An adjusting device for adjusting the length of a blank for a forging machine is provided. The device includes a cutter mounted on a support; an adjustment seat disposed movably on the support; a stop member fixed to the adjustment seat to stop and abut against an end of a rod-shaped material; a drive unit mounted on the support to move the adjustment seat so as to change the position of the stop member for adjustment of the length of the blank; and at least one fluid pressure-operated fixing unit associated with the adjustment seat. The fixing unit immobilizes the adjustment seat by abutting against the support when the fixing unit is pressurized, or permits the adjustment seat to move when the fixing unit is de-pressurized.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a forging machine, more particularly to an adjusting device for adjusting the length of a blank to be segmented from a rod-shaped material fed to a forging machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In common practice, the lengths of blanks cut from a rod-shaped raw material fed to a forging machine are varied according to the sizes and profiles of different products to be formed by the forging machine. Generally, the lengths of the blanks are controlled by adjusting a distance between a cutter and a stop member used to stop an end of the raw material advanced to the cutter. The smaller the distance between the stop member and the cutter, the shorter the length of a blank. However, because the stop member in the prior art is locked against movements by using a plurality of fastening screws attached to the stop member and a machine body, when it is necessary to adjust the lengths of the blanks, the fastening screws have to be loosened or detached to permit movement of the stop member relative to the machine body so as to adjust the position of the stop member. The operation to loosen and tighten the fastening screws for adjustment is inconvenient.

Adjusting device for adjusting the length of a blank for a forging machine


An extendable device mountable on a cargo rack of an all-terrain vehicle for supporting a camera or spotting scope and adjustable to secure the camera or spotting scope in a raised operative position above the rack or in a collapsed non-operative stored position proximate the rack. The device includes a base mounting plate for removable attachment of the device to a cargo rack of an all-terrain vehicle, a lower support arm having its lower end pivotally and rotatably connected by a ball joint to the base plate, an upper support arm having its lower end pivotally and rotatably connected to the upper end of the lower support arm by a ball joint, and a top mounting plate pivotally attached to the upper end of the upper support arm by a pivot joint for attachment to and support of a camera or spotting scope. Thumb screws are provided at each of the ball joints and at the pivot joint for loosening such joints to permit movement of the support arms and top mounting plate to extend the device to an operative position or to permit movement of the support arms downwardly to a collapsed non-operative position proximate the base plate or for tightening the ball joints and pivotal joint to hold the support arms and top mounting plate in the operative position or to hold the support arms and top mounting plate in the non-operative position.

Big game hunters and other outdoor sportspersons and naturalists frequently use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) for their personal transport and the transport of their camping and sports gear to more or less inaccessible cross-terrain locations. Such vehicles are generally of small jeep-type, four-wheel drive machines which are usually outfitted with front and rear cargo racks for camping gear and supplies and other support devices for gun and bow cases, fishing gear, etc. Hunters, outdoor sportspersons and naturalists usually carry with them cameras, binoculars and spotting scopes and, in association therewith, tripods and bipods for steadying support of such distance viewing and film recording devices. Frequently, the use of tripods and bipods for the support of cameras and spotting scopes is inconvenient and the rapid assembly of cameras and scopes to such support devices, to record and/or observe distant hunting prey and/or other natural events and scenes, may not be possible.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an adjustable support device for a camera or spotting scope including means for mounting such support device on an all-terrain vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustable and collapsible arm support device for a camera or spotting scope including a base plate for mounting such support device on the front cargo rack of an all-terrain vehicle.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following summary and detailed descriptions of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing figures.

Camera and spotting scope mounting device for all-terrain vehicles


A power molding press is controlled, in which a stepped mold product having a plurality of stepped portions is molded by compressing powder within a mold by relatively moving an upper punch assembly, a lower punch assembly including a plurality of lower punches arranged concentrically with each other and the mold by detecting a speed ratio of moving speeds of the upper and lower punch assemblies moved by the respective driving sources at a time of compressing the respective stepped portions of the mold product during a compressing time from a pressing start time to a pressing completion time, detecting positions of the upper and lower punch assemblies and the mold, detecting a compression ratio of compressed dimensions of the stepped portions of the mold product, and controlling the respective drive sources to control the relative moving speeds of the upper punch assembly, the lower punch assembly and the mold so that the speed ratios substantially accord with the compression ratios of the respective stepped portion of the mold product.

The present invention relates to a power molding method and, more particularly, to method and apparatus for controlling a powder molding press for producing stepped mold products.
A conventional powder molding press of the above type is shown in FIG. 26 of the type such as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 53-808767. Referring to FIG. 26, powder 101 filled in a die hole 110 of a die 100 disposed in a die plate is pressed by an upper punch assembly 102 and a lower punch assembly 103. The lower punch assembly 103 comprises cylindrical first, second and third lower punches 104, 105 and 106 which are relatively movably arranged concentrically with each other and is designed to mold stepped mold products.
As shown in FIG. 27, a mold 100 and the first and second lower punches 104 and 105 are lifted by an air cylinder, at the position where the raw material powder 101 is filled in the mold 100 as shown in FIG. 27A. Next, after a force is applied to the first and second lower punches 104 and 105 by a pressing-down force of the upper punch assembly 102, the first and second lower punches 104 and 105 are moved downward to bring them into abutment against an unillustrated stopper, thus the pressing being completed. A compression force of each one of a plurality of stepped sections 111 ... is adjusted by setting the air pressure of the air cylinder to an appropriate magnitude during the pressing process.
However, although in the above-described prior art, the powder pressing is started by the operation of the upper punch assembly 102 during the pressing process when the state shown in FIG. 27B changes to that shown in FIG. 27C, the density of a first stepped section 111 between the first lower punch 104 and the upper punch assembly 102 increases, and at the same time, powder in the first stepped section 111 falls to a second stepped section 112 between the second lower punch 105 and the upper punch assembly 102. When the pressing force of the upper punch assembly 102 exceeds the filling force of the first lower punch 104, the upper punch assembly 102 and the first lower punch 104 move downward at the same time, as shown in FIG. 27D. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 27E, the upper punch assembly 102 and the first and second lower punches 104 and 105 are moved downward and brought into abutment against the stopper, thus the pressing being completed. Before the pressing is completed, however, powder in the second stepped section 112 falls to the third stepped section 113 between a third punch 106 and the upper punch assembly 102.
In this way, according to the prior art, the powder solidifies while it is being moved from the first stepped section 111 to the second stepped section 112 and then further to the third stepped section 113 as the pressing proceeds. As a consequence, a crack 114 sometimes occurs in the corner formed between the first stepped section 111 and the second stepped section 112 and in the corner formed between the second stepped section 112 and the third stepped section 113.
In addition, since, the filling depth based on a calculation and, the amount of pressing must be adjusted, much time and high molding accuracy are required to obtain good mold products.

