A method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene efficiency in a multi-tank dishwasher in which there is at least one sensor that transmits a temperature inside at least one treatment zone to a machine control system, in particular to the control system of the multi-tank dishwasher, the method includes: detecting the temperature inside at least one of the treatment zones by the sensor; determining the heat input applied to the items to be cleaned in at least one of the treatment zones on the basis of the temperature determined; comparing the heat input in the at least one treatment zone with a predefined heat input; and, as a function of the result of the comparison of the heat input values, varying the transport speed of the items to be cleaned through the multi-tank dishwasher, or varying the temperature of at least one of the process parameters acting on the heat input values as a control variable in a control loop for at least one of the treatment zones.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene efficiency for items to be washed in a dishwasher during the cleaning process.
2. Description of the Background Art
For cleaning dishes in the commercial sector, multi-tank dishwashers are nowadays used in addition to single-chamber dishwashers. In these multi-tank dishwashers, the items to be cleaned are transported by a conveyor device through the various zones of the dishwasher. Multi-tank dishwashers generally comprise at least one washing zone, at least one final-rinse zone and, optionally, a drying zone. Multi-tank dishwashers, in which items to be cleaned pass through various treatment zones, are generally designed as conveyor-belt machines or basket transport machines. A common feature of both designs is that the items to be cleaned are transported continuously by the transporting means through the individual treatment zones. The individual treatment zones are usually designed as chambers that have openings in the transport direction of the conveyor device, through which openings the items to be cleaned are transported by means of the conveyor device.
At a start of operation of a multi-tank dishwasher, the washing water tank in the washing zone is filled with fresh water and heated to the preset washing tank temperature. Detergent is also added to the washing water. This applies analogously in cases where several washing zones are arranged in succession. The washing zone normally has a pump for circulating the washing water, which pump draws washing water from the washing water tank and sprays it onto the dishes via a spray system assigned to the washing zone, in order to remove the dirt adhering to the dishes. The washing water, together with the washed-off dirt, then flows back into the washing water tank. The washed-off dirt is filtered out of the washing water via a sieve system.
In the final-rinse zone, residues of detergent and of dirt located loosely on the dishes are washed off by means of hot fresh water which is sprayed via a corresponding spray system. In some design variants of multi-chamber dishwashers, the after-rinse water is collected in a pump-operated final-rinse tank after the first use and is once more sprayed by means of a pump and by means of a further spray system over the items that are to be cleaned. Chronologically, this process step takes place before the final rinse of the dishes with fresh water. The fresh water or final-rinse water is then returned in part to the washing water tank, in order to dilute the fragments of dirt located there in the washing water tank. The items to be cleaned are then transported into the optional downstream drying zone, in which the items to be cleaned are dried.
Process factors that have a critical influence on the cleaning result are the detergent concentration, the contact time of the items to be cleaned from the first contact with the washing water of the first washing zone until leaving the final-rinse zone, the mechanics of the spray systems and of the spray jets in the washing zones, and the temperatures in the individual washing zones. Methods are known for detecting the process parameters of detergent concentration, contact of the items to be cleaned with the washing water of the first washing zone until leaving the final-rinse zone, and the mechanics in the washing zone. Thus, the detergent concentration is usually detected via the conductance of the washing liquid. The contact time is obtained from the transport speed of the conveyor device, and the washing mechanics are determined via the pressure of the circulation pump and the design of the nozzles of the spray system in the respective washing zone. The temperature of the washing water in the individual treatment zones is detected by temperature sensors. As a result of the washing water cooling after it has left the spray nozzles of the spray system, the temperature that is reached on the surface of the items to be cleaned is not identical to the temperature of the washing water. However, for reducing microorganisms on the surface of the items to be cleaned, it is this temperature reached on the surface of the items to be cleaned in the individual treatment zones that is of critical influence, as also is the time for which these temperatures act on the items to be cleaned. The action of a certain temperature on the surface of the items to be cleaned over a certain period of time is or can be designated as heat equivalent.
The influence of temperature and time on microorganism reduction is one of the bases of regulations and standards that are intended to guarantee the cleaning efficiency of dishwashers. Based on trials carried out on multi-tank dishwashers, with the aim of establishing the process parameters at which reliable hygiene of the items to be cleaned is achieved, Germany adopted standard DIN 10510 C.3, which provides recommendations in respect of temperature, detergent concentration and duration between the first contact of the items to be cleaned with the washing liquid of the first washing zone until leaving the final-rinse zone, with which this multi-chamber dishwasher is to be operated in the individual treatment zones in order for customers to achieve the required microorganism reduction in operation. The basis of this standard is the microorganism reduction of specifically contaminated test specimens after the cleaning process by so-called swab tests. The test microorganism used in this test is E. faecium ATCC 6057.
The testing of hygiene safety of multi-tank dishwashers at the end-user is undertaken by means of swab tests and by determining the microorganism count in the washing water of the last wash tank. However, a disadvantage is the fact that the test of microorganism reduction according to this standard can be carried out at the customer's premises only at considerable expense. A further disadvantage of this standard is the fact that the same microorganism reduction could also be achieved, for example, with a shorter contact time, but at higher temperatures in the individual treatment zones. However, this standard does not permit this.
In the USA, the influence of temperature and time on microorganism reduction is described by the NSF3 standard method. The basis for this standard is the reduction of tuberculosis bacteria determined in trials involving the action of a temperature over time. The action of the temperature over time is designated as "heat equivalent". How many heat equivalents per second are reached at what temperature is set down in a table in this method. This tables defines a minimum temperature for the washing water of the washing zone and for the after-rinse zone, and dishwashers have to reach these minimum temperatures in order to achieve the microorganism reduction required by this standard. For dishwasher manufacturers, this means that these temperatures have to be preset in the control system of the relevant dishwasher at the time of manufacture and that these temperatures also have to be reached during operation of the multi-tank dishwasher by the customer. When testing a dishwasher according to his method, a temperature sensor is arranged on a plate. The plate is then placed in a predefined position in the transport device of the multi-tank dishwasher and is transported through the individual treatment zones of the multi-tank dishwasher. The temperatures are recorded during the cleaning process. From the temperature profile during the transport of the dishes through the multi-tank dishwasher, and from the abovementioned table, it is possible to determine the heat equivalents acting on the plate throughout the entire cleaning process. This test has to be carried out for three different plate positions in a dish-holding basket or a conveyor belt. To achieve the required microorganism reduction, this standard stipulates that at least 3600 heat equivalents have to be reached in each plate position. An advantage of this method is that the method can be carried out at relatively little expense at the customer's premises for checking that the multi-tank dishwasher is performing correctly in terms of the thermal hygiene. A further advantage is that the result is available immediately after the measurement, and a statement can therefore be made concerning the quality of the cleaning process.
However, a disadvantage in the operation of the dishwasher is the fact that, from the temperatures of the washing water of the individual treatment zones, conclusions have to be drawn concerning the heat equivalents acting on the dishes in the washing process, and not on the heat equivalents actually applied to the items to be washed.
In the field of cleaning and disinfecting appliances, prEN ISO 15883-1 describes a method which, in order to assess hygiene efficiency, also draws on the connection between the microorganism reduction and the temperature over time. This connection is designated as the A0 value and is likewise set down in table form or calculated from a mathematical formula. The A0 value is described in more detail in Annex A of this standard and is defined as the time equivalent in seconds at 80° C. at which a given disinfecting action is exerted, and corresponds analogously to the heat equivalents of the NSF3 standard, but on the basis of another test microorganism. The test microorganism used in this method is Enterococcus faecium. Here too, a minimum A0 value to be reached at any given location in the washing chamber of the cleaning/disinfecting appliance is stipulated. However, this method has not as yet been used for assessing commercial dishwashers in Europe.
The above-described methods and standards for guaranteeing the cleaning result in terms of the thermal hygiene in a multi-tank dishwasher all have the disadvantage that the process parameters are fixed in the operation of the dishwasher. This applies especially to the temperatures in the washing zone and final-rinse zone. If several programs or transport speeds can be selected, the multi-tank dishwasher has to be designed for the worst case. This means in general for the fastest transport speed. The fact that the operation of the multi-tank dishwasher is not based on a fixed method incorporated in the multi-tank dishwasher for the heat equivalents actually acting on the items to be cleaned, which method is connected to the control system of the multi-tank dishwasher and controls the washing process, results in the disadvantage that the multi tank dishwasher in terms of the heat equivalents cannot be optimally adapted to the actual washing process or washing program. A further disadvantage of the presently available prior art is that the heat equivalents actually transmitted to the items to be washed are not detected, and instead it is assumed that the required microorganism reduction is achieved at the process parameters stipulated according to the standard or method.
EP 1 196 650 B1 relates to a method for monitoring a washing process. An independent cableless monitoring device is mounted on a conveyor belt of an industrial dishwasher and is moved along with the belt. The measured data are recorded in a monitoring unit. With this device, the temperatures were able to be recorded at the individual washing zones and evaluated at a later time. The heat equivalents transmitted to the items to be cleaned could then be determined on the basis of the determined temperature values. The difference from the temperature recording according to the NSF3 standard method is that the temperature recording is wireless. However, like the test method according to the NSF3 standard, the device known from EP 1 196 650 B1 serves only to control the process temperatures and is not evaluated by the control system of the dishwasher and thus is not used for direct control of the process parameters of the multi-tank dishwasher.
DE 196 08 036 C5 describes how the amount of after-rinse water is directly dependent on the transport speed of the conveyor device of the multi-tank dishwasher. A dependency of the amount of final-rinse water and the heat equivalents actually transmitted to the items to be cleaned is not dealt with in detail according to DE 196 08 036 C5.

