A system for resynchronizing the timing and carrier phases of a modem receiver signal to enable the receiver to quickly reacquire the timing phase and the carrier phase, and thereby restart the demodulation process. The system provides accurate estimates of the timing and carrier phases, as well as a gain correction factor to provide for proper alignment for decoding. The discrete Fourier transform of the received signal is multiplied by the complex conjugate of the discrete Fourier transform of the transmitted signal to produce estimates of the desired phases. Gain control and carrier phase control are performed to determine corresponding error signals to adapt the resultant estimated timing and carrier phases, and gain correction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improving receiver resynchronization in half-duplex or polled modem systems and, more particularly, to a procedure for estimating carrier and timing phases of a signal transmitted by a remote modem to allow immediate continuation of data reception.
2. Description of Related Art
High-speed data transmission has become an accepted and expected feature of newer and more complex modems. Generally, transmission occurs as full-duplex (FDX) or half-duplex (HDX). In HDX transmission, information may travel from one end to the other, e.g., from a local modem to a remote, at any given time, thus causing a need to regularly change the direction of transmission. For example, in facsimile transmission, after a "page" is transmitted from one side to the other, the receiving end must indicate whether the page was received without error, or whether a retransmission is needed. This causes an interruption in transmission, and when the next page is to be transmitted, it is important to quickly resume transmission at a high speed. Similarly, FDX transmission generally begins in HDX mode, where training procedures will require a similar "turning around" of the direction of transmission.
Generally, modem transmission begins with a training phase when a receiver configures itself to best receive a modem signal over the channel. This training involves correcting for the level attentuation of the channel (gain control), training up an equalizer which is a filter resembling the inverse of the channel, synchronizing the receiver to the phase and frequency offset of the signal carrier induced by the channel, as well as synchronizing to the symbol timing phase and clock offset between the two modems. Once the receiver has adapted to the remote signal and the channel's effect on it, data transmission can proceed at a high data rate. However, if an interruption occurs, perhaps due to channel "turn-around" mentioned above, this synchronization will be lost. When transmission resumes, it will be necessary to reacquire the symbol timing and carrier phase to continue high-speed reception of data. The equalizer configuration, however, can generally be stored during the interruption, and the carrier frequency offset and symbol timing clock offset generally do not change. Channel attenuation generally does not change either, and can either be stored or re-estimated.
More particularly, during the initial training sequence which is relatively long, when the timing and carrier recovery loops as well as the equalizer are trained up, the frequency offsets of the timing carrier loops are determined via the modem controller. Normally, this is a four-point or sixteen-point uncoded signal constellation, generated from a pseudo-random bit generator. For resynchronization, the timing recovery requires that the "center" of the symbol be determined, while the carrier recovery finds the "reference" phase of the carrier. For example, if the transmitter carrier is cos (.omega.t+a), the receiver demodulates using cos (.mu.t+b). The carrier recovery adapts .mu. toward .omega. and b toward a, such that .mu. and b begin at 0 or some other predetermined value, and are then corrected such that they gradually approach their targets. That is, .mu. approaches .omega., and b approaches a.
In general, the most crucial parameter to reacquire is the timing, or sampling, phase. The timing phase is the symbol reference. The timing recovery is performed by calculating a timing error signal that gives an indication of the error of the symbol phase estimate. For example, its sign may be positive if the timing of the symbol phase is too early and negative if it is too late. The magnitude of the error signal will generally reflect how far off the timing is from the correct symbol phase estimate. This error signal is then passed through a low-pass filter and used to shift the timing phase, either by varying a sampling clock or by controlling an interpolator. Since, by definition, error correction reduces the error, the timing tends to converge toward the optimum phase. At high data rates, for example, where the number of bits per symbol can be as high as 10, the timing phase must be accurately estimated to within 1 to 2%. However, a regular phase-locked loop usually requires a significant amount of time to converge and settle to a good estimate of the symbol phase.