Method and apparatus for controlling powder molding press


A printer having an opening/closing cover for providing access to a roll paper compartment, a peeler mechanism for peeling printed labels from a web and for dispensing the peeled printed labels from the printer and an opening and closing mechanism 50 which locks and unlocks the cover and a peeler unit 10 of the peeler mechanism in response to the manual operation of a manual operating member such as a release button 17 with a single easy operation. When the release button 17 is depressed into a first operating position 17B, a lock lever 52 of the opening/closing mechanism 50 slides from a locked position 52A to a released position 52B to disengage the lock lever 52 thus unlocking the opening/closing cover 9. At the same time, the sliding lock lever 52 pushes engaging claws 74a, 73a that lock or unlocks the peeler unit 10. When the cover release button 17 is further depressed into a second operating position 17C, the lock lever 52 swings and a cover-lifting surface 54 on the lock lever 52 pushes the opening/closing cover 9 up causing the unlocked opening/closing cover 9 to move into a raised open position. Simply pushing the cover release button 17 thus unlocks and raises the opening/closing cover 9, and unlocks the peeler unit 10.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a peeler mechanism for peeling printed labels from a web, and relates more particularly to a printer having a peeler mechanism for dispensing printed labels. More particularly, the present invention is a printer having a peeler mechanism composed of an opening/closing cover that can be opened and closed to load roll paper having label paper wound in a roll into a roll paper compartment, and a peeler unit that can be opened and closed to open and close the web discharge path of the peeler mechanism, and relates specifically to an opening/closing mechanism for locking the opening/closing cover and peeler unit in a closed position to the printer and releasing the opening/closing cover and peeler unit from this closed and locked position.
2. Description of Related Art
Some printers that print to roll paper delivered from paper wound in a roll have a paper feed roller for conveying the roll paper assembled to an opening/closing cover that opens and closes the roll paper compartment so that when the opening/closing cover is closed the roll paper can be conveyed from the roll paper compartment by the paper feed roller. Opening the opening/closing cover of this printer opens the roll paper compartment and also raises the paper feed roller assembled to the opening/closing cover, thus providing wide, open access to the roll paper transportation path. By thus opening the roll paper transportation path, roll paper can be easily loaded into the printer for printing by placing the roll paper into the roll paper compartment, pulling a specific length of paper off the roll, and then simply closing the opening/closing cover.
To prevent the opening/closing cover from being accidentally opened by the operator, a lock mechanism locks the opening/closing cover in the position closed to the printer. This lock mechanism has an engagement portion disposed to the opening/closing cover, and a lock lever disposed to the printer. The lock lever can swing in the front-back direction of the printer, and a spring or other urging member causes the lock lever to engage the engagement portion of the closed opening/closing cover from the front or back side, thereby locking the opening/closing cover in the closed position.
Thermal printers, that is, printers having a thermal print head, print by holding the thermal head against a thermal paper to expose the paper to heat produced by the thermal head. When the opening/closing cover is closed, the platen roller (paper feed roller) attached to the cover and the thermal head on the printer side are urged together. The roll paper is thus held between the platen roller and the thermal head for printing. Opening the opening/closing cover thus requires releasing the lock mechanism of the opening/closing cover and lifting the cover up and opening against this urging force.
If the lock mechanism of the opening/closing cover is separate from the mechanism for raising and opening the opening/closing cover, opening the cover requires releasing the lock mechanism from the locked position and then a separate operation for lifting and opening the opening/closing cover by the opening mechanism. The opening/closing cover thus cannot be opened by a single operation, and operation is tedious and inconvenient. Opening the opening/closing cover is simplified, however, by linking operation of the lock mechanism to the cover opening mechanism so that the opening mechanism automatically raises and opens the cover when the lock mechanism is released. However, if these mechanisms are thus linked and the lock mechanism is accidentally released by impact or vibration, the opening/closing cover will undesirably open. This is particularly a problem if the cover thus opens during printing because printing cannot proceed.
To solve this problem, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2005-96290 we previously disclosed a locking and unlocking mechanism for an opening/closing cover. This locking and unlocking mechanism can open and close an opening/closing cover with a single action, and can hold the opening/closing cover in the closed position without being affected by external factors such as impact and vibration.
Printers that print on roll paper can also be used to print labels by using roll label paper. Such label paper has labels of a specific length adhesively attached to a web which is wound into a roll. Such label printers may also have a peeler mechanism for peeling the printed labels from the web disposed near the label discharge opening. So that paper jams can be easily corrected and the label paper can be easily loaded to the label transportation path, this peeler mechanism preferably has an openable peeler unit rendered so that opening the peeler unit also opens the web transportation path.
When an openable/closable peeler unit is thus disposed to the peeler mechanism and an opening/closing cover that opens and closes the roll paper compartment is also provided, a lock mechanism and an unlocking mechanism must be provided for both the peeler unit and this opening/closing cover, and separate operations are required to open and close the peeler unit and the opening/closing cover. Furthermore, printer size and cost increase undesirably because these mechanism are not compact. Yet further, if the opening and closing operations are not simple, printer operability also decreases undesirably.
To solve the foregoing problems, the present invention compactly renders a locking and unlocking mechanism for the peeler unit and opening/closing cover, and enables opening both the peeler unit and opening/closing cover by a simple operation. The invention also affords a printer with a peeler mechanism having an opening/closing mechanism that can hold the opening/closing cover in the closed position without being affected by external factors such as shock and vibration.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A measuring device for measuring length of flexible line moved through the device along with tensile force in moving or stationary line. The device has a grooved counterwheel and pressure wheels pressing the line into a groove around the counterwheel and includes adjusters for adjusting the pressing force exerted by each pressure wheel on the line. A load cell mounted on the device is used to measure the resultant force on the counterwheel from tensile force in the line. A counter or counterdrive is connectible to the counterwheel shaft.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to measuring devices and relates in particular to a combination device useful to measure length of flexible line moved through the device and any tensile force in the line.
2. Background Information
A number of measuring devices are known for use with flexible line reels and wireline units for various well servicing operations in the petroleum industry. Many well servicing operations involve lowering well tools into a well flow conduit and retrieving them from the conduit on flexible line. The flexible line usually used is metal cable or solid metal "wireline", which is wound on and off a drum by a reeling device. A number of devices are available which measure length of line wound off a reeling device to indicate depth the tool has been lowered into the well conduit. Some of these measurement devices also indicate tensile force in the line from weight of line and well tools suspended in the conduit.
A "standard measuring device" is shown and described on page 2584 of the "Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment and Services", 37th revision, Volume 2, published by World Oil.RTM., Box 2608, Houston, TX 77001. This measuring device has long been used extensively throughout the petroleum industry for measuring length of line moved through the device only. Use of this device contributes to early fatigue failure from bending of steel "measuring line" as the line is bent from straight 360.degree. or one complete wrap around the measuring wheel and back to straight as line moves through the device.
An example of a "measuring head", which also measures length of line moved through only, is shown on page 3.2 of "SIE Wireline Products", a publication of SIE, 7450 Winscott Rd., Ft. Worth, Texas 76126.
An example of a measuring device, which measures line tension and is supplied with a "live shaft" to which a counter may be connected, is shown on page 13 of Martin-Decker 1988-89 Catalog, published by Martin-Decker, 1200 Cypress Creek Rd., Cedar Park, Tex. 78613.
Shown on page 21 of a publication entitled "Mathey Wireline Units", by Mathey International, Ltd., P.O. Box 472110, Tulsa, OK 74147, are a number of "Depth Measuring Units" which measure length of line moved through the unit only. Also shown on page 21 are combination measuring units, which measure both length of line and "weight on" (tensile force in) the line.
"S.S.R. International Sales Catalogue Issue 4" also shows "counterheads" without load cells (for length measurement only) and a number of types of "counterheads" with load cells (for measurement of length and tensile force in the flexible line). This catalog was published by S.S.R. (International) Limited, Dyce, Aberdeen AB2 OGA, U.K.

Cable length and tension measuring device


A liquid crystal display according to this invention includes a liquid crystal display panel, a frame assembly accommodating the liquid crystal display panel and being provided with a space adjacent to an end of the accommodated liquid crystal display panel, and a designed package covering the frame assembly. There is provided on a surface of the frame assembly with a through hole exposing the space and the end of the liquid crystal display panel adjacent to the space. Further, provided on an inner surface of the designed package is a positioning projection which passes through the through hole to be brought into contact with the end of the liquid crystal display panel within the space. As the designed package and the liquid crystal display panel can be positioned directly with each other, it is possible to realize accurate positioning of the designed package with respect to the liquid crystal display panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device including a display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel.
2. Description of the Background Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a light-receiving type display device including a backlight and a liquid crystal display panel which displays an image by controlling a transmittance of light emitted from the backlight.
The liquid crystal display panel includes a glass substrate formed with wiring and electrodes, an opposed substrate opposing the glass substrate, and liquid crystals interposed between these substrates. A polarization plate is attached to each of the glass substrate and the opposed substrate. A display area of the liquid crystal display panel is formed by a large number of pixels. When a signal corresponding to an image is applied to each of the pixels, a transmittance of light is controlled in each of the pixels. In such a case, the image becomes visible from outside by irradiating the pixels with light emitted from the backlight which is disposed at a rear side of the liquid crystal display panel.
The liquid crystal display of this type is widely used in various applications because of advantages thereof such as lightweight and thinned properties. Such a liquid crystal display is used as a display of a personal computer, an on-vehicle display device, a display device of industrial apparatuses, and the like.
In recent years, there has been proposed a liquid crystal display including a designed package which has design properties. Such a liquid crystal display requires accurate positioning between a liquid crystal display panel and the designed package so that displacement therebetween is reduced. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-195781 describes a liquid crystal display in which a positioning pin provided to a designed package is fitted into a hole provided in a frame accommodating a backlight when the liquid crystal display panel is positioned.
However, in a conventional liquid crystal display or the liquid crystal display described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-195781, the designed package and the liquid crystal display panel are not positioned directly with each other, but the designed package and the liquid crystal display panel are positioned with the frame interposed therebetween. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the designed package and the liquid crystal display panel cannot be accurately positioned with each other. Further, in some cases, there has been a problem that the designed package partially interrupts the display area of the liquid crystal display panel, or a problem that the frame is exposed from an opening of the designed package.


Structured surface, having a support layer and, connected electrically to it, peak-shaped elements, each peak-shaped element exhibiting a cylindrical or conical shaped stem region adjacent to the support layer and at least two, preferably 2 to 4 peaks at the free end of the stem region. The structured surface is suitable in particular as electron emission source for ultra-flat image screens, for electron lithography or for scanning or transmission microscopy.