Method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene efficiency in a multi-tank dishwasher


In accordance with an output signal from a weight sensor mounted on a vehicle, a display control section causes a display unit to display weights calculated at predetermined intervals by a weight calculating section. The display control section adds, to the weight which is being displayed, the difference in the weights sequentially calculated by the weight calculating section from detection of start of a loading/unloading operation performed by a detection section to start of running of the vehicle and causes the display unit to display the obtained weight. When a release detection section has detected release of the brake within a predetermined time from the stoppage of the vehicle, detection of start of a loading/unloading operation is inhibited for a predetermined time from detection of the release. If release of the brake is not detected within a predetermined time from the moment at which the vehicle has been brought to the stoppage state, detection of start of a loading/unloading operation is enabled after a predetermined time elapses from the stoppage of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dead weight display apparatus for displaying weight loaded on a vehicle, more particularly on a bed of a vehicle for carrying cargo so as to prevent an overload.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dead weight display apparatus of the foregoing type has been structured such that loads applied to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle are detected by sensors and weight is calculated in accordance with signals output from the sensors so as to issue an alarm if the dead weight becomes excessive. However, since loads applied to the sensors are changed during running of the vehicle, an accurate dead weight cannot be displayed. Accordingly, there has been suggested a structure capable of preventing the foregoing problem in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 8-50054.
The dead weight display apparatus suggested as described above has a structure such that the weight calculated in accordance with output signals from sensors is not displayed on a display unit as it is during running of the vehicle. As an alternative to this, the weight detected before start of running by a predetermined time is displayed and display of this weight is retained until another predetermined time elapses after running has been stopped. That is, the weight detected before start of running by a predetermined time is displayed in a period from start of running of the vehicle to a moment at which a predetermined time has passed from stoppage of the vehicle. If start of a loading/unloading operation has been detected after a predetermined time has elapsed from stoppage of the vehicle, the weight calculated in accordance with output signals from the sensors can be correspondently displayed on the display unit. The weight detected after the vehicle has been stopped does not always coincide with the weight detected before start of running of the vehicle even if loading or unloading is not performed. Therefore, the difference between weights calculated sequentially is added to the weight displayed previously so as to update the display after the vehicle has been stopped.
Incidentally, since a vehicle on which the dead weight display apparatus is mounted has a car body A of the vehicle which is, as shown in FIG. 14(a), supported by front and rear wheels, the central portion of a buffer member D made of a leaf spring is secured to an axle portion C of each wheel B. Moreover, the two longitudinal ends are rotatively connected to two portions in the bottom of the car body by support shafts E1 and E2. Sensors S for detecting loads respectively added to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle are usually accommodated and attached in the support shafts for rotatively connecting one of the two longitudinal ends of the buffer member to the bottom portion of the car body as shown in FIG. 14(a). The sensors for the front wheels are attached to the rear support shaft E2 and those for the rear wheels are attached to the front support shaft E1.
In the above-mentioned structure, weights of the car body A and the cargo are shared and added to the respective wheels. For example, the front wheel bears reaction force F having the magnitude corresponding to that of a load added to the wheel B from the portion adjacent to the ground, as shown in FIG. 14(a). The reaction force F is shared by the support shafts E1 and E2 at the two longitudinal ends of the buffer member D. When a driver applies the foot to the brake pedal to stop the running vehicle and the vehicle is thus stopped in a state where the foot is applied to the brake pedal, a state is realized in which force F2 borne by the rear support shaft E2 of the buffer member D is made to be larger than force F1 borne by the front support shaft E1 of the same.
If the above-mentioned state is realized, the sensor S accommodated in the rear support shaft E2 detects weight heavier than the weight which must be detected. However, the foregoing fact does not raise a problem in a state where the brake is not released, that is, the brake is operated.
If the brake is released or moderated after the vehicle has been stopped, the deviated force is released so that force F1' borne by the front support shaft E1 at one of the two ends of the buffer member D and force F2' borne by the rear support shaft E2 are gradually changed so as to be substantially equal to each other, as shown in FIG. 14(b). Therefore, the weight which is detected by the sensor S accommodated in the rear support shaft E2 is gradually changed from heavy weight detected before the brake is released to light weight.
Therefore, if the brake is released or moderated before a predetermined time elapses from stoppage of the vehicle, the weight which is detected by the sensor S is changed instably. If an operation for detecting start of a loading/unloading operation is performed in the above-mentioned period, weights sequentially calculated in accordance with output signals from the sensors which are changed even if no loading/unloading operation is performed becomes different. The difference in weight is added to the previously displayed weight to update the display. Therefore, even if a loading/unloading operation is not actually performed, display as if the weight has been reduced is performed on the display unit.
The weight displayed on the display unit is used as a reference value of the weight which is enlarged or reduced attributable to the afterward loading/unloading operation. If the weight is enlarged attributable to the afterward loading operation, smaller weight is displayed. According to circumstances, display does not reflect an overload. The overload state cannot be determined and thus an alarm cannot be issued.


A charge roll disposed in an image forming apparatus, for charging an image carrier for carrying an image, and to be cleaned by a cleaning member, the charge roll including: a shaft and an electrically conductive layer provided around the shaft, an axial end portion of the electrically conductive layer in an area in contact with the cleaning member being formed into skin layer portions thinner than other portions of the electrically conductive layer, is provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copier or printer and particularly to an image forming apparatus including a charge roll for charging a surface of an image carrier driven for rotation and a cleaning member for this charge roll.
2. Related Art
In a charging device of a contact charge type, a charge roll is always in contact with or extremely close to an image carrier and therefore a surface of the charge roll is likely to get dirty due to adhesion of foreign matters. Although the surface of the image carrier repeatedly carrying out image forming operation enters an area for a charging process after going through a cleaning process for removing foreign matters such as residual toner after the transfer on a downstream side of a transfer process, particles smaller than the toner, such as a part of the toner or an additive of the toner or the like, remain on the image carried without being cleaned even after the cleaning process and adhere to the surface of the charge roll. The foreign matters that has adhered to the surface of the charge roll causes nonuniformity in surface resistance of the charge roll, which causes abnormal discharge or unstable discharge to thereby deteriorate charge uniformity.

Charge roll with axial end portions in contact with cleaning member and image forming apparatus


Microfeature workpieces having interconnects and conductive backplanes and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. One such device includes a semiconductor substrate having integrated circuitry and terminals electrically coupled to the integrated circuitry. The device also includes electrically conductive interconnects extending through at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate and electrically coupled to corresponding terminals. The device further includes a conductive backplane assembly having a conductive layer at a back side of the semiconductor substrate. One or more of the interconnects are electrically coupled to the conductive layer at the back side of the semiconductor substrate.

