a variety of effects on inflammatory and immune processes (both as an activator and an inhibitor of these processes). In this regard, it has been found that melatonin controls the production of many different inflammatory mediators, including but not limited to leukotrienes and cytokines. In addition to specific actions on various mediator systems, melatonin may also modulate ongoing inflammatory processes by virtue of its potent antioxidant effects.
Several studies have indicated that sleep patterns are altered during inflammatory disease, and to some degree may be considered as markers of the presence and severity of the inflammatory process.
Furthermore, several different inflammatory mediator systems have been implicated in causing changes in sleep patterns. It may therefore be concluded that there is a type of inflammation-sleep interface (Clark, I. A. and Vissel, B. (2014) J. Neuroinflammation 11: 51 Inflammation-sleep interface in brain disease: TNF, insulin, orexin), and thus agents which modulate various aspects of the inflammatory process may also be capable of influencing sleep patterns and behaviour.
A very large number of different chemical mediators have been shown to be involved in the development and control of the inflammatory process. Recent studies by a number of different laboratories have implicated nitric oxide (NO) as an important modulator of a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, including various types of arthritis, gastro-intestinal diseases, inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system and certain forms of asthma. Consequently, it has been proposed that inhibition of NO production could provide a useful therapeutic mechanism for the treatment and/or management of these inflammatory disorders.
Melatonin may also play a role in several other physiological and pathological processes, and it has been suggested that adequate levels of this hormone may play a role in protecting against cardiovascular disease, various different cancers and several different degenerative conditions affecting the central nervous system.
Several plant-derived preparations have also been used to treat insomnia and other sleep disorders, with various degrees of success. These plant-derived treatments include extracts, tinctures, teas, oils or whole-plant material from inter alia the following species: valerian (Valeriana officinalis), passiflora (Passiflora incarnata), chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), Hops (Humulus lupulus), lavender (Lavandula officinalis), wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa), california poppy (Eschsholzia californica), Kava kava (Piper methysticum) and St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). Although various degrees of success have been reported with regard to the treatment of insomnia using these various herbal treatments, there is no consensus regarding their use, recommended dosage, standardization of the preparation used or their effectiveness in relation to other, more standard stand-alone preparations. Furthermore, many plant-derived materials (including inter alia some of those listed above) have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory activity.
Several different formulations containing melatonin for use in the treatment of insomnia are known in the art. These formulations include inter alia oral dosage forms with either immediate-release or prolonged-release characteristics (liquids, capsules or tablets), sublingual dosage forms and transdermal patches. Administration of Immediate-release dosage forms generally lead to peak blood levels being obtained within about one hour. In the case of currently-available prolonged-release formulations, peak blood levels of melatonin are reached gradually over a period of 8-10 hours, thereby mimicking the body's internal secretion profile. The sublingual route for the delivery of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical agents, whereby the active ingredients are allowed to diffuse into the bloodstream through tissues under the tongue, is well known in the art. Many different classes of pharmaceutical agents have been formulated for sublingual administration, including: cardiovascular drugs, steroids, barbiturates, enzymes, and increasingly, vitamins and minerals. Various different dosage forms may be used for sublingual delivery, including sublingual tablets (regular or fast disintegrating), lipid matrix sublingual tablets, thin films and sublingual sprays.
There are several advantages associated with drug delivery by the sublingual route, in comparison with oral administration. Firstly, the direct entry of the medicament into the blood stream (i.e. via the capillaries located in the sub-epithelial connective tissue in the floor of the mouth), often leads to a shorter onset time. In addition, the more efficient uptake of the medicament may, in some cases, permit smaller dosages to be used. However, there is a further advantage of the sublingual route that is often even more significant. This advantage relates to the fact that since sublingually administered medicaments are not absorbed through the intestinal wall into the portal circulation, they are not subject to first-pass metabolism in the liver prior to entering the general circulation. Similarly, the drugs administered by this route are protected from the hostile gastrointestinal environment and thus are not degraded by stomach acid, bile and/or enzymes such as monoamine oxidase (MAO). This is a significant advantage, in particular for active ingredients that are metabolized by MAO, such as melatonin. In summary, it may be appreciated that administration via the sublingual route may often improve the bioavailability of the medicament. Many of the advantages described hereinabove are also features of other formulations from which the active ingredient is absorbed within the oral cavity, such as buccal formulations and chewable tablets.
Despite the many advantages discussed above, many of the known sublingual delivery systems suffer from the disadvantage that the delivery performance and the bioavailability of the active ingredient are affected by its physical properties, including solubility, crystal morphology, particle size, hygroscopicity, compressibility and polarity.
One of the aims of the present invention is to provide new and improved therapeutic compositions comprising melatonin, particularly suitable for use in the treatment of insomnia and/or inflammatory conditions.
Another aim is to provide melatonin-containing compositions which provide better onset/offset times, greater efficacy and reduced undesired effects (such as excessive morning sleepiness), when compared with prior art treatments.
A still further aim of the present invention is to provide compositions comprising synergistic combinations of melatonin and certain plant extracts.
Further aims and objectives will become apparent as the description proceeds.