The carrier phase is generally related to the timing phase. If, for example, the transmit clock is running faster than the receiver's clock, the carrier will have a higher frequency in the transmitter relative to the receiver. Further, the channel phase response will change the carrier phase, and may even change the frequency of the carrier (e.g., in Frequency Division Multiplex systems). The carrier recovery corrects for these effects. However, because of the relation to the symbol timing, it must do so either jointly with the symbol timing recovery or after it. A change or correction in symbol timing will produce a change in carrier phase, which may either be corrected via the knowledge of the timing correction, or simply by measuring the carrier phase caused by the timing change and correcting for it.

Fast resynchronization system for high-speed data transmission


An active vibration control system for an aircraft includes a gearbox operably coupling a power source and a component rotatable about an axis. The gearbox includes a flexible region which allows flexure between a first stage and a second stage. At least one active vibration control actuator is arranged in vibrational communication with the flexible region to counteract vibrations transmitted between the power source and the rotatable component.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to producing large, controllable, vibratory forces to compensate for sensed noise or vibrations, and more particularly to an active vibration control (AVC) system for a gearbox.
Rotary wing aircraft, or rotorcraft, can generate significant vibratory responses during operation. The primary source of such vibration is that generated by the main rotor system rotating at some rotational speed while the aircraft is flying at some forward speed. The vibration occurs at this rotational speed times the number of blades, commonly called the blade passing frequency. The vibratory forces and moments are transmitted through the gearbox into the airframe, resulting in airframe vibration. One approach to counteracting such vibration involves replacing a rigid gearbox mounting strut with a compliant strut and parallel hydraulic actuator. A control computer commands the actuator such that the gearbox is selectively vibrated to produce inertial forces which minimize airframe vibrations. Although effective, this approach is inadequate in certain situations, such as a vehicle having a gearbox secured directly to the airframe, without mounting struts.
Another approach utilizes a first pair of counter-rotating eccentric masses that rotate at the frequency of the primary aircraft vibration and generate a fixed magnitude vibration force but variable phase. The fixed magnitude force is then paired with a constant magnitude, variable phase load from a second pair of counter-rotating masses to produce a resultant vibratory force of variable magnitude and phase. This method is heavy as it requires multiple eccentric masses powered by multiple motors and often these must be enclosed in separate housings to allow for geometric alignments that minimize unwanted moments and are thus not amenable to weight reductions. A typical approach to reduce weight in such a system would be to reduce the weight of the masses, and increasing the radius of their rotation to compensate for the reduced mass. However, since the system is circular in configuration, weight of housing components increases with radius squared, thus negating the desired weight reduction. Additionally aircraft sometimes experience multiple frequencies of ambient vibration caused by forward flight load on the rotor systems. The counter-rotating eccentric mass type actuator is only suitable for generating one frequency of anti-vibration load as the load frequency is determined by the rotational speed of the eccentric masses. This is undesirable as it requires multiple such anti-vibration actuators to suppress multiple frequencies of ambient vibration.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide active vibration control system which generates relatively large controllable vibratory forces with a lower weight and smaller size than conventional systems.

Case mounted transmission AVC force generators


The invention provides a coating composition containing boehmite particles and a dispersant which comprises a compound having an anchoring moiety linked to a polymeric hydrophilic moiety, the anchoring moiety containing at least one acid and/or hydroxy group and having overall acidity or neutrality and the polymeric moiety having a lower affinity for a boehmite surface than the anchoring moiety. The anchoring moiety preferably contains at least two acid groups, preferably carboxylic acid groups, attached either in a [1,1], [1,2] or [1,3] relationship and is linked to the polymeric moiety, which is preferably derived from acrylamide or methacrylamide monomer units, preferably by a sulfur atom. The dispersant can reduce the viscosity of the boehmite dispersion and the tendency of the boehmite dispersion to increase in viscosity and/or form a gel or a yield stress material following periods of high shear stress.