Processors, memory devices, imagers and other types of microelectronic devices are often manufactured on semiconductor workpieces or other types of workpieces. In a typical application, several individual dies (e.g., devices) are fabricated on a single workpiece using sophisticated and expensive equipment and processes. Individual dies generally include an integrated circuit and a plurality of bond-pads coupled to the integrated circuit. The bond-pads provide external electrical contacts on the die through which supply voltage, signals, etc., are transmitted to and from the integrated circuit. The bond-pads are usually very small, and they are arranged in an array having a fine pitch between bond-pads. The dies can also be quite delicate. As a result, after fabrication, the dies are packaged to protect the dies and to connect the bond-pads to another array of larger terminals that is easier to connect to a printed circuit board. The dies can be packaged after cutting the workpiece to separate the dies (die-level packaging), or the dies can be packaged before cutting the workpiece (wafer-level packaging).
Conventional die-level packaged microelectronic devices include a microelectronic die, an interposer substrate or lead frame attached to the die, and a molded casing around the die. The bond-pads of the die are typically coupled to terminals on the interposer substrate or the lead frame. In addition to the terminals, the interposer substrate also includes ball-pads coupled to the terminals by conductive traces supported in a dielectric material. Solder balls can be attached to the ball-pads in one-to-one correspondence to form a "ball-grid array." Packaged microelectronic devices with ball-grid arrays are generally higher-grade packages having lower profiles and higher pin counts than conventional packages using lead frames.
Packaged microelectronic devices such as those described above are used in cellphones, pagers, personal digital assistants, computers, and many other electronic products. To meet the demand for smaller electronic products, there is a continuing drive to increase the performance of packaged microelectronic devices, while at the same time reducing the height and the surface area or "footprint" of such devices on printed circuit boards. Reducing the size of high performance devices, however, is difficult because the sophisticated integrated circuitry requires more bond-pads, which results in larger ball-grid arrays and thus larger footprints. One technique for increasing the component density of microelectronic devices within a given footprint is to stack one device on top of another.
One concern with many high-density packaged microelectronic devices is electromagnetic emissions or radiation generated by the devices during operation. Such electromagnetic disturbances are often referred to as electromagnetic interference ("EMI"). EMI within a particular system or device generally occurs as a result of the generation and/or transmission of electromagnetic radiation by integrated circuits, power supplies, or other radiation sources. Left unchecked, EMI can produce a number of undesirable effects. For example, EMI can interfere with or impair the operation and integrity of unshielded equipment and/or systems proximate to the source of the emissions. Furthermore, EMI can significantly degrade or otherwise negatively affect the performance of unshielded devices.
One approach to addressing the problems with EMI is to shield or ground the integrated circuitry within packaged microelectronic devices. A conventional method for shielding lead frame devices, for example, includes forming a conductive backplane on a back side of the wafer. Portions of the lead frame can then be electrically coupled to the backplane, and one or more bond-pads can be electrically coupled to the backplane via the corresponding portions of the lead frame to ground the device. One significant drawback with this approach, however, is that it is not suitable for devices with small arrays of back side contacts (e.g., ball-grid arrays) because (a) many of the ball-pads or back side contacts should not be grounded or otherwise connected in common, and (b) the remaining ball-pads or back side contacts cannot be connected to the backplane using wire-bonding or other conventional techniques. Accordingly, there is a need to provide the methods for packaging microelectronic devices having small arrays of back side contacts and conductive backplanes.

Microfeature workpieces having interconnects and conductive backplanes, and associated systems and methods


The invention relates to using VLSI techniques to store information on a substrate. One embodiment of a die with text deposited upon the die uses semiconductor processing techniques during fabrication. Included in the die are a substrate, a first paragraph and a second paragraph. The first and second paragraphs are in contact with the substrate. The second paragraph is aligned with the first paragraph in a column.

This invention relates in general to VLSI fabrication techniques and, more specifically, to using these techniques to store information.
Any unnecessary traces of a metal, an oxide or a polysemiconductor are avoided in semiconductor processing. Adding unnecessary traces makes the mask and fabrication more complex. This added complexity can increase the likelihood of defects in the finished semiconductor circuit. Consequently, semiconductor circuits avoid use of unnecessary traces.
Progress in VLSI technology over the past few decades has been phenomenal. Packing densities have increased by several orders of magnitude. However, to date, VLSI technology has been used largely for creating electronic circuits, micro-machines or sensors. Other uses for the VLSI technology are needed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

VLSI-based system for durable high-density information storage


A portable instrument stand has a base, two legs retractably mounted in the base, two arms foldably mounted in the base and a main cover mounted pivotally on the base. While unfolding the instrument stand, the legs, the main cover and the arms are sequentially unfolded in the base to allow a guitar or the like to be held on the arms. While folding the instrument stand, the arms and the legs are respectively stored in the base and the main cover is mounted on the base. The instrument stand is light, aesthetically pleasing, and has no sharp protrusions that may damage instruments being carried with the instrument stand or a person carrying the stand so is convenient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instrument stand, especially to an instrument stand that is collapsible for convenient carrying.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Stringed instruments such as but not limited to guitars, violins, cellos and the like are held in hand, are generally hollow and have strings so must be handled carefully. When the stringed instrument is not being used, it is stored in a bag or is held by an instrument stand to prevent the guitar from falling down, being knocked, tripped over or stepped on. If accidentally hit an instrument body may be damaged causing their sound quality to be reduced and requiring remodeling or strings to break or snap. Moreover, the stringed instrument on the instrument stand can be shown to consumers in a guitar shop and left on stage or in studios during rest periods.
With reference to FIG. 10, a conventional instrument stand (90) has a base assembly (92), a stationary rod (91) and two arms (93).
The base assembly (92) is disposed on the ground and has a central shaft (921) and two assistant shafts (922). The central shaft (921) has a standing end, a pivot end and an elongated hole. The elongated hole of the central shaft (921) is formed through the central shaft (921). The assistant shafts (921) are pivotally connected to the central shaft (921). Each assistant shaft (922) has a standing end and a pivot end. The pivot end of the assistant shaft (922) pivotally connects to the pivot end of the central shaft (921).
The stationary rod (91) has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end of the stationary rod (91) is mounted through the elongated hole of the central shaft (921) of the bass assembly (92).
The arms (93) are pivotally connected to the bass assembly (92) and the stationary rod (91). Each arm (93) is pivotally connected to the stationary rod (91) and respectively to a corresponding assistant shaft (922) of the bass assembly (92) and has a supporting bracket (931) and a holding bracket (932). The supporting bracket (931) stands on the ground and pivotally connects the lower end of the stationary rod (91) and the corresponding assistant shaft (922) of the bass assembly (92). The holding bracket (932) is mounted on the supporting bracket (931), pivotally connects to the stationary rod (91) and has a pivot end and a hook. The pivot end of the holding bracket (932) pivotally connects to the upper end of the stationary rod (91). The hook of the holding bracket (932) prevents an instrument mounted on the arms (93) from falling forwards.
With further reference to FIG. 11, a guitar is mounted on the holding brackets (932) of the arms (93) while the arms (93) are unfolded.
However, the conventional instrument stand (90) retains a large legroom even after being folded. The different shafts, rods or brackets overlap with each other, have protruding ends and are inconvenient for carrying and must be carried separate from the instrument since they may cause damage to the instrument. Therefore, the conventional instrument stand (90) is usually placed and used in a specific position. Thus, if the conventional instrument stand (90) cannot be carried with the guitar, the guitar should be placed on the ground and causing exterior damage to due to ground contact or accidental damage. However, musicians frequently need to travel for performances, recordings, practices and the like and carry their instruments so require an instrument stand that is portable, easy to use, easy to carry, unlikely to cause damage and reliable.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a portable instrument stand to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


The present invention relates to an automotive interior member placed on a part that receives sunlight (R) entering through a window (2) of an automobile (1). A corrugated sunlight-receiving surface (6) receives the sunlight (R). The corrugated sunlight-receiving surface (6) comprises a first slope (8), which receives the sunlight (R) entering through the window (2), and a second slope (9), which is disposed on a part where the sunlight (R) is blocked by the first slope (8), i.e., which faces the inside of an automotive compartment (1a). A cooling air passage (10) that extends along the underside of the sunlight-receiving surface (6) is provided in the interior member, and a blowing means (13) is provided in an air duct (12) that communicates with the cooling air passage (10).

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive interior member placed on apart that receives sunlight entering through a window, for example, a dashboard or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to an automotive interior member that can control temperature rise in the interior member itself and its surroundings, that can reduce heat transfer to an occupant such as a driver or passenger, that can reduce load on an air conditioner, and that can reduce glare caused by reflection toward the inside of an automotive compartment, even when the automotive interior member receives sunlight entering through a window of an automobile.
(2) Description of Related Art
Generally, in an automobile such as a car, a truck, and a bus, when an interior member such as a dashboard receives sunlight entering through a window of an automobile, the temperature of the interior member becomes significantly higher than that of outside air. The temperature of the interior member becomes, for example, as high as 70° C. or more, when an on-board air conditioner is off. Especially, the temperature of a dashboard rises more easily since a dashboard, which is usually made of a dark-colored material to reduce glare toward a driver, easily absorbs radiant heat from sunlight. When the temperature of the interior member rises, the ambient temperature also rises and a lot of heat is transferred to a driver and others near the interior member. The radiant heat from sunlight reflected on a dashboard is also transferred to the driver. Therefore, especially when a driver starts to drive after parking, quick cooling of a driver's seat and its surroundings is required, and an air conditioner is forced to run with high load.
The load on an air conditioner caused by radiant heat from sunlight entering through a window is said to make up, for example, in summer, 40 to 50% of the total load on the air conditioner. As a result, the load on the air conditioner makes up 10 to 15% of the total energy consumption while an automobile is moving. Therefore, even when an interior member receives sunlight as mentioned above, efficient control of temperature rise in the interior member will provide a good driving environment, reduce load on an air conditioner, improve gas mileage by reducing fuel consumption for running an air conditioner, reduce emission of exhaust gas such as CO2, and reduce harm on the environment.
In order to cool down a dashboard, a device that blows cold air through the inside of a dashboard (for example, see JP-U-06-057707, hereinafter referred to as conventional art 1) and a device that blows cold air over the upper surface of a dashboard (for example, see JP-A-05-338434, hereinafter referred to as conventional art 2) have been suggested.
In the conventional art 1, the inside of the upper part of a dashboard is hollowed. The hollowed space is provided with an inlet through which a part of cold air from an air conditioner is introduced and an outlet that connects the hollowed space to the outside of an automobile. The outlet is provided with a shutter.
In the conventional art 2, the device is provided with a cooling means and a blowing means, and the upper surface of a dashboard is provided with an air outlet. From the air outlet, the air cooled by the cooling means is blown over the upper surface of the dashboard with the blowing means.