The present invention relates to a structured surface, having a support layer and, connected electrically to it, peak-shaped elements. The invention also relates to the use of this structured surface and a process for its manufacture.
All components in the field of vacuum electronics, such as cathode ray tubes for example, require a cathode to emit electrons into the vacuum. Up to now mainly thermal cathodes have been used for this purpose. These cathodes are heated to temperatures of 1000.degree. C. and more in order that the electrons on the surface of the cathode possess enough thermal energy that they can overcome the potential barrier on the surface of the cathode. The surfaces of thermal cathodes are chosen therefore with suitable surface layers that keep the energy that electrons require to escape as low as possible, this in order that high electron emission can be achieved.
A further possibility for producing electron emitting cathode surfaces is to apply a high electrical field force to a cold cathode, i.e. a cathode that has not been specially heated. Such cold electron-emitting cathode surfaces are called field emission surfaces. In order to achieve field emission currents of any significance, it is necessary to apply very high electrical field forces to the cathode surface. In order to keep the voltage applied to the cathode to as low a level as possible, and at the same time to achieve high electrical field forces locally, the cathode surfaces are usefully provided with finely structured peaks.
The flat screens e.g. in present-day laptop computers or portable television sets normally function as LCD (liquid crystal display) screens. Such LCD screens, however, allow only low switching rates with fast moving pictures, and in general the quality of color reproduction does not match that required of conventional tube-type screens.
The technology offered by field emission screens (FED or field emission display) overcomes the disadvantages encountered with LCD screens.
FED screens usually comprise of a conventional, but not curved, phosphor-screen with a mask. A plate-shaped cathode is situated a distance e.g. 0.2 mm from it and features a matrix of fine, sharp peaks. These peaks may carry or be subjected group-wise to high voltage current, as a result of which electrons are emitted because of the field effect. The emitted electrons are then accelerated and so activate the facing illuminating material on the phosphor screen.
An image element of an FED screen is usefully comprised of three points which are provided with a red, green or blue light-emitting material. Directed at each of these points on the cathode side are about one thousand micro-peaks which together supply such a high yield of field-effect electrons that the FED screen exhibits much lower power consumption than conventional tube-type screens for the same brightness.
Compared with the LCD screen, the FED screen offers the advantage of inertia-free control of each image point. Also, image quality is independent of the angle of viewing.
A known method of manufacturing cold emitting cathode surfaces is to microstructure the cathode surface using photo-lithographic techniques that have been used for a long time now in the production of semiconductor elements. This method involves first using photolithographic techniques to create a photo-sensitive mask on the cathode surface having a field with a rectangular or circular opening. In a second step the substrate area not protected by the mask is etched such that, after dissolution of the photo-sensitive mask, pyramid or conical shaped emitter peaks are produced.
A further possibility for manufacturing field emission surfaces is isotropic etching of a crystalline material such as e.g. Si, producing fine peaks that are coated e.g. with an electron-emitting material. Also, semiconductor materials such as Si can be structured by photo-lithographic methods and e.g. subsequently coated with an electron emitting material.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,717 describes a photoelectric detector based on a field emission surface having a light sensitive layer with a plurality of peaks of electrical conductive material. The peaks are produced by anodic oxidation of a substrate surface, in which process pores lying perpendicular to the substrate surface are formed and metal is precipitated into the said pores in such a manner that metal peaks that project beyond the oxide layer are formed.
The European patent EP 0 351 110 describes a process for manufacturing cold cathode emitter surfaces in which an aluminum oxide surface is provided with a plurality of longitudinal pores lying essentially perpendicular to the main surface of the aluminum oxide layer. The pores are filled with an electron emitting material then at least a part of this aluminum oxide layer is removed, as a result of which a surface with exposed electron emitting peaks is produced and the peaks face each other.
The state-of-the-art field emission surfaces, manufactured by forming an oxide layer containing pores, depositing electron emitting material on the surface layer and in the pore cavities, and subsequently removing the layer containing the pores, always exhibit at most as many electron-emitting peaks as the number of pores in the oxide layer contributing to their manufacture.

Method of making structured surface with peak-shaped elements


The present invention provides methods and systems for a retainer apparatus that includes a scoop having an exterior surface and an interior surface with a central opening and a predetermined length. A retention device has a base with a length greater than the length of the central opening of the scoop and a flange portion extends upwardly from the base portion and contains at least one opening.

Many people desire to take their dogs to the beach, and most beaches have leash laws requiring dogs to always be leashed. When the individual desires to relax in their chair or lay on a towel, it is not convenient to always retain an end of the leash in the hand. Therefore, the individual will engage the leash to a chair, an umbrella, or a spike with a swivel hook on the end. Unfortunately, a chair, umbrella, or spike are not suitable for securely retaining the dog at the desired location. It is very easy for the dog to create tension in the leash, thus moving the chair or pulling the umbrella or spike out of the ground.
When the dog is not retained on the leash, the dog is likely to chase other dogs, birds, or people on the beach. This is unlawful and not safe for the dog. It is an object of the present invention to provide a dog leash that is retained within the sand on a beach, even if the dog pulls tightly on its leash, and is easy and convenient to install.
Additionally, the user may wish to efficiently and effectively hold an item, such as an umbrella, canopy, cooler, and the like in the sand, dirt, rock, ice or other substance. It is an object of the present invention to allow a user to efficiently and effective retain these items with the use of the retainer apparatus as fully described herein.


An electronic device and a method for processing an image by the electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention are provided. The method may comprise: generating password information for a first image using security information of a user; changing the first image to a second image using the generated password information; and transmitting the second image and the password information in response to a transmission request of the first image. Various other embodiments may be available.

Various electronic devices that are recently used have been developed to provide various functions associated with images. For example, electronic devices (e.g., a smartphone or a server) can store images and can be controlled to output the stored images.
Various electronic devices that are recently used have been developed to provide various functions. These electronic devices are equipped with a display so that various functions can be more effectively used. For example, recently, smartphones have been equipped with a display (e.g., a touch screen) that is disposed on the front to sense a touch.
Further, various applications (e.g., also called 'App') can be installed and executed in electronic devices. Various input devices (e.g., a touch screen, a button, a mouse, a keyboard, and a sensor) can be used to execute and control the applications in electronic devices.

Server, electronic device, and method for processing image by electronic device


A compression fitting that obtains a rain tight fit on electrical conduit. The compression fitting includes a tubular body having a threaded forward end for connection to a panel and a threaded rearward end for connection to a conduit. A standard lock nut and seal ring, or, alternately, a snap ring and a seal ring are used on the forward end for obtaining a rain tight fit of the forward end with a panel or junction box. A compression nut, compression ring, and two seal rings are used on the rearward end to secure a conduit thereto in a rain tight fit. A first seal ring is constructed of plastic and includes a V-shaped outer periphery. A second seal ring is typically constructed of a deformable metal such as aluminum and includes a V-shaped inner periphery. The rearward end of the tubular body includes a seat shaped to accept the second seal ring. Tightening the compression ring onto the tubular member forces the compression ring to compress the first and second seal rings against the seat in the rearward end of the tubular body. The adjacent surfaces of the V-shaped outer periphery of the first seal ring, the V-shaped inner periphery of the second seal ring, and the surface of the seat compress flush against each other and form a rain tight seal. The compression fitting of the present invention creates a secure rain tight seal that overcomes the shortcomings of prior art compression fittings for conduit, which typically feature a split ring arrangement for sealing the conduit against the fitting.

Compression fittings are commonly used in the electrical industry for connecting conduit or tubing to bulkheads, panels, and junction boxes. The compression fitting used for this purpose typically includes a split ring. The split ring typically surrounds the conduit or tubing and seats on the compression ring and, as the compression nut is tightened, the two portions of the split ring are forced together by the force of the tightening compression nut against the split ring and the compression ring. In an ideal installation, the split ring is forced fully closed and the two surfaces of the split ring join together forcefully enough to create a rain tight fit.
Unfortunately, compression fittings of the type including a split ring very rarely form a rain tight fit on rigid conduit. The reasons for this are simple. Conduit, whether EMT (electrical metallic tubing) or plastic conduit, rarely has a perfectly formed outer surface as called for by industry specifications. EMT for example, often includes a weld seam that runs longitudinally along the outer surface of the conduit and is a byproduct of the manufacturing process. If a weld seam exists on the outer surface, a compression fitting using a split ring will not obtain a rain tight fit. Other flaws are typically found in electrical conduit, including out-of-roundness and tolerances that are out of specification.
As a result of the typical non uniformities encountered in commercially available electrical conduit, compression fittings employing split rings seldom obtain a rain tight fitting as claimed by the fitting manufacturer.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a compression fitting that is capable of obtaining a rain tight fit on all types of commercially available conduit, which typically may be out of round or include surface irregularities such as extending weld seams.


The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a Crassocephalum crepidioides extract, and the extract prepared thereby. The present invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition/combination comprising the Crassocephalum crepidioides extract. The use of the extract and the composition/combination comprising the extract in the prevention or treatment of cancer is also provided.