Manufacturing formulations involving aqueous solid dispersions often require to be processed at a high concentration of solids to reduce costs of transportation, to increase laydown and to reduce the drying load, as the removal of water is wasteful and expensive. The formulations often also need to be stable over a wide range of shear, which extends from low to high shear rates or stresses. After periods of high shear, aqueous dispersions of boehmite, especially those containing high concentrations of solid, tend to possess either a high viscosity at low shear or a tendency to form a gel or a yield stress material, depending on the rate of decrease from high shear. The high viscosity of the dispersions at low shear affects their dispersability and flowability, making the systems difficult to stir, pump, transport, coat or pour. Gelation is even more of a problem because it is often irreversible and consequently totally unacceptable for manufacturing processes that rely on systems to flow.
Dispersible boehmite alumina powders have traditionally been used in applications such as sol-gel ceramics, catalysis, refractory materials, rheology control and surface-frictionising. Other more recently developed uses include surface coating as well as paint detackyfication.
A composition containing boehmite is particularly useful in the fabrication of coated inkjet media for inkjet printing, insofar as the dry-coated system is both porous and glossy. The porous nature of the media is useful for the rapid drying of the inks after printing to enable earlier customer handling and to minimize the mottle or coalescence defect: the glossy nature is popular with customers who want rich photographic images. Unfortunately gloss and porosity do not often go hand-in-hand and hence formulations such as those containing boehmite that deliver both are relatively rare and very sought after. However the high viscosity at low shear and/or the tendency to form a gel or a yield stress material in practice limits the use of boehmite in such systems.
It is known in the art that an inorganic, organic or polymeric form of an acid may be added to an aqueous slurry of alumina. Thus U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,023 describes the use of hydrochloric acid to form stable dispersions of alumina, whilst EP-A-0 736 491 teaches the use of a viscosity-reducing agent for an alumina sol based on a compound having a carboxyl group or a sulfonic acid group or a compound selected from the group consisting of formamide or acetamide, relating to small non-polymeric molecules. U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,573 discloses a process for producing alumina sols using an inorganic monobasic acid, such as hydrofluoric acid, or a lower aliphatic monobasic acid, such as formic acid, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,083 teaches an alumina dispersant comprising a monocarboxylic acid containing at least one nitrogen atom in its molecule.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,710 describes the use of monoprotic acids, such as nitric acid, as peptising agents or dispersion aids for producing more stable alumina (preferably boehmite) sols and suggests that multiprotic acids be avoided since they can rapidly gel the dispersion or sol, making it difficult to handle or to mix in additional components. U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0027304 discloses the use of acetic acid, citric acid or a polyacrylate as a viscosity modifier for alumina-boehmite systems.
There are a number of publications which further teach the use of acids as dispersion stabilizers for alumina suspensions, such as, for example, 'Ceramic Development: Programmne Research at the Swedish Ceramic Institute 1993-1996' and Journal of Ceramic Processing Research, 3 (2002) 10-14 'Suspension Systems for Coagulation Processing' by C. Pagnoux, which discloses the use of a low molecular weight sulfonic acid (TIRON) and a polyacrylic acid (DISPEX N40).
P. C. Hidber et al., Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 17 (1997) 239-249 'Influence of the Dispersant Structure on Properties of Electrostatically Stabilized Aqueous Alumina Suspensions' describes a dispersant based on a hydroxy- and carboxy acid-substituted benzene ring whilst A. U. Khan et al., J. Mater. Chem., 12 (2002) 1743-1747 'The Strength of Colloidal Interactions in the Presence of Ceramic Dispersants and Binders' discusses the use of the ammonium salt of aurintricarboxylic acid (ALUMINON) as a dispersant of alumina dispersions. The use of citric acid as an alumina dispersant is disclosed in A. R. Studart et al., Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 23 (2003) 997-1004 'Selection of Dispersants for High-Alumina Zero-Cement Refractory Castables' and also in P. C. Hidber et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 79[7] (1996) 1857-67 'Citric Acid—A Dispersant for Aqueous Alumina Suspensions'.