A combine has a forward vertically adjustable header or attachment for removing crop material from the field. The header is pivotally mounted on the combine frame and is vertically adjusted by varying the length of a hydraulic cylinder that has one end attached to the header and its other end attached to the combine frame by a pivot pin that includes a force sensor that generates an electric signal proportional to the weight of the header supported by the cylinder. The electric signal provides an input to a control system that controls the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the hydraulic cylinder.

Harvesting machines, in particular combines and forage harvesters, are provided with crop recovery attachments whose height can be controlled by means of hydraulic cylinders. Under certain operating conditions it is necessary to lower these crop recovery attachments all the way to the ground and to guide them along the ground with only a low contact force. In order to evade irregularities on the ground, mechanical or pneumatic spring systems are provided in the supply lines to the hydraulic cylinders or between the hydraulic cylinders and the crop recovery attachments that permit the crop recovery attachments to be raised easily and thereby avoid an excessively high ground contact force. In some cases a pressure indicator is used to display the instantaneous contact force to the operator so that manual control of the height can be undertaken. All these possibilities of height control of the attachment on harvesting machines have the disadvantage that they are not sensitive enough and therefore do not respond to small changes in the contact force, or do so only too late.
In addition it is known practice in agricultural tractors (Bosch-Hydraulic, Supplementary Production-Information, K6/VKD 2-BEY005/5 DE (5.82)) to control a ground breaking implement that is coupled to a three-point implement hitch by means of an electronic force sensor that is integrated into a pin. Further developments of force sensors of this type as applied to agricultural tractors are described in a large number of publications. In this connection reference is made, for example, to EP-A1-0 238 875, DE-A1-35 15 126, DE-A1-34 34 131 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,613.
The problem underlying the invention is seen as that of proposing a harvesting machine with an attachment whose height is automatically controlled very simply in relation to the contour of the ground with minimal changes in contact force or significant time delay.
According to the invention an electronic output signal can be generated from the resistance of the attachment during its movement across the ground, which is in direct relationship to its contact force, and the signal is processed in a control or regulating device that controls a hydraulic valve which initiates a change in length of the strut and thereby changes the height of the attachment. The use of an electronic control assures an extremely fast response to irregularities of the ground and largely eliminates the influence of friction forces in the strut.
Although the pin with the force sensor could be installed in various ways, for example, in axial alignment with the strut, it is preferred to arrange it in such a way that the forces applied to it act radially so that it can simultaneously act as a pivot bearing.
With very wide attachments it is possible that they are raised by a ground irregularity only at one side or only in the center. In order to assure that any resulting change in contact force does have an effect, several struts and several pins with force sensors are provided. These force sensors are preferably connected to a small computer in such a way that an increase in the applied force at only one pin is sufficient to raise the attachment, while a lowering of the attachment requires reduction of the applied force at all the force sensors. However, not every strut is required to act on a force sensor.
If the various struts are configured differently so that they can absorb as well as apply different levels of force, precise operation of the control is assured if compatibility of the signals generated can be attained, which can be accomplished by the use of differing force sensors or by an amplification or attenuation of the signal in a compensating circuit.
The lowest possible reaction time, that results in an almost constant contact force, is attained when the sensitivity of the force sensor in connection with the control arrangement is as low as 15 millivolts.
An override switch is provided in order to permit the operator to change the height of the attachment manually at the end of a field or under certain conditions.
In order to reduce as far as possible the bearing friction of the struts and the attachment in the bearing arrangement at the frame, needle bearings or journal bearings are provided.
The use of an electronic force sensor of the type HITCHTRONIC TYP KS 5 of Robert Bosch G.m.b.H., in particular, results in a simple installation of an electronic height control of the attachment of a harvesting machine.


A pressure adjustment apparatus for adjusting a pressure of liquid inside a liquid ejection head including nozzles and flow channels includes: a tank; a pump; a buffer chamber; a first switching device; and a second switching device. The tank includes a movable film and a hermetically sealed container of a prescribed volume, the movable film dividing the hermetically sealed container into a gas chamber filled with gas and a liquid chamber filled with the liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejection head. The pump changes a pressure of the gas inside the gas chamber so as to adjust a pressure of the liquid inside the liquid chamber. The buffer chamber is filled with the gas and damps gas-flow pulsations caused by the pump. The first switching device connects and disconnects the buffer chamber and the gas chamber. The second switching device switches between a state where the pump is connected to the gas chamber without through the buffer chamber, and a state where the pump is connected to the buffer chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure adjustment apparatus provided with a buffer chamber for damping a pulsating flow generated by a pump which adjusts the back pressure in a liquid ejection head, and to an image forming apparatus provided with this pressure adjustment apparatus, a pressure adjustment method for adjusting the back pressure in a liquid ejection head, and a liquid remaining amount determination method which is based on the adjustment of back pressure in a liquid ejection head.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet printer has been known which includes a plurality of nozzles which eject ink, a plurality of pressure chambers which are connected respectively to the plurality of nozzles, and a common flow channel for supplying ink to the plurality of pressure chambers. In the liquid ejection head of this kind, in order to avoid leakage of ink from the nozzles, it is necessary to set the pressure in the flow channels inside the liquid ejection head (and more specifically, the pressure inside the pressure chambers and the pressure inside the common flow channel) to a pressure that is lower than the atmospheric pressure. Moreover, if the pressure in the flow channels inside the liquid ejection head varies, then this affects the liquid droplet generating process, which in turn affects the quality of the image formed on the ejection receiving medium. Therefore, it is preferable to maintain a uniform pressure differential between the pressure in the flow channels of the liquid ejection head, and the atmospheric pressure.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-150963 discloses a durable and relatively simple pressure adjustment apparatus for adjusting the pressure in the flow channels inside a liquid ejection head in which a membrane pump for pressure adjustment is provided, and a buffer tank for reducing the pulsating flow generated by the pump is provided in the ink tube between this pump and the liquid ejection head.
However, since the buffer tank provided in the ink tube between the pump and the liquid ejection head generally has a large volume, then it takes time until the pressure inside the liquid ejection head reaches a prescribed negative pressure which is lower than the atmospheric pressure. If it takes time to establish the back pressure (a negative pressure which is lower than the atmospheric pressure) in the liquid ejection head in this way, then the standby time until the start of a printing operation becomes longer, and therefore the printing productivity declines.

Pressure adjustment apparatus and image forming apparatus, and pressure adjustment method and liquid remaining amount determination method