Cancer is a leading cause of death. Effective treatment has become a major focus of study in modern medicine, pharmaceuticals and academia. Conventional cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Tumor tissue is first cut off by surgery. Remaining cells are then killed by chemotherapy and targeted therapy. However, such treatment program is far from sufficient for cancer patients at terminal stage. The survival rates and life quality of advanced cancer patients cannot be improved by conventional treatment methods.
Recently, it has been observed from clinical studies that the treatment effect on cancer patients receiving herbal medicine as adjuvant therapy (supportive therapy) has significantly improved, that herbal medicines can prevent or reduce toxic side effects of chemotherapy so as to improve the effect of chemotherapy, and that herbal medicines can enhance immune response of patients and shorten recovery time after surgery. Furthermore, it has been found that herbal medicines can be used alone to treat patients for whom surgery and/or chemotherapy are unsuitable.
Crassocephalum crepidioides is known as an edible plant traditionally used as an herbal medicine for treating inflammation diseases, hypertension, headache, vomiting, edema, constipation, etc.
Lie-fen Shyur et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 8,048,455 B2) discloses an extract of Crassocephalum crepidioides and found that the Crassocephalum crepidioides extract has a better effect in inhibiting the growth of melanoma cells in C57BL/6J mice than that of cisplatin (a chemotherapeutic agent). Lie-fen Shyur et al. also found that the active component contained in the Crassocephalum crepidioides extract is a galactolipid compound, named 1,2-di-O-α-linolenoyl-3-O-β-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol (dLGG), and that dLGG can inhibit the expression and production of iNOS, COX-2 and PEG2 in a macrophage cell line.
Lie-fen Shyur et al. (US 2014/356301 A1) further discloses a galactolipids-enriched plant extract, prepared by extracting a plant sample selected from a group consisting of Gynura divaricata subsp. formosana (Asteraceae), Murdannia bracteata (C. B. Clarke) J. K. Morton ex D. Y. Hong (Commelinaceae), and Crassocephalum rabens S. Moore (Asteraceae) with a series of solvents. This application also provides a composition for treating or preventing acute fluminant hepatitis and sepsis and related adaptations thereof, and for skin whitening, which comprises the plant extract or purified object thereof and a pharmaceutical, healthy or food acceptable vehicle.
Chien-Yung Lee (US 2004/0013748 A1) discloses an herbal combination for treating hepatoma and pancreatic cancer, which comprises Jiatonghao (Crassocephalum crepidioides), Fuling, etc.
YOKO ANIYA (WO 2008/105436 A1) discloses an extract from a plant naturally growing in Okinawa, i.e., Crassocephalum crepidioides S. Moore. YOKO ANIYA found that said extract can inhibit tumor necrosis factor-α and prostaglandin synthase-2.
The identification of new herbal extracts which can be used to treat cancers is needed.

Process for preparing a crassocephalum crepidioides extract, extract prepared thereby and use of the extract


The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system. A method for multiplexing uplink control information and uplink data and for transmitting the multiplexed uplink control information and uplink data according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps: encoding a first transmission block and a second transmission block to generate a first codeword and a second codeword; mapping the first codeword and the second codeword to one or more layers, respectively; and transmitting, via one or more antenna ports, each layer to which the first codeword and the second codeword are mapped, wherein the uplink control information is multiplexed only to either the first transmission block or to the second transmission block.

Multi-antenna transmission technology, which is also referred to as Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) technology, can apply MIMO technology that uses multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to improve data transmission and reception efficiencies. MIMO technology may include spatial multiplexing, transmit diversity, and beamforming. A MIMO channel matrix which is defined according to the number of receive antennas and the number of transmit antennas may be decomposed into a number of independent channels, each of which is referred to as a layer or stream. The number of layers or streams or the spatial multiplexing rate is referred to as a rank.
While the conventional 3GPP LTE system (for example, 3GPP LTE release 8 or 9) supports uplink transmission through a single antenna, a 3GPP LTE-A system (for example, 3GPP LTE release 10), which is an evolution of the 3GPP LTE standard, is under discussion to support uplink transmission through up to 4 transmit antennas.
On the other hand, to efficiently perform downlink multi-antenna transmission, a feedback to a downlink channel may be transmitted from a receiving end (for example, a user equipment) to a transmitting end (for example, a base station). Such feedback information may include a rank indicator (RI) and channel quality information (CQI) of a downlink channel. A Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ)-Acknowledgement/Negative Acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) which indicates whether or not decoding of downlink data is successful may also be transmitted from the downlink receiving end to the downlink transmitting end. Information such as RI, CQI, and HARQ ACK/NACK information may be collectively referred to as uplink control information (UCI).
UCI may be transmitted through a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). When UCI is transmitted through a PUSCH, the UCI and uplink data may be multiplexed and transmitted.

Method and apparatus for multiplexing control information and data, and for transmitting the multiplexed control information and data in a MIMO wireless communication system


An ink for sublimation transfer ink jet recording includes water, at least one sugar alcohol containing not less than four OH groups, a sublimation dye, a dispersant, and a compound expressed by the following chemical formula (I):R—O—(CH2CH2O)n—H  (I)where R is an alkyl group having a carbon number of 25 to 150 and n is from 2 to 100. The ink is printed on a sheet medium by ink jet printing, and then the sheet medium is heated to sublimate and transfer the sublimation dye onto an object to be dyed. The ink for ink jet recording and the sublimation transfer dyeing method using the ink not only can maintain performances such as storage stability and high-quality recording images, but also can reduce environmental pollution, effectively prevent nozzle clogging, exhibit good dispersion stability, and achieve a high redispersion property that ensures stable ejection both during long continuous operation and after stopping the operation for a long time.

Water-based ink for ink jet recording is used generally in the form of a water-soluble dye solution or a liquid obtained by dispersing a water-insoluble color material into water or an aqueous solution including a water-soluble organic solvent. On the other hand, ink for ink jet recording that includes a sublimation dye has been used for sublimation transfer dyeing. For example, there is a method in which the ink including a sublimation dye is printed by ink jet printing on a sheet medium such as paper, and this medium is then put on a hydrophobic fiber product or resin film product for sublimation transfer. There is also another method, as disclosed, e.g., by JP 2002-79751 A, in which the ink including a sublimation dye is printed by ink jet printing on a film product that has a releasable ink receptor layer and can be used for sublimation and diffusion dyeing, the film product is then heated so that the lower layer is dyed by sublimation and diffusion, and the ink receptor layer is removed.
The sublimation dye ink is used generally in the form of a liquid obtained by dispersing the sublimation dye into an aqueous solution including water, a water-soluble organic solvent, and a dispersant. However, the water-soluble organic solvent is evaporated with water by heat treatment, e.g., when the ink is printed on the paper medium by ink jet printing, the medium is then put on a transfer object, and the object is dyed by sublimation transfer while heating, or when the ink is printed on the releasable ink receptor layer of the film product that can be used for sublimation and diffusion dyeing, the film product is then heated to sublimate and diffuse the sublimation dye so that the lower layer of the film product is dyed. This is the point different from ink jet printing that is used only for general printing purposes. The sublimation transfer dyeing method requires heating for a predetermined time at temperatures higher than the sublimation point of the sublimation dye. Therefore, even a high-boiling organic solvent may be evaporated. Particularly for a high-boiling organic solvent such as glycerin, the temperature is reduced to a condensation point shortly after the evaporated solvent is released into the atmosphere, thus causing smoky steam. This is considered to be undesirable because the appearance becomes extremely worse. One possibility for avoiding such a problem is to use a low-boiling solvent that does not cause any smoky steam. However, the low-boiling solvent is the same as the high-boiling organic solvent in release of the evaporated solvent into the atmosphere. In either case, therefore, environmental pollution (e.g., working environment) is a problem.
Characteristics required for ink for ink jet recording are as follows: (1) ejection stability while preventing nozzle clogging; (2) storage stability; (3) high-quality recording images resulting from uniformity in the direction of ink ejected, the ejection amount, and the dot shape; (4) quick drying and fixation; and (5) high print density.
In an ink jet recording system, ink should be ejected from thin nozzles as ink droplets. Therefore, (1) is particularly important. When the ink jet recording system is of the drop-on-demand type, the ejection of ink from the nozzles is stopped temporarily even during continuous operation. This may lead to an ejection failure in long continuous operation.
Unlike a water-soluble dye, the ink for sublimation transfer ink jet recording that includes a sublimation dye tends to cause clogging, e.g., because precipitates (aggregates) are generated by the degradation of dispersion stability and moisture is evaporated from the nozzles. In particular, when the apparatus is not operated for a long time, clogging is likely to occur due to evaporation of moisture.
Therefore, a humectant is added to suppress the evaporation of moisture. Examples of the humectant include a high-boiling organic solvent of glycols such as glycerin or polyethylene glycol, and saccharides.
As described above, however, the sublimation transfer method requires heating for a predetermined time at temperatures higher than the sublimation point of the sublimation dye. Therefore, even if a high-boiling organic solvent is used as a humectant, the solvent is evaporated at a heating temperature during sublimation transfer, resulting in environmental pollution. Thus, it is necessary to use a humectant that is not an organic solvent, is not evaporated by heating in sublimation transfer, and has no adverse effect on the characteristics (1) to (5) required for the ink.
As an example of a humectant other than a water-soluble organic solvent, JP 57(1982)-57762 A discloses a water-based inkjet ink including a water-soluble dye and sorbitol. JP 60(1985)-72968 A and JP 62(1987)-101672 A disclose a water-based pigment ink including pigment and sorbitol. JP 2(1990)-214785 A discloses a water-based ink for ball point pen that includes maltitol and uses a water-soluble dye or pigment as a colorant. JP 2001-115070 A discloses that xylitol and a water-soluble organic solvent are used for carbon black dispersions.
In the above conventional techniques, sugar alcohol has been used as a humectant for a pigment ink or water-soluble dye ink. However, none of the conventional techniques disclose whether sugar alcohol can be used as a humectant for an ink in which a sublimation dye is dispersed with a dispersant. Moreover, no study has been conducted on a sublimation dye ink that includes the smallest possible amount of water-soluble organic solvent in consideration of environment, and no technique has sought to find a solution to a problem that may arise with that case. Further, sugar alcohol should be used as a humectant while taking into account the fact that it has no adverse effect (e.g., oxidation-reduction) on the sublimation dye.
JP 2000-265098 A discloses an inkjet ink that includes water, a colorant, and a compound expressed by the following chemical formula (II):R—A—(CH2CH2O)x—H  (II)where R is linear saturated hydrocarbon having a carbon number of 14 to 23, A is O or OCO, and x is an integer of 1 to 3. This ink may include a humectant as needed.
However, JP 2000-265098 A discloses "various dyes, pigment, or colored polymer/wax can be used as a colorant, and a water-soluble dye is particularly preferred. Any type of water-soluble dye, e.g., . . . can be used, and an acid dye and direct dye are particularly preferred." In this document, only acid dye is used actually in the example. Therefore, as is evident from the description, JP 2000-265098 A does not disclose the use of the compound expressed by the chemical formula (II) in a sublimation dye ink. Even if R is polyoxyethylene higher alkyl ethers having a carbon number of not more than 23, it is not possible to provide an ink composition with a high redispersion property when a sublimation dye is used as a colorant.
To solve the above problems of a conventional ink for ink jet recording that includes a sublimation dye, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink for ink jet recording that not only can reduce environmental pollution and maintain required performances such as storage stability and high-quality recording images, but also can effectively prevent nozzle clogging, exhibit good dispersion stability, and achieve a high redispersion property that ensures stable ejection both during long continuous operation and after stopping the operation of an apparatus for a long time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sublimation transfer dyeing method using this ink.