A first process unit replaces a portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a first scanning line of a first color by a different portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a second scanning line of the first color. A second process unit performs a thicken process to a pixel sequence of a scanning line of a second color superimposed on the first line of the first color to thicken the pixel sequence of the scanning line of the second color. The pixel sequence of the scanning line to be thickened corresponds a replacement point of the replaced pixel of the first color.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a technique of correcting a curvature of a scanning line in an image forming apparatus for forming an image using a light beam.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a need for higher image quality, higher speed and higher performance for an image forming apparatus. Particularly, in a laser-scanning image forming apparatus, high-cost parts with high geometric accuracy (a lens, a supporting member, a rotational polygonal member and the like for laser scanning) have been employed so as to maintain a high level of accuracy of an image formation position.
On the other hand, there is also a need for a further reduction in cost of the whole apparatus. To achieve this, it is desirable to reduce the high-cost parts with high geometric accuracy to the extent possible. Therefore, it is necessary to use a digital correction technique, such as, representatively, image processing or laser PWM, to reduce required geometric accuracy, thereby reducing the cost of the apparatus.
Incidentally, a problem with a color printer or the like is how to correct a curvature of a scanning line of a laser. In a typical color printer including a rotational polygonal mirror, an fθ lens and a mirror, a curvature of a scanning line occurs particularly due to a manufacturing error or an attachment error from an optical path of the fθ lens. On the other hand, an inclination of a scanning line occurs due to an inclination of the mirror or an inclination of image carrier.
The curvature or inclination of a scanning line may be corrected by a mechanical method or an image processing method. In the mechanical method, the curvature or inclination of a scanning line is corrected by moving optical parts or the like. However, this method requires additional mechanical parts for moving the optical parts, which is contrary to the need for a reduction in cost of the apparatus.
In the image processing method, the curvature or inclination of a scanning line is corrected by shifting a digital image composed of a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged, in a sub-scanning direction in accordance with curvature points (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 02-50176, 2003-276235 and 2003-182146). Specifically, it has been proposed that images of a portion of pixels constituting one line are not formed by a corresponding scanning line, but are formed by a scanning line adjacent thereto. A portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a first scanning line is replaced by a different portion of pixels in a pixel sequence forming a second scanning line where the different portion of pixels is adjacent to the portion of pixels to be replaced. In other words, replacement of a scanning line is performed. Hereinafter, a deviation and a distortion from an ideal position of a scanning line as well as an inclination of a scanning line are referred to as a curvature.
FIG. 9 shows states before and after correction of a curved scanning line. As can be seen from FIG. 9, a deviation or a distortion from an ideal position can be reduced by correction. However, a bump of one scanning line occurs in a portion to which correction has been applied. The bump can be visually recognized, depending on the image data, resulting in a deterioration in an image.
An image density calculation process (hereinafter referred to as a blend process) may be performed so as to cause the one-scanning line bump to be difficult to see. The blend process is a process of distributing image data corresponding to one scanning line over two scanning lines, thereby causing a bump occurring at a replacement point to be difficult to visually recognize.
However, a color printer that forms an image by superimposition of YMCK may have a problem with such a simple blend process when "horizontal line data having a one-scanning line width of a secondary color obtained by superimposing Y and M" is drawn. Note that Y, M, C and K are abbreviations of yellow, magenta, cyan and black, respectively.
It is assumed that curvature correction in the sub-scanning direction is applied only to the Y color. Specifically, it is assumed that the blend process has been performed with respect to the Y color in two scanning lines adjacent to each other in the sub-scanning direction. In this case, a scanning line of the Y color and a scanning line of the M color that is superimposed thereon have a difference in laser scanning line width (laser spot diameter) corresponding to the ratio of 2 to 1, resulting in a significant color deviation between the Y color and the M color. In particular, a bump caused by correction can be visually recognized in thin line data or character data of a secondary color that have a high contrast. The bump may be significant when the resolution is 600 dpi or less, depending on the accuracy of pixel formation.