The present invention provides a computer program product, method and data processing apparatus for reviewing files for potential malware. The computer program product comprises logging code operable to maintain a statistical log having an entry for each file sent for review, each entry being arranged to store a count value indicating the number of times that the file has been sent for review and a value of one or more predetermined attributes relating to the file. Weighting table code is also used to maintain a weighting table identifying, for each value of said one or more predetermined attributes, a weighting indicating the likelihood that a file having that value of the one or more predetermined attributes will be malware. The computer program product further comprises statistical log interface code operable, upon receipt of a file, to determine with reference to the statistical log the count value relating to that file, and action determination code operable, if the count value determined by the statistical log interface code exceeds a predetermined threshold, to reference the weighting table to determine the weighting to be associated with the file, based on the value of said one or more predetermined attributes associated with that file in the statistical log. Finally, action performing code is provided to perform predetermined actions in relation to the file depending on the weighting determined by the action determination code. It has been found that this technique is useful in identifying files that may potentially contain malware.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to techniques for controlling access to suspicious files, and more particularly to a computer program product, method and data processing apparatus for reviewing files for potential malware. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, "malware" may include, amongst other things, viruses, worms, Trojans, and/or computer files, words, content, etc that are considered to be banned, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to perform malware scanning of files, for example to seek to prevent the distribution of such malware within a computer network. Accordingly, appropriate scanning software has been written for installation within the computer network so as to enable files to be scanned at appropriate times, for example when they are written to a device within the computer network, read from such a device, etc. An example of such scanning software would be anti-virus (AV) software installed within the computer network to perform scanning of the files in order to determine whether they contain computer viruses.
Typically, the anti-virus scanner can be configured to determine when scanning is performed (e.g. when files are read, when files are written, both, etc), what type of files are scanned (all files, only executable files, files of a type in which a macro program may be embedded, compressed files, etc), and what type of scanning is performed. Currently, there are two general types of scanning that are performed. The first type of scanning involves the use of anti-virus algorithms that compare a suspect file to a dictionary of known virus characteristics, whilst the second type of scanning involves the use of heuristic algorithms that seek to detect virus-like activity associated with a file being scanned.
Regarding the first type of scanning, this is basically a "find/fix" technique. When a new virus is released into the public domain, anti-virus vendors have to obtain a sample of the virus code to be able to add detection routines into their anti-virus software, and then release a signature file that has to be loaded into the dictionary of known virus characteristics by each of the anti-virus vendor's customers. This means that anti-virus software of the first type is always "one step behind" the virus writers, and if a new virus is received by a user on a computer network, the virus can very rapidly spread out of control until the new signature file is developed by the anti-virus vendor.
Whilst the second type of scanning involving heuristic detection can provide some assistance in detecting new viruses, it would be desirable to provide an improved technique for detecting the presence of new viruses, or other types of malware, within a computer network.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved technique for detecting potential malware within a computer network.


An optical receiver, small and inexpensive, is used for a WDM transmission system in place of a wavelength demultiplexer. In the receiver, a light-transmitting medium and a photodiode (PD) are placed on the same substrate, a wavelength-selecting filter is attached perpendicularly or obliquely to the end face of or to a cut section at the midpoint of the medium, the filter transmits only the assigned wavelength included in the incident light having multiplexed wavelengths, and the PD detects only the assigned wavelength. With an optical fiber, the fiber can be housed in a ferrule. In this case, the filter is inserted into a filter-supporting hole provided at a midpoint of the ferrule, the ferrule is fixed in a groove formed on the substrate, and an optical pathway-changing groove formed on the substrate reflects light having emerged from the optical fiber to introduce it into the PD.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical receiver for an optical communication system, particularly an optical receiver that can be used advantageously in an optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) communication system that transmits signals by using light having a plurality of different wavelengths.
2. Description of the Background Art
As optical communication systems become prevalent in the world, they have been increasingly incorporating WDM transmission systems that use a plurality of wavelengths in order to further increase the capacity of communication. In particular, researchers and engineers have been studying a system that connects a central office and subscribers by using a plurality of wavelengths, for example from four to sixteen wavelengths, in order to introduce optical fibers into the subscribers' lines at low cost.
In this case, a high-performance wavelength multiplexer is placed at a wavelength multiplexing point at a ratio of m:1 (m: the degree of multiplexing) at a central office to produce light having multiplexed wavelengths. At the subscribers' side, on the other hand, a high-performance wavelength demultiplexer is placed at a wavelength demultiplexing point at a ratio of 1:m to separate the light according to individual wavelengths. Supposing that the light has multiplexed wavelengths consisting of λ1, λ2, . . . , λm, the wavelength demultiplexer selects light having a wavelength, λj, assigned to the j-th subscriber to send the selected light to the optical fiber for the j-th subscriber. In principle, any wavelength demultiplexer can also be used as a multiplexer. Thus, for simplicity, the word "multiplexer" is used in this specification as a general term to refer to both multiplexers and demultiplexers, except when it is necessary to distinguish the two devices or functions. Because high-performance optical wavelength multiplexers can multiplex and demultiplex a multitude of wavelengths at a time, they have already been put into practical use in long-distance, wide-area transmission systems.
In order to apply the above-mentioned WDM communication system to a small area, it is essential to construct the system at low cost. Conventional optical wavelength multiplexers placed at wavelength multiplexing points at a ratio of m:1 and at wavelength demultiplexing points at a ratio of 1:m are extremely high-cost, which as a result increases the cost of the WDM communication system. Consequently, researchers and engineers have been studying to develop a system in which no expensive optical wavelength multiplexers are used.
One of the studies has been reported by Y. Murakami and M. Kouchi in a report, entitled "Development of simplified WDM system—Development of compact EDFA and optical receiver provided with optical BPF," in the Technical Report of IEICE OCS99-60 (1999–09) (pp. 41–46), where IEICE is a abbreviation for The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers of Japan.
The WDM communication system in this report uses inexpensive star couplers, in place of optical wavelength multiplexers, at wavelength multiplexing points and wavelength demultiplexing points. Because a star coupler has no function of wavelength separation, it distributes light having the same wavelength spectrum to all the optical fibers connected to it. At a light-receiving side, a band pass filter (BPF) selects light having the wavelength λj to receive it.
In the system proposed in the report, it is advantageous to bring the wavelengths of a plurality of optical signals closer to one another so that the number of subscribers can be increased. However, when the neighboring wavelengths are close to each other, strict control over the accuracy of the wavelength of light produced by an optical source and over the accuracy of the wavelength of light received by an optical receiver is required. Consequently this increases the cost. In this report, the system is designed to use eight wavelengths in the 1.5 μm band, with each wavelength having a band width of 3.2 nm. More specifically, eight center wavelengths are assigned to, for instance, 1,536.6 nm, 1,539.8 nm, 1,543.0 nm, . . . , 1,559.0 nm at 3.2-nm intervals. Because the center wavelengths are assigned at extremely narrow intervals, the light-emitting devices must be laser diodes (LDs) having an extremely sharp spectrum in the emitted light at the assigned center wavelength. Similarly, at a light-receiving device side, it is necessary to use a wavelength-selecting filter having a sharp wavelength selectivity.
Some terms used in this specification are defined below. Supposing that the number of different wavelengths used in a WDM transmission system is m, the wavelengths are denoted in λ1, λ2, . . . , λm. Supposing that the same interval is given to the neighboring wavelengths, the interval is denoted in Δ. Of course, different intervals may be employed.
Supposing that the number of subscribers (optical network units: ONUs) is m, the subscribers are denoted in U1, U2, . . . , Um. The j-th subscriber, Uj, exclusively receive the j-th wavelength, λj=λ1+(j−1)Δ. Consequently, the wavelength λj is referred to as "the assigned wavelength" for the subscriber Uj. The set of the other wavelengths, λ1, λ2, . . . , λj−1, λj+1, . . . , λm, is referred to as "the complementary wavelength" and denoted in Γj. Hence, Γj={λ1, λ2, . . . , λj−1, λj+1, . . . , λm}. This can also be expressed in Γj=Λ−λj, where Λ signifies the set of all the wavelengths.
The j-th LD, which emits light having the wavelength λj, is denoted in Lj. The light emitted from Lj has a sharp peak at the wavelength λj. The band width assigned to each wavelength is Δ or less, which is extremely narrow. The j-th filter, Fj, selectively transmits the assigned wavelength λj out of the set of all the wavelengths, Λ={λ1, λ2, . . . , λm}, reflecting the complementary wavelength, Γj={λ1, λ2, . . . , λj−1, λj+1, . . . , λm}.
The system in the report uses a star coupler, which is low in cost and has no function of wavelength separation, for multiplexing and demultiplexing wavelengths. Consequently, an optical receiver must select the assigned wavelength on its own. However, photodiodes (PDs) based on InGaAs, conventionally used for optical communications, have high sensitivity in a wide wavelength spectrum from 1.0 to 1.6 μm. In other words, an InGaAs-based PD has no wavelength selectivity. Therefore, the system in the report places a BPF that selectively transmits the assigned wavelength forward of the PD in an optical receiver.
A BPF is produced by laminating a plurality of layers consisting of at least two types of dielectric layers having different refractive indexes and thickinesses. It transmits a specified wavelength only. The system in the report uses a BPF that transmits the assigned wavelength, λj, and reflects the other wavelengths, i.e., the complementary wavelength, Γj.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an optical receiver used in the report. A disc-shaped metal stem 1 mounts a PD 2. Although not shown in the figure, the stem 1 has pins, to which the upper and lower electrodes of the PD 2 are connected with wires. The stem 1 is securely inserted into a lens holder 4, made of cylindrical metal, that holds a lens 3 at the forward opening. The lens holder 4 is inserted into a larger cylindrical housing 5. A cylindrical holder 6 is welded to the end of the housing 5 in optical alignment.
A cylindrical inverse collimator 7, a disc-shaped BPF 8, and a cylindrical collimator 9 are inserted into the holder 6 in optical alignment. A cylindrical ferrule 11, also, is inserted into the holder 6 to support the end of an optical fiber 10.
Incoming light having multiplexed wavelengths has all the wavelength components (Λ={λ1, λ2, . . . , λm}). A beam of incoming light emerges from the optical fiber 10, is spread out by the collimator 9 to become a parallel beam, and is subjected to the wavelength selection carried out by the BPF 8. The BPF 8 transmits the assigned wavelength only and reflects the complementary wavelength. The transmitted light is focused through the inverse collimator 7, passes through an opening 12, enters the housing 5, is focused through the lens 3, and finally enters the PD 2. Thus, the PD 2 detects the assigned wavelength λj only.
As mentioned above, a collimator is provided in an optical receiver, because a BPF made of a dielectric multilayer film cannot perform strict wavelength selection unless a parallel beam of light is supplied. Even a slight gradient of a beam can cause an error in the wavelength selectivity. When light emerges from an optical fiber, the beam of light spreads out in accordance with the numerical aperture (NA) determined by the refractive indexes of the core and cladding. Divergent rays of a beam have different angles of gradient in the cross section. Therefore, the BPF cannot select the assigned wavelength accurately under this condition. It is necessary to use a collimator to introduce light in the form of a parallel beam into a BPF made of a dielectric multilayer film.
The optical receiver shown in FIG. 1 is large and extremely expensive because it is composed of a housing, a lens holder, and a holder to house and secure a lens, a collimator, and an inverse collimator. The optical receiver measures no less than 7 to 10 mm in diameter and 15 to 20 mm in length. It is difficult for a system that requires such large and expensive devices to come into widespread use as a communication system for connecting subscribers of general households.