In addition to the use of an acid as an alumina dispersant, the use of an acrylamide polymer for flocculating boehmite is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,944.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Coating composition comprising boehmite particles and one or more dispersants and a method of coating a substrate using said coating composition


A superconducting electrical machine includes a rotor with a rotor outer housing surrounding a winding support having a superconducting winding. The rotor has on a torque-transmitting side a first, rigid connection device between the winding support and the rotor outer housing and on the opposite side a second connection device which compensates for axial expansion of the winding support. The second connection device has an axially extending connection element which is on one end connected rigidly to the winding support and which has on the opposite free end an axially moving, radially force-fitting connection to a centering holding element of the rotor outer housing. The holding element includes a bushing through the rotor outer housing, through which the free end of the connection element of the second connection device passes. The superconducting winding is cooled and thermally insulated.

The present invention relates to a superconducting electrical machine having a rotor, which is mounted such that it can rotate about an axis of rotation and has a rotor outer housing, which is attached to axial rotor shaft parts and surrounds a winding former having at least one superconducting winding. Furthermore, the rotor has means for mounting the winding former within the rotor outer housing, and on a torque-transmitting side these means comprise a first, rigid connection device between the winding former and the rotor outer housing, and on the opposite side they comprise a second connection device which compensates for changes in axial expansion in the winding former. The second connection device has at least one axial connection element which at one end is connected rigidly to the winding former and whereof the opposite free end forms an axially moving, radially force-fitting connection to at least one centering mounting element of the rotor outer housing. Furthermore, means for cooling and thermally insulating the superconducting winding are provided. A corresponding superconducting electrical machine is known from DE 100 63 724 A1.
Electrical machines, in particular generators or motors, are typically composed of a rotor having a rotating excitation winding and a stator having a fixed stator winding. By using deep-cooled and in particular superconducting conductors, it is possible here to increase the current density and the specific power of the machine, that is, the ratio of power to mass in kilograms, and also to increase the efficiency of the machine.
Generally speaking, deep-cooled windings of electrical machines have to be thermally insulated from the surrounding area and kept at the required cool temperature by a cooling means. Here, effective thermal insulation can only be achieved if the deep-cooled parts of the machine are as far as possible separated from the warm area outside by a high vacuum having a residual gas pressure which is generally below 10−3 mbar, and if connection parts between these deep-cooled parts and the warm area outside transmit as little heat as possible.
Two variants are in particular known for the vacuum insulation of rotors having deep-cooled rotor windings and warm stator windings: in a first construction, the rotor has a warm outer housing and an enclosed vacuum space which rotates with it. In this case, the vacuum space is to surround the deep-cooled region on all sides. However, an undesired transmission of heat to the deep-cooled parts takes place by way of supports which extend through the vacuum space. In a second construction, the substantially cold rotor rotates in a high vacuum. In this case, the outer delimitation of the high vacuum space is defined by the inner bore of the stator. However, an arrangement of this kind requires shaft seals which provide a seal against high vacuum, between the rotor and the stator.
In the first construction mentioned above, which is known for example from DE 23 26 016 B2, the superconducting winding of the rotor is located inside a rotor cryostat which, by means of flanged shafts mounted thereon, forms an outer housing of the rotor. Using conventional superconductor material for the conductors of the winding, helium cooling is provided, giving an operating temperature of approximately 4 K. In addition to the metal superconductor materials which have long been known such as NbTi or Nb3Sn, since 1987 metal oxide superconductor materials with transition temperatures above 77 K have also been known. With conductors using high-Tc superconductor materials of this kind, which are also called HTS materials, it is possible to manufacture superconducting windings of machines that are to be cooled, using liquid nitrogen, to an operating temperature below approximately 77 K. By contrast, the external contour of the rotor outer housing is at approximately room temperature, and in operation may in some cases even be above this.