Inkjet recording ink for sublimation transfer and method of dyeing


A packetized voice communication method and system. Techniques are disclosed for supporting communication between aircraft and ground stations using packetized digitally-encoded messages. The encoded messages, which originate from verbalized messages, may be transmitted using conventional and future radio frequency (RF) radio communication technologies. Virtual channels are employed to enable a single ground station or controller to communicate with multiple aircraft by employing different physical radio transmission channels for the aircraft. Messages sent from aircraft to controllers are received by various ground antennas and routed to an appropriate ground station identified by each message's packet header. The messages for a given ground station are inserted into a queue that is manually or automatically advanced. Upon reaching the top of the queue, the message is decoded and played back at the controller's headset. Controller-to-aircraft messages are sent in a similar manner.

Numerous studies have shown that the air traffic services (ATS) community is running out of VHF (Very High Frequency) communication channels. This is especially true in the Northeast corridor of the United States and in Western Europe. The European solution has been to sub-divide the 25 kHz VHF voice channels into 8.33 kHz channels (that is, channels having an 8.33 kHz separation). The solution chosen by the United States is to multiplex up to four digital channels onto a single 25 kHz VHF channel, which can be used for either digital voice or data.
In oceanic and other remote parts of the world, the available voice communications for ATS is over HF (High Frequency) SSB (Single Side Band), which suffers from noise and variable propagation problems. Some of these problems have been mitigated for the air traffic controller by using radio operators to serve as a buffer between the controller and the radio. Airplane pilots flying in these regions, however, must continue to bear the burden of communicating in this bad environment. In other than polar regions, satellite voice has been developed, although it has not been put into regular use.
Under conventional practices, a pilot and controller normally communicate via VHF analog voice radio. A VHF channel is assigned to a particular air traffic control (ATC) sector. When an aircraft approaches that sector, the pilot is directed to tune the aircraft radio to the channel assigned to the sector. As a result, pilots are often required to change radio frequencies numerous times during a flight. Furthermore, additional separate frequencies are usually required for ground and approach control at each airport capable of handling commercial aviation traffic.
When a pilot or controller needs to transmit a message, (s)he first listens to the channel and waits for a quiet period in the traffic on that channel. For most channels, the transmissions are short and traffic is light enough that the wait is relatively short. In some highly-congested channels, however, the wait can be 30 seconds or more. During this time the pilot or controller must hold the message in a mental queue and give partial attention to the voice traffic. Judgment and experience are applied to determine whether a silence is the appropriate break for the sender's own message or if it is only a turn-around in an ongoing dialog. At the appropriate time, the pilot or controller presses the push-to-talk (PTT) switch and states the message, as rapidly and succinctly as possible, to minimize channel occupancy. Procedure dictates that the call sign of the intended receiver, followed by the call sign of the originator, be included at the beginning of the message, e.g., "Seattle Center, United 234 . . . " S(he) then listens to the channel for indication that the message was received without corruption. Failure to hear a valid acknowledgement might mean that two transmitters were activated at the same time and both failed to communicate or it may mean that the receiving person failed to hear the message. In either case the message must be retransmitted.
In addition to the air traffic control channel, pilots need to communicate with other ground entities. U.S. carriers are required by U.S. 14 CFR 121.99 to have communication capability with their dispatch center. Other carriers have similar requirements, either by law or by standard operating procedure. General aviation flights also have the need to contact ground service entities for weather and other operational messages. As a result, most aircraft are equipped with a minimum of two VHF communication radios and many have more radios to support their routes and operational needs.
The VHF radio for airline operational communications (AOC) has low usage for any one aircraft but traffic for other aircraft is present. In order to allow the flight crew to monitor these additional radios without the additional aural workload, a form of tone annunciation called SELCAL (selective calling) is provided. A call on a channel guarded by SELCAL requires that the originator enter the aircraft SELCAL address before making the initial call. A light and/or a tone annunciates an incoming call. The flight crew, when they see or hear the annunciation, activate the receiver audio and respond.

Packetized voice communication method and system


A fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine operable using hydrogen and/or for a fuel cell includes a hydrogen tank, which is provided for storing deep-cooled, liquid hydrogen, and a heat exchanger, which is provided for preheating the deep-cooled hydrogen. The heat exchanger is enclosed by a fluid-tight mantle. An intermediate space is provided between the heat exchanger and the mantle, which has a fluid flowing through it, which delivers heat to the heat exchanger and insulates the heat exchanger in relation to the surroundings.