In correspondence with the left and right external ears of a listener occupying a seat, a three dimensional sound field reproducing unit includes at least more than two speakers disposed on a headrest on the top of a backrest of the seat, and three dimensional signal processing means which converts an output signal from a sound source into a three dimensional sound field signal for supplying it to each of the speakers. Three dimensional sound field with high accuracy and fidelity is reproduced near the external ears of the listener.

Conventionally, many systems have been proposed in which a listener enjoys listening to a stereophonic sound field by wearing a headphone. These systems are mainly based on the principle that the sound arrived at eardrums is controlled to reproduce the original sound field. However, since the distance from the external ears to the eardrums are largely different every individual, the sound field to be localized in the front may sometimes shift to the rear, which dulls the sense of distance.
In addition, there have been devised techniques in which, by utilizing speakers in a room or inside a vehicle compartment, the arriving time of the sound waves from the speakers to a listener is made even to control the position of the image, or in which a transfer characteristic is convoluted into the input signal to be inputted to the speakers to control the sound field. However, these techniques have shortcomings that they are valid only within a small listening area and are for instance effective only for one listener who sits on a target seat inside the vehicle compartment (hereinafter also referred to as the seat). Still further, these techniques exert a different effect that largely varies depending on a situation where other listeners are seated inside the vehicle and a situation where nobody is.
This invention has been made to solve the above-described and other problems, and has an object of providing a vehicle-mounted three dimensional sound field reproducing unit which enables reproduction of a) a sound field with high accuracy and fidelity near the external ears of the listener without wearing a headphone, and b) a sound field with high accuracy and fidelity as compared with the conventional headphone having one speaker per one ear, as a result of adoption of at least two or more speakers (i.e., four or more speakers for both the ears).

Vehicle-mounted stereophonic sound field reproducer


The invention relates to a non-destructive method for measuring the elasticity of templates of materials for lining automotive vehicle components, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: applying a tensile pre-load with a predetermined value P1 in a longitudinal direction to a template section (41); applying a tensile load with a predetermined value P2 in a longitudinal direction to said section (41) and measuring the longitudinal deformation produced; removing the load applied to said section (41) and measuring the residual longitudinal deformation produced. The invention also comprises an apparatus (11) for carrying out the method which comprises two fixing elements (15, 17) for fixing the section (41), one of which elements is a fixed element (15) and the other is a moving element (17), a device for applying a tensile load to the moving element (17) connected to a dynamometer (29), and a rule (31) for measuring the longitudinal deformation of said section (41).

Tests in which a sample of the material is subjected to tension, typically until it breaks, are usually used to measure the elasticity of the materials.
In these tests, the sample is secured at its ends, a load is applied moving an actuator joined to an end of the sample, whereas the other end remains fixed and the load applied and the elongation of the sample are measured.
In the case of leather used to line vehicle steering wheels, the industry has standardized destructive tests such as that described in standard DIN 53 328.
Non-destructive tests are also known in the leather industry such as those described in patent applications EP 0866327 and EP 1081235, which are used to check different quality aspects of the parts in order to be able to provide the necessary guarantees to its recipients.
For the particular case of materials used to line certain vehicle components, particularly steering wheels, additional methods for measuring elasticity which allow improving the processes for lining said components are necessary.
The present invention is aimed at satisfying this need.

Method and apparatus for measuring the elasticity of materials for lining vehicle components


The present technique relates to a transmission device, a transmission method, a reception device, a reception method, and a program capable of reducing interference to an adjacent channel in a case where connected-transmission is performed. A transmission device according to an aspect of the present technique includes a signal generating unit configured to generate a plurality of signals having a predetermined frequency bandwidth, a power adjusting unit configured to adjust power of signals so that the power of a signal transmitted using a frequency band close to an end of a channel is less than the power of the signal transmitted using a frequency band close to a center of the channel, and a transmission unit configured to use the channel to transmit, in a connected manner, the signals of which powers have been adjusted. The present technique can be applied to a transmission device for performing connected-transmission.

In recent years, the effective use of a so-called white space, which is generated by reallocation of broadcast frequency bands, is actively discussed. The white space is a part of a broadcast frequency band that can also be used for other purposes because of geographical condition and time condition.
Using the white space, for example, an area broadcast system which is an area-limited broadcast system has been suggested.
FIG. 1 is a figure showing forms of usage of a frequency band for the area broadcast system. As shown in FIG. 1, forms of usage of a frequency band include five forms, e.g., a full segment type, a Null-attached one-segment (1seg) type, a one-segment (1seg) type, a multi-one segment (taba-seg) type, and separate segment (bara-seg) type.
For example, the multi-one segment (taba-seg) type is a form of broadcast, in which only one-segment (1seg) portion is extracted from a frequency band (6 MHz, 13 segments) for one channel of digital terrestrial television broadcast, and it is connected with one-segment (1seg) portions of other channels and the one-segment (1seg) portions are broadcast in a frequency band for one channel.
On the other hand, the separate segment (bara-seg) type is a form of broadcast that is done with a shift of the central frequency (the segment position) of a frequency bandwidth of 468 kHz, which is the same as the one-segment (1seg) type.

Transmission device, transmission method, reception device, reception method, and program


A power efficient system and method for linear signal power amplification are provided. A linear power amplifier provides signal amplification from a system input to a system output and is drain-modulated with a power supply signal. An active compensation circuit generates the power supply signal, which is substantially proportional to an envelope of the system input, and provides it to the power amplifier through a low-impedance output. The active compensation circuit reduces noise in the system output spectrum.

A linear power amplifier generates an output signal, which is an amplified version of an input signal. When the linear power amplifier is powered by a static power supply, the power efficiency is seen to be very poor. There is considerable motivation to be able to increase the power efficiency of the linear power amplifier in order to reduce operating costs.
An existing technique called drain modulation improves the power efficiency of the linear power amplifier. Instead of using a static power supply, the linear power amplifier is supplied with a power supply signal that is a high-power modulated form of the input signal. The power supply signal driving the linear power amplifier tracks the envelope of the input signal resulting in a power efficiency increase. However, considerable noise in the output signal spectrum restricts the practical application of this technique

Linear power amplifier circuit with a modulated power supply signal


The present invention relates to 3(2H)-furanone compounds possessing fungicidal activity to plant fungi and a process for preparing them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel 3(2H)-furanone derivatives of the following formula (I) useful as fungicides having excellent activities to plant fungi and a process for preparing them. ##STR1## wherein, R is C.sub.1 .about.C.sub.2 alkyl, allyl or 2-chloroallyl group;
X is halogen atom, methyl, C.sub.1 .about.C.sub.2 alkoxy, cyano, thioethyl or nitro group; and PA1 Y is halogen atom, hydrogen, methyl or trifluoromethyl group. PA1 A and B are independently halogen atom, trifluoromethyl or alkyl group.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior to the present invention, furanone derivatives of the following formula (a) were known as herbicides, but the compounds (a) had not been used as fungicides. ##STR2## wherein, R.sup.1 is alkyl group; and

Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology


A system described herein may provide a technique for the dynamic selection of edge computing devices, such as Multi-Access/Mobile Edge Computing devices (“MECs”), to provide services to User Equipment (“UEs”) based on factors such as MEC load, services and/or applications available or supported by particular MECs, UE location, service requirements, and/or other factors. One or more devices that are external to a network with which MECs are provided may be able to request services from a suitable MEC and/or identify a suitable MEC to provide such services. In this manner, control over the selection of particular MECs may be provided to devices or systems that are external to the network, thus providing an enhanced level of granular control and dynamism to such external devices or systems with respect to MEC selection.