The net torque of the machine is generated in the rotor winding. The latter is arranged in a cold winding former which, for its part, is suspended or mounted insulated in the rotor outer housing, which acts as a cryostat. In this arrangement, this suspension or mounting on the drive side of the rotor must be stable enough to transmit the torque from the cold winding former to a drive-side shaft part. For this reason, a corresponding, rigid connection device for transmitting torque has to be of relatively solid construction and be connected with force fit to the winding former and the drive-side shaft part. At the same time, this connection device is responsible for centering the cold winding former on the drive side. On the opposite side of the rotor, which is also called the non-drive or operating side because this is where the connections important for operation of the machine such as the supply of cooling means are provided, virtually no torque is taken off. For this reason, substantially only the functions of centering and thermal insulation have to be fulfilled here. However, because when there is a transition from room temperature to operating temperature the axial length of the winding former in relation to the corresponding expansion of the rotor outer housing is reduced by at least one millimeter, the suspension on the operating side must additionally provide the function of a corresponding compensation in length. For this reason, in the prior art disc-shaped connection elements which run radially between the rotor outer housing and the winding former and which enable a corresponding deflection in the axial direction, to compensate for expansion, are provided. As an alternative, it is possible to provide, inside a rotor cryostat, sliding seats which make possible or compensate for axial expansion of the winding former.
A disadvantage of sliding seats inside a rotor cryostat is that the sliding seat is located in the insulating vacuum of the rotor and so the sliding seat cannot be lubricated with lubricants such as oils or greases. As a result of micromovements, for example, on each rotation of the rotor in the machine, the sliding seat of the machine is subject to considerable wear during long-term operation. When the machine is started up, because the rotor cryostat lacks optical transparency, it is moreover not possible to observe the process of shrinkage in the winding former as it cools to a cryogenic temperature. Thus, accurate knowledge of the parameters of the materials and a layout of the sliding seat with sufficient additional play are required to ensure reliable axial mounting of the winding former even at low, cryogenic temperatures. A more spacious layout of the sliding seat and the associated occupation of space result in greater material consumption, higher costs, poorer properties of the machine in operation, and the need for more space for cooling. There is thus less advantage in a more compact construction by comparison with conventional, non-superconducting machines.

Superconducting electrical machine having a connection device for axial expansion compensation of a winding former


A method and system applicable within a mobile transmission system for adaptively allocating a downlink data rate to an access terminal to compensate for channel fading. In accordance with the method of the present invention a downlink data rate selected in accordance with a determined signal-to-noise level, wherein the downlink data rate is associated with a specified signal-to-noise threshold to achieve a specified packet error rate. Next, a packet is transmitted to an access terminal at the selected downlink data rate. In response to successfully decoding the packet at the access terminal, the signal-to-noise threshold specified for the selected downlink data rate is decreased such that subsequent data rate selections are adaptively maximized. Responsive to a packet decoding error, the signal-to-noise threshold is abruptly increased to maintain the specified packet error rate.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to mobile telecommunications, and in particular to a method and system for adaptively adjusting the downlink transmission rate to a mobile access terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system that compensates for channel fading by periodically adjusting the downlink transmission rate in accordance with on-going packet error rate analysis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile wireless access to the Internet and other communications networks is under rapid development. The development of mobile data communications capability is due to, and is modeled to some extent in light of, the success and advantages provided by the advent and development of mobile wireless telecommunications for voice communications. Several new air interface standards have been or are being developed to enable high speed wireless access to the Internet. These standards use fast feedback from a mobile terminal regarding channel conditions, which enable the downlink data rate to be quickly changed to compensate for signal fading. The technology used in these standards is generally known as high data rate (HDR) technology. One of these standards is referred to as 1xEV-DO, which has evolved into the industry standard IS-856.
HDR technology is typically implemented utilizing a combination of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) technologies. In CDMA, all users transmit simultaneously over the entire allocated bandwidth utilizing specialized spreading codes. In TDMA, users take turns accessing the channel utilizing multiple time slots that are allocated for transmission over a given channel bandwidth. In this manner, TDMA enables a single frequency to support allocation of multiple, simultaneous data channels to access terminals. As utilized herein, an access terminal is a mobile device such as a laptop computer, palm-pilot, etc., that utilizes an air-interface to communicate with other terminals or network nodes via an access node, which is the air-interface network point-of-contact for any sending or receiving mobile terminal.