Image forming apparatus and its control method


A permanent test port mounting in a conventional gasoline/diesel fuel dispenser to provide a technician access to the fuel line and perform various tests that enables testing to occur at a highline point in the line system to include all or at least more of the line system head pressure than has been possible before. In particular, the test port has a quick connect/disconnect fitting disposed in a collar intermediate a mounting for a filter in a conventional gasoline/diesel fuel dispenser and the filter to provide a technician access to the fuel line and perform various tests. The quick connect/disconnect fitting may also be coupled to a hose for draining fuel under pressure into a safety can to prevent spillage during replacement of the filter. The safety can may be emptied into the fuel tank to conserve the fuel, prevent polluting the environment and as a safety measure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to test ports and, more particularly, to test ports for use with conventional gasoline/diesel fuel dispensers.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
From time to time the pressurized line system found in conventional petroleum fueling sites, such as gasoline/diesel fuel pumps/dispensers. These fueling sites include a mechanical line leak detector that must be tested to ensure proper functioning. To test these detectors, access to the pressurized line system is necessary. Additionally, such access is required for general inspections and troubleshooting to determine the cause of a fault.
For safety reasons, every dispenser includes an impact/shear valve located slightly below grade beneath each fuel dispenser. The primary function of this valve is to stop the flow of pressurized fuel if the dispenser is struck or dislodged due to accident or otherwise. Because these valves are commonly made of soft cast metal any seam may split and any threads are easily stripped creating a need to replace these valves.
It is not unusual for a technician to obtain fluid communication with the pressurized line system by removing a plug from the impact/shear valve and inserting therein a test probe. By removing such a plug to gain access to the threaded opening in the impact/shear valve, fuel will be discharged as a function of the line pressure. This creates an obvious mechanical hazard for the technician, a fire hazard for the immediate environment, evaporation of the fuel degrades the air quality and the spilled fuel potentially creates ground or ground water pollution.
To reduce the line pressure by removing the plug requires good judgment and patience, if the plug is turned too many times to vent the line pressure, the plug may be sufficiently dislodged to become a projectile and potentially injuring a technician or surrounding personnel or objects. While many pressurized line systems have a high bulk modulus (rapid change of pressure for a relatively small amount of fuel), a significant number of pressurized lines have flexible lines, many flexible connectors, trapped vapor, or any combination thereof which may require thirty minutes or more to safely bleed the line to allow safe access to the line system. To avoid the hazards of removing a plug from the impact/shear valve, some technicians have replaced the plug with a quick connect fitting. A hose is attached thereto to drain fuel discharged from the pressurized line system into a container. While this solution avoids an inadvertent spray of fuel, other issues are created.
In an attempt to protect the quick connect valve, a cover is often employed. Nevertheless, the opening of the impact/shear valve to mount the quick connect fitting was always dangerous. Secondarily, the integrity of a quick connect fitting may be damaged during an impact to the gasoline/diesel fuel dispenser. With the integrity of the quick connect fitting compromised, their location provides an unfortunate flow path that defeated the purpose of the impact/shear valve supporting the damaged quick connect fitting. These damaged quick connect fittings have caused destruction of property and loss of life. Therefore, fire and safety personnel have precluded these quick connect fittings from being installed and often have required existing quick connect fittings to be removed. Thus, technicians have had to revert to removing a plug from the impact/shear valve to perform the required tests and the attendant safety hazards continue to exist.