The present invention relates to a fuel supply system. For some time, vehicles having hydrogen-operated internal combustion engines have been researched. There are two opposing approaches in regard to the storage of the hydrogen required for operating the internal combustion engine, namely storing gaseous hydrogen at ambient temperature and very high pressure, and storing liquid, cryogenic hydrogen at a temperature of approximately −250° C. and relatively low pressure. The storage of cryogenic hydrogen has the advantage that a higher energy density is achieved than in the storage of gaseous hydrogen. In order to keep the hydrogen liquid for a long time, i.e., multiple weeks, the hydrogen tank must be insulated extremely well. Nonetheless, a certain heat input into the hydrogen tank and thus a continuous vaporization of small quantities of liquid hydrogen are unavoidable. In order to limit the pressure increase in the hydrogen tank, a small quantity of vaporized hydrogen must be discharged to the surroundings during longer shutdown times of the vehicle. The hydrogen to be discharged may be oxidized to form water, i.e., brought into a harmless state.
For the operation of the internal combustion engine, the liquid, cryogenic hydrogen must be preheated from approximately −250° C. to a temperature which is above the ambient temperature. This is already necessary because seals of the fuel system would become brittle and leaky at temperatures that low, which would result in malfunctions at various components of the fuel system, e.g., valves.
If the hydrogen was not preheated as it flowed out of the hydrogen tank, very low temperatures would also occur on the surfaces of the individual fuel system components, i.e., on the surfaces of the fuel lines, on the valves, etc. This would in turn result in the moisture contained in the ambient air condensing locally. The condensed water would freeze immediately on the component surfaces, which would gradually result in complete icing of the fuel system. Because of the extremely low temperature of the hydrogen, the danger would even exist that the ambient air would be liquefied locally in the area of these extremely cold components and/or that oxygen would be distilled out of the ambient air. All of these effects are undesirable and involve significant hazards.
Preheating the hydrogen provided for the combustion in a heat exchanger to a temperature which lies above the ambient temperature is already known from the prior art, the heating power required for the preheating, which is in a range between 20 and 25 kW in experimental engines, being withdrawn from the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine. The heat dissipated unused to the surroundings in typical internal combustion engines via the radiator is thus used for preheating the hydrogen.
The object of the present invention is to provide a fuel supply system for either an internal combustion engine operable using hydrogen or for a fuel cell, in which the hydrogen taken from the hydrogen tank is preheated, it being ensured that the temperatures on surfaces of the individual components of the fuel system are at least equal to the temperature of the ambient air.
The present invention is directed to a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine operable using hydrogen or for a fuel cell, a hydrogen tank and a heat exchanger being provided. Deep-cooled liquid hydrogen is stored in the hydrogen tank. The stored hydrogen has a temperature which is in the range of approximately −250° C. The heat exchanger is provided for heating the hydrogen taken from the hydrogen tank. The hydrogen is preheated by the heat exchanger from the temperature existing in the hydrogen tank to a temperature which is equal to the ambient temperature or above the ambient temperature. The heat exchanger has a fuel intake, which is connected to the hydrogen tank. From the fuel intake, the hydrogen flows through the hydrogen area of the heat exchanger to a fuel outlet, via which the preheated hydrogen is discharged from the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger also has a coolant intake, via which hot coolant flows from the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine and/or the fuel cell into a coolant area, which is thermally connected to the hydrogen area. In the heat exchanger, the hot coolant delivers heat to the hydrogen and subsequently flows back out of the heat exchanger via a coolant outlet.
The core of the present invention is that the heat exchanger is enclosed by a fluid-tight mantle and/or a fluid-tight envelope. The mantle or envelope may have the form of a box. The mantle may also have the form of a tube, a circular cylinder, or a tank having convex front faces, as is known from tanker vehicles. An intermediate space is provided between the mantle and the heat exchanger, which has a fluid flowing through it. The temperature and the volume flow of the fluid flowing through the intermediate space are tailored in such a way that it is ensured that the temperature on the surface of the mantle is at least equal to the ambient temperature or lies above it. It is thus ensured that neither the ambient air nor the moisture contained therein condenses in the area of the heat exchanger, i.e., on the surface of the mantle. Therefore, icing of the heat exchanger and/or the mantle enclosing the heat exchanger and the downstream components of the fuel system are avoided. In particular, the ambient air is prevented from liquefying locally in the area of the heat exchanger, i.e., oxygen is prevented from distilling out of the ambient air. The components of the fuel system situated after the heat exchanger also are at least at ambient air temperature, because the hydrogen already preheated in the heat exchanger flows through them.
The mantle which encloses the heat exchanger may be flanged directly onto the hydrogen tank. It is thus ensured that all components of the fuel system in which cryogenic hydrogen is located have at least ambient air temperature on their surface.
The mantle which encloses the heat exchanger is preferably impermeable to hydrogen. Therefore, even in the event of a leak in the hydrogen area of the heat exchanger and/or at one of the components of the fuel system inside the mantle which hydrogen flows through, hydrogen may not escape uncontrolled into the ambient air. In addition, a hydrogen sensor may be situated in the intermediate space between the mantle and the heat exchanger and/or in the fluid loop which supplies the intermediate space with fluid, which detects an exit of hydrogen from the heat exchanger into the intermediate space and thus into the fluid loop in case of a leak in one of the hydrogen-conducting components of the fuel system.
The heat exchanger may be connected to the hydrogen tank via multiple lines which hydrogen flows through. Preferably, the heat exchanger is connected via a central coupling to the hydrogen tank. The term central coupling is to be understood to mean that a detachable line coupling is situated in each of the individual connection lines between the hydrogen tank and the heat exchanger. The hydrogen tank and the heat exchanger are therefore detachably connected to one another. This is not only advantageous in regard to mounting and/or dismounting, but rather allows the hydrogen tank and the heat exchanger to be manufactured, tested, and/or optimized independently of one another.
Valves and diverse sensors may be situated shielded in a secondary system capsule in the area between the hydrogen tank and the heat exchanger. The secondary system capsule preferably has hot coolant flowing against it and/or through it. It may thus be ensured that the valves and sensors situated in the secondary system capsule are kept at a certain minimum operating temperature, which is important for perfect functioning of these components. If the valves were not heated, their seals would become brittle, which could result in leaks.
The intermediate space between the mantle and the heat exchanger may be connected to the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine. For the application of a fuel cell, the intermediate space may be connected to the coolant loop of the fuel cell. The intermediate space may be directly connected to the coolant area of the heat exchanger. As an alternative, the intermediate space may also be connected to a separate coolant loop, which is separated from the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine and/or the fuel cell. The intermediate space therefore does not necessarily have to have coolant of the coolant loop of the internal combustion engine and/or the fuel cell flowing through it, but rather may also have another suitable medium flowing through it.
The mantle may be implemented very rigidly as a protective mantle, which protects the heat exchanger and the line system situated inside the mantle from mechanical damage in the event of an accident.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. The single FIGURE shows the basic principle of the present invention in a schematic illustration.

Heat exchanger for hydrogen-operated fuel supply systems

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


An apparatus for photographing a moving body. A video memory including a plurality of frame memories is used in order to store frame images obtained by a plurality of photographing operations. The frame images obtained by photographing are sequentially stored in any of frame memories. Any of a plurality of frame memories is selected in accordance with a detection of a front edge or a rear edge of a vehicle, and a frame image in a selected frame memory is used. A speed of a vehicle is used for this selection. In another case, apparatuses for photographing, such as TV cameras or storage devices such as video memories are provided in a plurality of systems, and a frame relating to either of the systems is selected in accordance with the speed. The high speed processing is enabled without image processings such as clipping of characters on a license plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for photographing a moving body such as a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to photographing a character sign provided on a moving body, such as a license plate of a vehicle, a shape of a moving body and a driver of a moving body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus for photographing a license plate of a vehicle has been developed for the purpose of measuring a time taken to drive between or among a plurality of spots or monitoring vehicles breaking a speed limit, etc. An apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-325091 supports at least two cameras above a road using upper arms of installed poles. These cameras are situated on the downstream of an approaching vehicle in the direction of traffic flow. In addition, one of these cameras detects the approaching vehicle while the other takes a picture of a license plate of the approaching vehicle. Capture zones of the detection camera and the enforcement camera are so determined that the capture zone of the detection camera is positioned further upstream than that of the enforcement camera. When the entering of the vehicle driving on a road into the capture zone of the detection camera is detected on the basis of a result of the photographing by the detection camera, the enforcement camera carries out the photographing operation. A picture of a license plate of the approached vehicle can be consequently taken. It should be noted that the detection camera in this apparatus is just an example of a vehicle detector.
Since a response delay is generated in every kind of vehicle detector, a vehicle moves to some extent during this response delay. Here, the enforcement camera has a certain angle of visibility (the capture zone). Therefore, if the moving distance of a vehicle within a time of response delay by the vehicle detector is short enough, namely, as long as the position of the vehicle after the movement response delay is still within the capture zone of the enforcement camera, a picture of the license plate of the vehicle can be taken.
The moving distance of the vehicle during the response delay of the vehicle detector is determined by a speed of the vehicle. If the vehicle moves outside the capture zone of the enforcement camera during a time period (=a time of the response delay of the vehicle detector) from the actual approach of the vehicle until the approach of the vehicle is detected by the vehicle detector, a picture of the license plate can not be taken, as shown in FIG. 18. In FIG. 18, the capture zone of the enforcement camera extends from a position L1 to a position V along the direction of the vehicle's movement, and a vehicle speed at which a picture of the license plate can be barely taken, i.e., a vehicle speed at which the vehicle having passed the position L1 takes a time equal to a response delay time of the vehicle detector to arrive at the position V, is represented as S. That is, a picture of the license plate of the vehicle whose speed exceeds S can not be taken by the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 5-325091.


A control method of a gateway communicating with at least one sensor and a service server is provided. The control method may include receiving, from the at least one sensor, first information comprising at least one of bioinformation, disaster prevention information, and public information, transmitting the first information to the service server when the first information meets a first standard, or processing the first information in a data format of the first standard and transmitting the processed first information to the service server when the first information does not meet the first standard, receiving, from the service server, a control command to control the at least one sensor, and transmitting the control command to a sensor corresponding to the control command.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a gateway, sensor, and a service server based on a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) sensor access protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
In information connection processing methods expressed as ubiquitous sensor networks (USNs), a variety of organized methods for classifying information used for various purposes exist. To this end, in domestic and foreign standardization organizations, standardization of bioinformation collection sensors employing information communication technologies has been promoted to minimize effort or interference of information users using information.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 11073 series define standards of sensors and peripheral devices to collect bioinformation.
A bioinformation collection sensor may include, for example, a pulse oximeter (ISO/IEEE 11073-10404), a heart rate monitor (ISO/IEEE 11073-10406), a sphygmomanometer (ISO/IEEE 11073-10407), a thermometer (ISO/IEEE 11073-10408), a weighting scale (ISO/IEEE 11073-10415), a glucose meter (ISO/IEEE 11073-10417), and other sensors in a fitness field and a medical field (ISO/IEEE 11073-10441, -10442, -10471, and -10472). A basic framework protocol for the bioinformation collection sensor is defined in the ISO/IEEE 11073-20601, and standards for new equipment have been continuously defined. As a new bioinformation sensor, an urineanalyzing apparatus, and the like has been proposed.
Bioinformation collection apparatuses collect and transmit information through nonstandard information relay apparatuses, that is, gateways. The gateways may include, for example, personal computers (PCs), health information collection terminals, mobile phones, wired or wireless set-top boxes, and the like. Recently, smartphones, tablets, or gateways for exclusive use in Android, Apple's iOS, and Windows that meet an international standard have emerged.