Service providers may provide network-based services to User Equipment ("UEs"), such as mobile telephones, Internet of Things ("IoT") devices, Machine-to-Machine ("M2M") devices, tablet computers, workstations, and/or other types of devices. Some services may be associated with service requirements, such as Quality of Service ("QoS") requirements including latency requirements, and/or processing requirements such as processor-related requirements, memory-related requirements, storage-related requirements, or the like. Some networks may include edge-based computing devices, such as Multi-Access/Mobile Edge Computing ("MEC") devices, referred to herein simply as "MECs," to provide services according to such requirements.

Systems and methods for demand-based dynamic service provisioning in an edge computing system


Examples of methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable storage media are provided to facilitate access and control of a remote desktop of a remote machine by a web browser of a client device through a web server without installing proprietary plug-ins or protocols on the client device. A web server may translate user input requests from a windows web browser into input calls compatible with a remote desktop display protocol. The web server may receive remote desktop drawing commands from the remote machine and translate the remote desktop drawing commands into web browser drawing updates compatible with the windows web browser. A web server may communicate with the windows web browser and a remote machine via HTTP and a remote desktop display protocol, accordingly.

Traditional implementations of remote desktop protocols enable a remote user to access his or her desktop or applications from a client device over a LAN or WAN network topology to a server.
The traditional approach is for a software infrastructure vendor to support a specific public or proprietary remote desktop display protocol, which is native or installed on a server. To access the server using a remote desktop protocol, a client typically needs to have a protocol-specific software application that executes on the user's specific operating system and platform or plug-in for a specific browser.
Conventional approaches are thus cumbersome to users. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that facilitate user interaction with an application running on a server from a client device and provide an improved experience for users at the client device.

Methods and systems for facilitating a remote desktop session for a web browser and a remote desktop server


A fluid valve comprises a valve housing having at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet and having a valve axis. At least one of the inlet and outlet is arranged in a wall extending circumferentially about the valve axis. The valve further comprises a rotary valve body arranged within the valve housing for rotation about the valve axis. The rotary valve body comprises a frusto-conical valve body wall and at least one inlet or outlet valve body opening through the valve body wall, the valve body being rotatable about the valve axis so as selectively to place the valve housing inlet and valve housing outlet into fluid communication via the at least one valve body opening. The at least one inlet or outlet valve body opening is a slot which extends in the direction of the valve axis.

Fluid valves typically comprise a valve housing having inlet and outlet ports and a rotary valve body which is rotatable within the valve housing to selectively open and close ports in the valve housing and thus direct fluid between different ports or to prevent fluid flow between the ports. An example of such a valve is a 3-port, 3 position valve. In such a valve, there is typically a rotary ball element with cylindrical channels formed therein which changes the connection of the ports. Typically the ports are spaced apart by 90 degrees, and each position change of the valve requires a 90 degree rotation of the ball element, and to cover all three rotational positions of the valve it is necessary to allow for 180 degrees of rotation in total. This large rotational movement required may limit the number of actuator types which may be used to rotate the ball element. Also, it may mean that movement of the ball element between positions may be slow.


A battery .cndot. terminal, wherein a pair of right, left clamping plate portions of the terminal main body are inserted into the notch portion of the clamping equipment, the bolt is clamped from above in the vertical direction with respect to the nut through the gap between the right, left clamping plate portions, the right, left clamping plate portions are moved by the taper face of the clamping equipment at the clamping time in the mutually approaching horizontal directions, the electrode engagement portion is adapted to be put into pressure contact against the external peripheral face of the battery .cndot. post, so that the terminal can be secured by the clamping operation from the vertical direction or obliquely from above with respect to the battery .cndot. post.

The present invention generally relates to a battery .cndot. terminal provided on the electrodes (battery .cndot. posts) of the battery mounted on an automobile and so on, and more particularly, the battery .cndot. terminal is adapted to be mounted from the above portion in the vertical direction so as to improve the operationality, and so on.
Generally, this type of battery .cndot. terminal has an electrode engagement portion 3a of the battery .cndot. terminal (hereinafter referred to as terminal) 3 externally engaged with the battery .cndot. posts (hereinafter referred to as posts) 2 projected from the top face of the battery 1 as shown in FIG. 13, a bolt 4 extended in a horizontal direction into the bolt hole of a basic plate portion 3b and a clamping plate portion 3c, a nut 6 clamped from the horizontal direction with an impact wrench 5 being laid flat horizontally with respect to the bolt 4, the terminal 3 secured to the post 2 with the electrode engagement portion 3a being in pressure contact against the post 2.
In recent years, established components have become extremely numerous within the engine compartment of the automobile to have a very high density therein. Projections (for example, air ducts) higher than posts, and electric wires are provided more around the battery. When the bolts 4 are arranged in the horizontal direction as described hereinabove under such situation, and the nuts 6 are clamped with the impact wrench 5 being laid flat, the impact wrench interferes with the other parts and is hard to clamp. The impact wrench cannot be clamped with no space for installing thereof in the horizontal direction.
When the impact wrenches interfere with the other components, for example, the clamping operation of the post on+side is effected, a short circuiting operation is caused if the impact wrench comes into contact with the post on side so as to cause the vehicle fire in the worst case. In order to prevent the above described interference, there is a problem that the other parts have to be changed in shape.
A battery .cndot. terminal where a bolt 4 is arranged inclined at an acute angle with respect to the axial line of the electrode engagement portion of the terminal 3 and the nut 6 is adapted to be clamped from the oblique upper portion by the impact wrench 5, as shown in FIG. 14, with respect to the above described problem (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-7567.)
A basic plate portion 3b' and a clamping plate 3c' are formed oppositely so that a taper spreading downwards is provided, a tightening plate 7 whose both sides are downwards spread is astride the above described basic plate portion 3b' and a clamping plate 3c'.A basic plate portion 3b' and a clamping plate 3c' are clamped by the tightening plate 7 by the clamping operation of the bolt 4 from above. A battery .cndot. terminal is provided which is adapted to depress the electrode engagement portion 3a' against the post 2 (Japanese Utility Model Publication Jitsukohei No. 4-9736.)
In the above described battery .cndot. terminal conventionally provided, torsion is added with an angle so that the basic plate portion 3b and a clamping plate 3c may be inclined with respect to the axial direction of the electrode engagement portion 3a so as to clamp the nut 6 from the oblique upper portion in the above described terminal. As the clamping direction between the basic plate portion 3b and the clamping plate 3c formed with this angle torsion is different from the direction in which the electrode engagement portion 3a comes into pressure contact against the external peripheral face of the battery .cndot. post, thus resulting in a problem that the clamping force cannot be burdened sufficiently in the pressure contact direction of the electrode engagement portion.
In a battery .cndot. terminal shown in FIG. 15, the clamping force of the bolt is externally spread and both the sides 7a, 7b of the tightening plate does not burden sufficiently the internal clamping force upon the basic plate portion 3b' and the clamping plate 3c', with a disadvantage that the electrode engagement portion 3a' cannot be put into positive pressure contact against the post 2.


Various embodiments relate to a system and method for decorrelating an audio signal with a hybrid filter. The hybrid filter is generated by first generating a decorrelation filter. A frequency-dependent warping is applied to the decorrelation filter. The warped decorrelation filter is then mixed with a carrier filter to generate the hybrid filter. The carrier filter may include filters for spatial processing of an audio signal, filters for upmixing an audio signal, and/or filters for downmixing an audio signal.

The present invention relates to decorrelation of audio signals. Decorrelation is an audio processing technique that reduces the correlation between a set of audio signals. Decorrelation may be used to modify the perceived spatial imagery of an audio signal. Examples of how decorrelation may be used to modify spatial imagery include: decreasing the "phantom" source effect between a pair of audio channels; widening the perceived distance between a pair of audio channels; improving the externalization of an audio signal when it is reproduced over headphones; and/or increasing the perceived diffuseness in a reproduced sound field.
A common method of reducing correlation between two (or more) audio signals is to randomize the phase of each audio signal. For example, two all-pass filters, each based upon different random phase calculations in the frequency domain, may be used to filter each audio signal. However, the decorrelation may introduce timbral changes or other unintended artifacts into the audio signals.

System and method for variable decorrelation of audio signals


A one-time-use camera comprising a plug which must be separated from a chamber to permit removal of an article from the chamber, and a breakable retainer for the plug which is broken to allow the plug to be separated from the chamber, is characterized in that the plug and the retainer have respective engaged portions arranged relative to one another to make the plug be separated from the chamber as the retainer is broken.