A protective container for a portable electronic device includes a plurality of storage compartments formed in a rear wall, or a tool carrier with tool compartments mounted to the rear wall. Generally flat tools are stored within the compartments and are extractable to allow the protective container and portable electronic device to function as a multifunction pocket tool.

The primary purpose of a container for an electronic device is to protect the device from wear and also to help prevent it from shock if the case with the electronic device therein is dropped. Generally, the containers are designed to be lightweight and form fitting to the electronic device so that a user can easily port their electronic device comfortably in a pocket or handbag without strain or additional bulk. Electronic device containers are numerous and varied in design including: various covers for the device and its relational interface, structural portions and purposeful cushioning areas; all of which serve the sole purpose of enabling the user to more safely port the electronic device for daily use and in travel without damage and without interference with the utility of the device.
The primary purpose of a multifunction pocket tool is to provide the user with immediate and direct access to various and frequently needed tools by means of a small compact and portable instrument. Certain tools are often needed in situations where it is impractical or at least inconvenient to go prepared with a well equipped tool box. For example, hunters, fishermen campers, bicyclists, motorcyclists, automobilists and even occupational people such as doctors, lawyers, business people and students have frequent need for a variety of common tools which are often not available when the need arises. Prior art shows that typically multifunction pocket tools have two lateral sidepieces serving as a handle for the tool and a plurality of tools disposed between the sidepieces. A multifunctional pocket tool is understood to mean, for example, a multifunction pocket knife such as the so-called "Swiss army knife," a polyvalent penknife, or a closing knife. The application also applies to sliding-blade knives such as switchblade knives, or to multifunction pocket tools without any knife. Multifunction pocket tools heretofore proposed have not satisfactorily addressed an issue of the modern user, who, burdened with a necessity for carrying numerous other objects, such as: a wallet, keys, a cellular phone, a music playback device, personal digital assistant (PDA), and or other portable electronic devices, is unlikely willing or able to carry any additional objects, like a multifunction pocket tool, however useful and portable it might be.

Portable protective container for electronic devices in conjunction with a multifunction pocket tool


In a carburetor the fuel jet system opening into the intake pipe of the engine comprises an emulsion well supplied with air and fuel and a device for correcting the fuel/air ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine as a function of the amplitude of the alternating pressure variations caused by the suction of the engine in the intake pipe. The correcting device comprises a movable wall defining a chamber which communicates with the emulsion well and to which the alternating pressure variations are applied through an attenuator. The device adjusts the depression in the emulsion well for increasing or reducing the amplitude of the alternating component of the pressure which is communicated thereto from the opening of the fuel jet system according as to whether the acoustic matching of the carburetor-engine manifold assembly tends to produce an excessive or insufficient fuel/air ratio under high load.