Ulifecare management service method and device using adaptive control protocol for USN interface

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A power saving method for a mobile telephone is disclosed that can increase the useful life of a battery charge by temporarily turning off non-essential telephone functions not required for call transmission or reception. The method determines whether the remaining capacity of the telephone battery is smaller than a predetermined reference value. The power saving method includes the steps of setting an activation condition for non-essential telephone functions, detecting a state that satisfies the activation condition, measuring the remaining capacity of the telephone's battery if the activation condition is satisfied, and controlling an activation operation of the non-essential telephone functions by comparing the measured remaining charged capacity with a reference value. The power saving method may include saving to and recalling from memory user preference settings when a user function is de-activated and re-activated, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a telephone, and more particularly, to a mobile telephone.
2. Background of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a related art mobile terminal or subscriber unit includes a mobile station modem (MSM) 10, and user functions such as a vibration motor 11, back-light circuitry 12, audio alert circuitry 13, and LED display 14. The operations of the MSM 10 include controlling an audio alert 13 such as a buzzer or ringer, the vibration motor 11, and the back-light circuitry 12 and/or the LED display 14 user functions. The MSM 10 controls the user functions by detecting an input from a key button on the keypad, the opening of the telephone's flip, or reception of an incoming call.
A user can select desired user preferences for controlling the operation of the user functions through a menu. For example, the user can select the user preferences so that the back-light is turned on when the flip is opened or when the phone rings. The user can also set the user preferences so that when the phone rings, the MSM 10 drives the vibration motor 11 or audio alert 13 according to the user's menu settings, and then activates the back-light 12. When any user function is activated, power is supplied to the circuitry driving the user function from the battery.
Based on the type of mobile terminal, the user may set the user preferences to enhance the convenience of using the terminal by enabling or disabling certain user functions. For example, the user may alternatively set the user preferences to turn on the back-light by activating the back-light section 12 with the MSM. In the case of a bar type terminal, the back-light can be set to turn on when the phone rings or when the user presses a key button to key-in a telephone number. In case of a flip type or folder type terminal, the back-light can be set to activate when the phone rings or the user opens the flip or cover to place a call.
The related art mobile terminal has various problems. For example, user functions that are not essential to telephone call transmission or reception are performed whenever its user preference settings are satisfied. Thus, selected user functions will continue to be activated irrespective of the remaining capacity of the battery.
Specifically, in the case of the bar type mobile-telephone, the back-light, vibration motor, and audio alert may be set to activate whenever a key button is pressed or the phone rings. These features draw substantial current from the battery. In the case of the flip type or folder type mobile telephone, the back-light may activate whenever the user opens the flip or cover and the telephone is in standby mode and presents similar power consumption problems.
Moreover, other additional functions such as the vibration motor, LED, etc., are always activated irrespective of the remaining capacity of the battery, whenever the condition for the user preference is satisfied. Thus, even when the battery power is low, the same amount of current is consumed as when the battery power is high. Accordingly, when the battery power is low, the continued operation of the user functions depletes the already small amount of power remaining in the battery, and unnecessarily limits the remaining time during which the mobile telephone can transmit or receive a telephone call.

Power saving method for mobile communication terminal


The invention relates to an image processing apparatus (1) comprising an image providing unit (2) for providing a first image of an object and a second image of the same object and a filtering unit (3) which filters the first image depending on a first degree of similarity between image values of the first image and on a second degree of similarity between image values of the second image. This allows filtering the first image depending on the likeliness that image values belong to the same part of the object, for example, to tissue or to bone material of the object, if the object is a human being or an animal, even if due to noise the image values of one of the first image and the second image are disturbed, thereby improving, for example, an edge preserving property of the filtering procedure.

The article "Edge-Preserving Smoothers for Image Processing" by C. K. Chu et al., Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 93, No. 442, pp. 526-541, June 1998 discloses a filtering method, which is adapted to perform a filtering of an image such that undesirable noise is reduced while preserving edges. However, if the CNR (contrast-to-noise ratio) is too small in the image, edges may not be observable and may not be preserved, leading to a blurring of the image and, thus, to a decreasing image quality.


A method for manufacturing a laminated coil component including an element and a conductor configuring a coil in the element includes a step of forming a conductor pattern including a configuration material of the conductor on a first base material by a photolithography method, a step of forming an element pattern including a configuration material of the element on a second base material by a photolithography method, the element pattern being formed such that a shape corresponding to a shape of the conductor pattern has been removed, a step of laminating the conductor pattern and the element pattern in a predetermined direction by repeatedly transferring the conductor pattern and the element pattern onto a support, and a step of performing thermal treatment for a laminate obtained by the step of laminating.

Known laminated coil components include an element and a conductor that configures a coil in the element (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-307937). The method for manufacturing the laminated coil component includes a step of preparing a composite sheet by forming an internal electrode paste layer on a carrier film by a printing method and forming a ceramic green sheet layer around the internal electrode paste layer, and a step of transferring and laminating a plurality of the prepared composite sheets to the ceramic green sheet.

Method for manufacturing laminated coil component


A system for controlling the irrigation and aspiration functions in flow lines cooperative with a surgical control console employs separate interacting cooperative units for the segregation of different functions in units employed in different ways. A receiver unit is configured to fit within a cassette receptacle in a console but does not perform any function apart from transferring forces with internal slider bars. The receiver accepts a slidable adapter which in turn receives a small disposable cassette that provides some internal irrigation and aspiration lines, and an external aspiration line that is separately threadable through the adapter unit to cooperate with a peristaltic pump in the console.

Disposable cassette systems are widely used, particularly in medical applications involving the handling of fluids that interact with biological systems. Examples are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,493,695, 4,627,833, and 4,713,051.
Where blood is the fluid being transferred, the dangers of contamination are high, and consequently it is generally preferred to utilize disposable tubing and fluid transfer systems rather than attempt to sterilize part or all of the fluid handling system for each use. Incorporation of the essential elements in a relatively low cost cassette minimizes removal and handling time and the dangers of an incorrect setup. The same is true in fluid interchange systems used for ophthalmic surgical applications, such as irrigation and aspiration systems of the type sold by Site Microsurgical Systems, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, under their Model No. TXR, and by CooperVision, Inc., now Alcon, under the Model 10,000. The Alcon Model 10,000 is essentially described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,051 to Steppe, et al., and represents a cassette adaptation of an earlier Model 8000 that employed loose tubing sets with peristaltic pumps and passed waste matter to a plastic bag. The Site cassette, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,833 to Cook, disposes flexible irrigation and aspiration tubings in a rectangular housing having an attached rigid collection vessel through which a reciprocating pump draws a vacuum. In both systems internal flexible lines are juxtaposed so that after the cassette is inserted, line flow can be stopped by clamp actuators in the console which pinch exposed portions of flexible lines against internal surfaces. In operation of both systems, sterile irrigation fluid from a source is fed by gravity to the operative site, and aspirated fluid is pumped from the operative site back to a collection unit.
The Alcon cassette is configured in a known fashion so as to provide a semicircular boss against which the rollers of the peristaltic pump press the irrigation line to force aspiration fluid along.
In the parent U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,131, entitled DISPOSABLE CASSETTE FOR OPHTHALMIC SURGERY APPLICATIONS, issued May 4, 1990, it is shown that the use of internal sliders within a cassette body to transfer force from an external clamp actuator internally into a selected location or locations within the cassette has a number of particular advantages. By confining the area of repeated flexure of the transfer lines to well within the body of the cassette, the danger of contamination of sterile flows from the occurrence of cracks or pinholes in the line due to repeated flexure is greatly minimized. Also, the line geometries within the cassette are straightened, shortened and simplified by virtue of the degrees of design freedom that are available.
In the other parent application to the instant application, Ser. No. 07/596,219, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,900 it is shown that the use of separate, interacting cooperative units and the segregation of the supply or irrigation function from the aspiration, pumping and control functions provides substantial advantages. A receiver structure is inserted in the cassette receiving surface or receptacle of the system and provides a flow path for the pumping and transfer of aspiration fluid from the operative site to a collection receptacle. The geometry is also arranged such that the receiver defines an open sided interior volume within which a smaller second disposable unit can be inserted. The smaller disposable unit includes fittings for lines connecting a sterile fluid source to the operative site. The combination of receiver and cassette includes those fittings and internal tubing needed for connection of the aspiration lines to a vent or other form of vacuum control on the system console. Internal sliders in the receiver act upon lines in the disposable cassette to simplify and shorten the internal tubing geometry and provide contamination safeguards. Thus a disposable conduit system is provided that connects the aspiration flow path from the handpiece to the waste collection unit, while sterile fluid pathways are incorporated in a smaller disposable cassette. Prior to the introduction of this concept, cassettes for surgical tubing systems were based on the premise that all operative tubing and other parts must be located within a housing so that by virtue of this prepackaging of the entire unit only external connections need be made.
The cost of disposable cassettes is, however, an item of constant concern as health care expenses continue to mount. Further decreases in the cost of disposable units, without sacrifice of sterility or operative advantages are much to be desired. Improvements in the ease of and safety of handling and installation are also to be incorporated wherever possible. Fundamental reorganization of functions and relationships in an interconnect and control system that extends the features disclosed in the parent application shows how these results can be obtained.