Existing HDR standards generally define two groups of channels, the forward channel (referred to hereinafter as the downlink channel) and the reverse channel (referred to hereinafter as the uplink channel). The downlink channel, which communicates voice and data from the access node to mobile access terminals, carries traffic, a pilot signal, and overhead information. The pilot and overhead channels establish system timing and station identity. The uplink channel, which communicates voice and data from the access terminal to the access node, carries both traffic and signaling.
Unlike voice or two-way multi-media sessions, "data" sessions (e.g. Internet file downloads) are highly asymmetrical, with the downlink (i.e. the channel information transmitted from the access node to the access terminal) capacity being a disproportionately critical parameter. On the downlink of an HDR system, data may be transmitted in a time division multiplexed manner. The downlink capacity in HDR systems is measured, at least in part, in terms of the data rate allocated to the access terminal. In HDR implementations, interference caused by signals from other cells is a determinative factor in the allocation of a particular data rate to a given access terminal. Excessive signal interference can cause a failure in decoding a packet delivered from the access node to the access terminal. Such a failure results in the need to re-transmit the packet, resulting in a diminished data transmission efficiency. Therefore, downlink data rate selection is a key parameter in maintaining the efficiency of a given HDR channel.
The various 3GPP and 3GPP2 HDR standards, which use time division multiplexing of the downlink (HSDPA and 1xEV-DO, for example), require methods for determining the appropriate data rate allocated to an access terminal downlink. Generally, this requires that the access terminal perform a measurement of the current channel conditions in terms of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), which is a ratio of the energy-per-chip interval (Ec) of the allocated channel to the outside spectral interference (Io). In 1xEV-DO, once the SINR is measured, the access terminal must update the access network with data rate control (DRC) requests that map to a set of data rates in bits-per-second (bps). It is the responsibility of the access terminal to select a data rate appropriate to the received SINR, such that the resultant packet error rate (PER) falls within certain limits specified in the applicable standard. In 1xEV-DO, the access node subsequently transmits data to the access terminal at the data rate specified by the DRC request. Therefore, in 1xEV-DO the data rate selection function typically resides in the access terminal. Once the access node has received the DRC request and determined that the access terminal should receive a packet, the access node transmits the packet over one or more time slots in accordance with the requested DRC rate.
Channel fading is a major source of channel signal strength fluctuations. So-called "slow fading" is caused by movement of the access terminal with respect to the access node (typically an RF transceiver station) resulting in interference in the air interface path between the access terminal and Access node due to changing physical topology (buildings, power lines, etc.). "Fast fading" is a phenomenon associated with collisions of multiple versions of the transmitted signal that arrive at the receiver at slightly different times and is typically characterized in terms of Doppler Effect and Rayleigh fading factors. HDR technology may account for channel fading by providing a built-in error factor into the downlink DRC request such that the data rate requested is a product of a very conservative estimate. Implementation of a downlink data rate based on such a conservative estimate results in wasted RF resources and reduced throughput. Alternatively, channel fading can be accounted for directly by modeling and predictively estimating the channel fading that will occur for a given nomadic access terminal. Companies that provide wireless mobile communications are adopting ray tracing and Doppler Effect tools that attempt to compute the effects of channel fading in a complicated environment. Such methods present daunting computational objectives which require substantial and costly hardware and software overhead since these methods directly or indirectly must account for access terminal speed, access terminal location within a given sector (with respect to an access node), and line-of-sight information between the access terminal and the access node.
It can therefore be appreciated that a need exists for an improved approach to compensating for channel fading in the allocation of downlink channels in a mobile wireless environment. The present invention addresses such a need.