The present invention relates to carburetors for internal combustion engines of the kind comprising a fuel jet system opening into the intake pipe of the engine and comprising an emulsion well supplied with air and fuel and a device for correcting the fuel/air ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine as a function of the amplitude of the alternating pressure variations caused by the suction of the engine in the intake pipe.
By nature, the intake of a piston spark ignition engine is subjected to pulsating operating conditions due to the alternating movement of the pistons; the pulsating operating conditions are particularly noticeable in modern engines in which the closure of the inlet valves takes place with considerable delay; it is also very noticeable in engines having a small number of cylinders, typically flat-twin engines. When such a motor is under a high load, the throttle of the carburetor is widely open.
The pulsed depression is applied directly to the fuel jet system, which opens upstream of the throttle. The result is operating anomalies. Depending on the geometrical configuration of the carburetor-manifold assembly, the acoustical matching of which is not easily controllable, the air-fuel mixture supplied to the engine may be to lean or too rich.
Different remedies have been proposed for countering the pulsatory phenomenon effects. French patent No. 2,355,170 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,380, describes a carburetor in which the correcting device meters the vacuum prevailing above the fuel as a function of the alternating component of the depression which is applied thereto. That device gives satisfactory results, but is often costly to put into practice; the particular embodiment described in that prior patent requires a system of valves for subjecting a diaphragm to a differential pressure depending on the alternating component of the depression in the intake pipe.
It is an object of the invention to provide a carburetor having an improved correction device. It is a more particular object to provide a carburetor having such a device which is of low cost and whose correction may be easily adapted to suit the requirements of different types of engine.
According to the invention, there is provided a carburetor of the above defined type, in which the correcting device comprises a movable wall defining a chamber which communicates with the emulsion well and to which the alternating pressure variations are applied through attenuating means, whereby the device adjusts the depression in the emulsion well for increasing or reducing the amplitude of the alternating component of the pressure which is communicated thereto from the opening of the fuel jet system, according as to whether the acoustic matching of the carburetor engine manifold assembly tends to produce for high charges of the engine an excessive or insufficient fuel/air ratio.
In such a carburetor, the direct action of the pulses at the opening of the jet system is counterbalanced by an indirect action exerted on the emulsion well and which may be adapted to the characteristics of the particular carburetor-manifold assembly.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the movable wall constitutes a partition separating a capacity into said chamber communicating with the emulsion well and an additional chamber connected to the venturi of the carburetor.
In another embodiment, said chamber constitutes a damping capacity located above said fuel emulsion well and communicating with an emulsion tube placed in the emulsion well through a calibrated restrictor, said capacity communicating with the air inlet of the carburetor through a calibrated passage and being separated from the atmosphere by said movable wall.
The invention will be better understood from the description which follows of down-draught carburetors fitted with correction devices and constituting particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of examples.

Carburetors for internal combustion engines

S.I.B.E. Societe Industrielle de Brevets et d'Etudes


A method makes a first and a second devices support for interactions with respect to a 3D object. The method includes steps of: (a) allowing the first device to acquire information on physical 3D object and information on images of a user; (b) allowing the second device to receive the information relating to the physical 3D object and the information on images of the user of the first device, then display virtual 3D object corresponding to the physical 3D object and display 3D avatar of the user of the first device; (c) allowing the first device to transmit information on manipulation of the user of the first device regarding the physical 3D object and information on images of the user of the first device who is manipulating the physical 3D object and then allowing the second device to display the 3D avatar of the user of the first device.

A remote video conference system is a system that enables two or more persons who are far away to interact with each other through a communication means. It is mainly used to minimize physical distance between a user's reality space and the other user's remote space felt by users.
The remote video conference system implements an environment as if two users sit across from each other by capturing an image on the side of one user in the remote space and transmitting it to the side of a local user and transmitting an image on the side of the local user to the side of the user in the remote space with displays and cameras. In other words, it provides a function for video dialogs between or among two or more persons.
As existing technical limitation, there is a problem of the existing function for video dialogs being insufficient to discuss a specific object existing on one user's space if such discussion is requested. In other words, to discuss the object, a course of manipulation, processing, etc. of a physical object and a virtual object by the user through augmented reality technology should be expressed, but the existing remote video conference system did not fully provide such functions.
In relation to augmented reality at a video conference, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1310498 was disclosed. However, it discloses only a service relating to a 3D video conference. That is, it has the aforementioned problems of interactions with respect to the physical object of the virtual object.
Therefore, the present inventor came to develop a mutual interaction technology of allowing users on reality space and remote space to participate in a video conference and discussing a specific object effectively during the video conference.

Method and system for mutual interaction using space based augmentation

Center of Human-Centered Interaction for Coexistence