Fluid transfer system incorporating disposable cassette


Method and apparatus for measurement of the oxygen partial pressure or the oxygen content in a measurement gas in at least one measurement cycle using a solid electrolyte cell having at least one oxygen-conducting solid electrolyte, and having at least one reference electrode as well as at least one measurement electrode, wherein the at least one measurement electrode is in communication with the measurement gas and the at least one reference electrode is in communication with a reference gas or reference volume separated from the measurement gas, wherein a current is imposed via the electrodes on the solid electrolyte cell for pump operation and a measurement voltage (UM) is tapped at the electrodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the measurement of the oxygen partial pressure or the oxygen content in a measurement gas in at least one measurement cycle using a solid electrolyte cell having at least one oxygen-conducting solid electrolyte, and having at least one reference electrode as well as at least one measurement electrode. The at least one measurement electrode is in communication with the measurement gas and the at least one reference electrode is in communication with a reference gas or a reference volume separated from the measurement gas. A current is imposed via the electrodes on the solid electrolyte cell for pump operation and a measurement voltage (UM) is tapped at the electrodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods and devices or sensors for measuring the oxygen content of a measurement gas are known in various designs. Oxygen sensors are known, for example, which operate according to a diffusion-limiting amperometric method. However, these oxygen sensors are only suitable to a certain extent for measurement at high air humidity, since as a result of the design of the sensor, moisture can penetrate into the interior of the respective oxygen sensor via diffusion openings and can lead to problems there. In particular, condensed moisture can lead to destruction of such a sensor upon starting up again.
Oxygen sensors are further known which operate according to a potentiometric method (Nernst cell). These sensors are predominantly used for measurement of small oxygen concentration in the area of exhaust gas monitoring. Due to the avoidance of diffusion openings, these sensors are more robust with respect to moisture. In order to determine the oxygen partial pressure or the oxygen content, the oxygen partial pressure of a reference gas or a reference volume is compared with the oxygen partial pressure of the measurement gas. More specifically, using a solid electrolyte cell in the simplest case includes at least one first electrode in the area of the reference gas, a second electrode in the area of the measurement gas and at least one oxygen-conducting solid electrolyte, for example, made of zirconium dioxide (zirconium IV oxide) between the first electrode and the second electrode. The measurement voltage applied to the electrodes determines, according to the so-called Nernst equation, the oxygen partial pressure quotient between the reference gas and the measurement gas. This simplified potentiometric method however assumes that the oxygen partial pressure in the reference volume is constant, i.e. the reference chamber accommodating the reference gas or reference volume is absolutely tightly sealed which in practice is not attainable or at best only with an economically unjustifiable expenditure.
In order to avoid this disadvantage, it is usual that the oxygen partial pressure in the reference volume is re-set at periodic intervals. Specifically, the reference volume is re-set using an additional solid electrolyte cell, which is located between the reference volume and the measurement gas, and the solid electrolyte cell is operated as a pure pump cell. However, this also means an additional, not inconsiderable, construction expenditure. The combination of the functions pumping and measuring in a single solid electrolyte cell has hitherto failed inter alia in that the voltage measured at the electrodes of such a solid electrolyte cell is additionally falsified by the voltage drop produced inside the solid electrolyte cell by the pump current, which is substantially dependent on the internal resistance of the solid electrolyte and is difficult to eliminate since the internal resistance of the solid electrolyte varies significantly with the temperature and lifetime thereof.
In particular, a method (EP 0 698 209) is also known in which an attempt is made to eliminate the disturbance variable produced by the voltage drop of the pump current whereby a solid electrolyte cell is alternately operated as pump and measurement cell. In this alternating mode, however polarisation effects occur which also falsify the measurement result.
In another known method (DE 198 00 027) it is proposed to reduce these polarisation effects which falsify the measurement result by a short current pulse having inverted polarity.

Method and apparatus for measurement of the oxygen content or the oxygen partial pressure in a measurement gas


A method for discharging an erase voltage of a semiconductor memory device and discharge circuit for performing the method, the method including performing a first discharge on a common source line (CSL) of the semiconductor memory device, comparing the detected CSL voltage with a predetermined reference voltage, and performing a second discharge on the CSL when the detected CSL voltage is lower than a predetermined reference voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to non-volatile semiconductor memory devices and, more particularly, to methods of discharging an erase voltage of a semiconductor memory device and semiconductor memory devices performing the methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor memory devices which are capable of electrically erasing or programming data stored therein without refreshing the data are required. Accordingly, studies on increasing the storage capacity and the degree of integration of semiconductor memory devices are underway. An example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory which provides both high capacity and high integration without refreshing the stored data is a NAND flash memory device.
Since NAND flash memory devices retain stored data when power is turned off, NAND flash memory devices are widely used for mobile terminals, notebook computers, etc. However, NAND flash memory devices need to discharge an erase voltage after erasing data.
A NAND flash memory device has a cell array including NAND strings. Each NAND string includes a series of cell transistors serially connected to each other. Specifically, each NAND string includes a first selection transistor, a plurality of cell transistors, and a second selection transistor serially connected to each other. The drain of the first selection transistor is connected to a corresponding bit line. Generally, all NAND strings in a column of the cell array share the same bit line. The second selection transistor has a source connected to a common source line (CSL) for a sector including the NAND string. The operation of discharging the NAND flash memory device can be performed in a discharge circuit for performing the discharge operation connected to the CSL.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a discharge circuit 100 of a conventional NAND flash memory device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the discharge circuit 100 includes a first node 106 connected to a CSL; a first high-voltage depletion transistor H1 connected between the first node 106 and a second node 108; a resistor R, a second high-voltage depletion transistor H2, and a first NMOS transistor N1 which are connected in series between the first node 106 and a ground voltage; a PMOS transistor P1 and a third high-voltage depletion transistor H3 which are connected in series between a supply voltage and the second node 108; and a second NMOS transistor N2 connected between the second node 108 and the ground voltage. The gates of the first and second high-voltage depletion transistors H1 and H2 are connected to the supply voltage and the gate of the third high-voltage depletion transistor H3 is connected to the ground voltage.
A program control signal 110 is applied to the gate of the PMOS transistor P1. The program control signal 110, a control signal applied when data is programmed to a memory cell, acts to apply a voltage lower than the supply voltage to the CSL. Accordingly, by setting the CSL to 1.2 V, it is possible to prevent coupling when data is programmed to a memory cell.
The first and second high-voltage depletion transistors H1 and H2 are used for protecting the first and second NMOS transistor N1 and N2, and the third high-voltage depletion transistor H3 is used for protecting the PMOS transistor P1.
A first discharge control signal 112 is applied to the gate of the first NMOS transistor N1 and a second discharge control signal 114 is applied to the gate of the second NMOS transistor N2.
The CSL shown in FIG. 1 is connected in common to NAND strings of NAND memory cells connected in series to each other in the NAND flash memory device not shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of the first and second discharge control signals 112 and 114 shown in FIG. 1.
The operation of the conventional discharge circuit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
When the NAND flash memory device programs memory cells, the CSL voltage is set to about 1.2 V. When the NAND flash memory device reads data from memory cells, the CSL voltage is set to 0 V. Also, when the NAND flash memory device erases data of the memory cells, the CSL voltage is set to a high voltage of about 20 V. Accordingly, after an erase operation is completed, the CSL must be discharged.
The conventional discharge method performs a second discharge when a predetermined time T elapses after a first discharge is performed through a resistor path.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, after data is completely erased, the first discharge control signal transits to logic 'high', and the second discharge control signal transits to logic 'high' after a predetermined time T elapses.
Referring to FIG. 1, if the first discharge control signal 112 transits to logic 'high', the first NMOS transistor N1 is turned on and the CSL is discharged through a first path 102 including the resistor R.
In the conventional discharge method, the timing relationship between a first discharge and a secondary discharge is set in advance. Therefore, if an erase time (tERS) is reduced, it is difficult to correctly decide on a restore time.

Erase discharge method of memory device and discharge circuit performing the method


Improved techniques for assigning ratings to media assets are disclosed. A rating for a media asset collection can, for example, be determined by examining the ratings of all user-rated media assets in that media asset collection. Additionally or alternately, a rating for media assets in a group of media assets can, for example, be determined by examining the rating of the group of media assets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to media asset groups and, more particularly, to rating media asset groups or media assets therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, many media management applications, such as the iTunes™ application, produced by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., offer ways to rate media assets. For example, iTunes™ allows media assets to be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating.
Media assets can include any and all kinds of digital media formats, such as audio files (e.g., MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, etc.) or video files (e.g., QuickTime®, AVI). Media assets collections can include any collection of media assets, such as music albums, and music compilations. Another example of a media asset collection is known as a playlist, which can pertain to a group of audio tracks.
However, current methods of rating media assets depend on intensive user input. Typically, a user must rate each individual media asset in his or her collection separately, which can be time-consuming, especially for large groups of media assets. Thus, there is a need for improved approaches to rate media assets.