Film and cameras that are all in one, commonly referred to as single-use or one-time-use cameras, have become well known. Typically, the one-time-use camera is a simple point-and-shoot type comprising a plastic main body part which supports a film cartridge in a cartridge receiving chamber, a film take-up spool in a film supply chamber, a fixed-focus taking lens, a film metering mechanism with a rotatably supported metering sprocket, a manually rotatable film advance thumbwheel rotatably engaged with a film spool inside the film cartridge, a single-blade shutter, a manually depressible shutter release button, a frame counter for indicating the number of exposures remaining for picture-taking, a direct see-through viewfinder, and in some models an electronic flash. A pair of plastic front and rear cover parts house the main body part between them to complete the camera unit. The rear cover part connects to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to make the main body part light-tight. A decorative cardboard outer box or label at least partially contains the camera unit and may have respective openings for the taking lens, the shutter release button, the film advance thumbwheel, the viewfinder, the frame counter, and a flash emission window for the electronic flash.
To use the one-time-use camera, after the photographer takes a picture, he or she manually rotates the thumbwheel in a film winding direction to rotate the film spool inside the film cartridge, to wind an exposed section of the filmstrip into the film cartridge. The rewinding movement of the filmstrip the equivalent of slightly more than one frame width rotates the metering sprocket (in engagement with the filmstrip) to decrement the frame counter to its next lower-numbered setting and to pivot a metering lever into engagement with the thumbwheel to prevent further manual rotation of the thumbwheel. Manually depressing the shutter release button to take another picture pivots the metering lever out of engagement with the thumbwheel to permit renewed rotation of the thumbwheel. When the maximum number of exposures available on the filmstrip are exposed, and the filmstrip is completely wound off the take-up spool and rewound into the film cartridge, the one-time-use camera is given to a photofinisher who tears the outer box off the camera unit, separates the rear cover part from the main body part, and removes the film cartridge with the exposed filmstrip from the cartridge receiving chamber. Then, he removes the exposed filmstrip from the film cartridge to develop the negatives and make prints for the customer, and he forwards the used camera parts to the manufacturer for recycling, i.e. remanufacture.
Typically, during original manufacture or recycling (remanufacture) of the one-time-use camera, a film leader protruding from the film cartridge is attached to the film take-up spool, the film cartridge and the film take-up spool are loaded into the cartridge receiving and film supply chambers, and an intermediate leader section which bridges the film take-up spool and the film cartridge is engaged with the metering sprocket. Then, the front and rear cover parts are connected to the main body part and/or to the front cover part to complete the camera unit. Then, an engageable end of the take-up spool which protrudes from the film roll chamber is rotated to factory prewind substantially the entire length of the unexposed filmstrip from the film cartridge onto the film take-up spool and to rotate the metering sprocket to increment the frame counter to its total-available frame number setting. Lastly, the outer box is placed on the camera unit.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,858, issued Sep. 4, 1990, discloses in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 a one-time-use camera comprising a plug which must be separated from a cartridge receiving chamber to permit removal of a film cartridge from the chamber, and a retainer for the plug which is broken or torn away to allow the plug to be separated from the chamber. Specifically, the plug is a light-tight integral cover portion of the rear cover part, which seals the chamber for the film cartridge, and the retainer is an integral tear-away portion of the outer box, which normally covers the cover portion to prevent it from being pivoted open to uncover the chamber. When the one-time-use camera is given to a photofinisher, he first tears away the tear-away portion along a line of perforations and then opens the cover portion and removes the film cartridge from the chamber.

One-time-use camera with break-away retainer for removable plug


Inkjet inks are described that have, as a principal component, a crosslinked polyurethane dispersoid binder additive. These inks can be used for printing on different media, and are particularly suitable for printing on paper.

This invention pertains to inkjet inks, more specifically to pigmented inkjet inks containing crosslinked polyurethane dispersoid binders, which are particularly suitable for printing on paper and other media substrates.
Inkjet recording is a printing method wherein droplets of ink are ejected through fine nozzles to form letters or figures on the surface of recording media. Inks used in such recording are subject to rigorous demands including, for example, good dispersion stability, ejection stability, and good fixation to media.
Both dyes and pigments have been used as colorants for inkjet inks. While dyes typically offer superior color properties compared to pigments, they tend to fade quickly and are more prone to rub off. Inks comprising pigments dispersed in aqueous media are advantageously superior to inks using water-soluble dyes in water-fastness and light-fastness of printed images. Additives to the ink formulation are often required to achieve water-fastness.
Pigments suitable for aqueous inkjet inks are in general well known in the art. Traditionally, pigments are stabilized by dispersing agents, such as polymeric dispersants or surfactants, to produce a stable dispersion of the pigment in the vehicle. Other additives to the ink modify the ink to match the needs for the target printed system, which includes the media.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,154 discloses polymer fine particles, each polymer fine particle containing a colorant. One of the candidate polymers making up the polymer portion of the fine particle is described as a crosslinked polyurethane.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,890 describes pigmented inks that contain pigments and polyurethane dispersants that stabilize the pigments. The pigment is dispersed by the polyurethane via dispersing techniques used to achieve a stabile pigment dispersion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,531 describes a water-based pigmented ink for use in inkjet printing (on paper and transparency media). The ink consists of a pigment and a latex, of which un-crosslinked polyurethanes are listed as candidate latexes.
WO03/029318 describes polyurethane block copolymers as dispersants for inks. These polyurethanes are crosslinked prior to inversion (addition of water to produce the polyurethane dispersion) not during or after inversion. There is also crosslinking derived from the added melamine crosslinker that is only effective at high temperatures and/or acidic conditions that occur at the time of the textile treatments after printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,834 describes an ink composition that can contain a polyurethane having chemical components that would make it hydrophobic and likely not dispersible in water.
The disclosures of all of the above-identified publications are incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth.
A disadvantage of inkjet printing, in particular inkjet printing with pigmented ink, is inkjet printed paper can lack durability that is required for the printed paper. Waterfastness is of the printed image still needs improvement.
Still, there is need in the art for improved durability of inkjet images, especially on paper, and especially in cases where the colorant is pigment.

Inkjet inks containing crosslinked polyurethanes


For the sake of improving dust removal from an electrostatic precipitator by rapping, the present disclosure proposes an electrostatic precipitator, comprising a flue gas chamber, a collecting electrode, a first rapping arrangement that raps the collecting electrode, a dust hopper, and a second rapping arrangement that raps at least one of the dust hopper and an element located within the dust hopper, wherein the second rapping arrangement is located within an inner chamber defined by the flue gas chamber and the dust hopper. The rapping by means of the second rapping arrangement may comprise rapping at least one of an inner wall of the dust hopper, a structural element located within the dust hopper and connected to at least one inner wall of the dust hopper, a rapping plate located within the dust hopper proximate to an inner wall of the dust hopper, and a baffle located within the dust hopper.

Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an electrostatic precipitator, to a method of modifying an electrostatic precipitator as well as to a method of rapping an electrostatic precipitator.
Description of the Related Art
Electrostatic precipitators are well known for removing particulate matter from a gaseous stream. For example, electrostatic precipitators are commonly found in industrial facilities where the combustion of coal, oil, industrial waste, town refuse, peat, biomass, or other fuels produces flue gases that contain particulate matter, e.g. fly ash. In other industrial processes the particulate matter consisting a fly dust or powder which is separated from a gaseous stream in an electrostatic precipitator.
Electrostatic precipitators operate by creating an electrostatic field between electrodes of at least two electrode systems. A first of these electrode systems typically has electrodes of a plate-like shape that are connected to a power supply so as to carry a positive charge. Such an electrode is commonly designated as a collecting electrode or collecting plate. A second of these electrode systems has electrodes typically embodied in the form of a wire or a pointed pipe that are connected to said power supply so as to carry a negative charge. Such an electrode is commonly designated as an emission electrode or discharge electrode. Particulate matter in a gaseous stream passing by the second electrode is likewise given a negative charge and is thus attracted to and retained by the positive charge on the collecting electrode.
Over time, particulate matter accumulates on the collecting electrode, thus diminishing the efficiency with which the electrostatic precipitator can remove particulate matter from the gaseous stream. To combat this problem, it is well known to mechanically hammer against the collecting electrode, a technique known as rapping. This rapping of the collecting electrode causes particulate matter (often termed "dust") to fall from the collecting electrode into a collecting bin (often termed a "dust hopper") provided therebelow, thus at least partially cleansing the collecting electrode of particulate matter.
The particulate matter that has fallen into the dust hopper is transported away, e.g. by means of a screw, a drag chain conveyor, a conveyor belt or other dust evacuation/transport system, and is properly disposed of in accordance with local laws.
It is an object of the present disclosure to improve upon this prior art.