Adaptive data rate control for mobile data transfer


Provided is a method of making improved brightness kaolin clay from an aqueous kaolin clay slurry in which the primary active dispersant is a weak dispersant, at least including the steps of adding to the kaolin clay an effective magnet enhancer reagent wherein the magnet enhancer reagent comprises an aqueous solution of one or more magnetic oxides and one or more surface active agents; conditioning the kaolin clay; and performing high gradient magnetic separation on the conditioned kaolin clay to produce an improved brightness kaolin clay. The method is also applied to decreasing iron- and/or titania-containing impurities in a clay.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of reduction of iron- and titania-containing impurities from clays. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved method of using magnetic separation to remove iron- and titania-containing impurities from clay, and thus to make a high brightness clay.
2. Background Art
Naturally occurring minerals such as natural clays, carbonates, talcs or so forth, frequently include discoloring contaminants in the form of iron and/or iron-stained titanium-based impurities. In many natural clays, including kaolin clays, and particularly the sedimentary kaolins of Georgia, such impurities are commonly present as iron-stained anatase and rutile. For kaolin clays and others of the minerals mentioned, it is often desired and sometimes imperative to refine the natural product and bring the brightness characteristics thereof to a level acceptable for paper coating and other applications. Various techniques have been used previously to effect the removal of this type of discoloring impurity.
For example, hydrosulfites have been widely used for converting at least part of the iron-based (or "ferruginous") impurities to soluble form, which may then be removed from the clays. Additionally, among the most effective methods for removing titaniferous impurities, including, e.g., iron-stained anatase, are the well-known froth flotation techniques. According to such methods, an aqueous suspension or slurry of the clay is formed, the pH of the slurry is raised to an alkaline value, for example, by the addition of ammonium hydroxide, and a collecting agent is added, as for example, oleic acid. The slurry is then conditioned by agitation for a relatively sustained period. A frothing agent, such as pine oil is then added to the conditioned slurry, after which air is passed through the slurry in a froth flotation cell to effect separation of the impurities.
In recent years, it has further been demonstrated that high intensity magnetic separation techniques may be utilized for removing certain of this type of impurity, including titaniferrous impurities, and certain ferruginous matter. Anatase, for example, and certain other paramagnetic minerals, have been found to respond to high intensity magnetic fields.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,011 (Lannicelli et al.), discloses that clay slurries may be beneficiated by retention for a period of from about 30 seconds to 8 minutes in a magnetic field of 8,500 Gauss or higher. U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,337 (Kolm) discloses a process for treating mineral slurries by passing same through a steel wool matrix in the presence of a background field of at least 12,000 Gauss. Various apparatus, such as that disclosed in Marston, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,678, may be utilized in carrying out the Kolin processes. In this latter instance the slurry is thus passed through a canister, which contains a stainless steel or similar filamentary ferromagnetic matrix, while a high intensity magnetic field is impressed on the matrix by enveloping coils.
Magnetic separation can be an inexpensive, selective and efficient method for separating a particulate mixture. Many techniques have been used to magnetize nonmagnetic or paramagnetic particles to permit them to be selectively separated from a mixture by magnetic separation. For example, Shubert U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,789 discloses wetting the surface of mineral particles with an emulsified magnetic fluid to render them magnetic. C. de Latour, Journal of Americain Waterworks Association, Vol. 68, 443 (1976) discloses using an inorganic coagulant, such as ferric chloride or aluminum sulfate, to agglomerate particles nonselectively in a system which contains a mixture of magnetite and other materials. J. Y. Hwang, et al., IEEE transactions on Magnetics, Vol. MAG-18, No. 6, p. 1689 (1982) discloses adding an organic polymer flocculent to a mixture of magnetite and other minerals to yield a selective co-flocculation of magnetite and desired minerals. Yen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,819 and Whitehead, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,088 disclose methods which involve coating magnetic materials with a polymer and then coupling the polymer-coated magnetite particles to the particles to be magnetized. P. Parsonage P, IMM Tenth Annual Commodity, Paper No. W86007 (1985) discloses introducing fine magnetite into a pulp of mineral slurries in which the desired minerals are conditioned to carry a surface charge opposite to that of magnetite to favor coating of magnetite. Briggs, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,995, Shimoiizaka U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,804, Khalafalla, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,294, Chagnon U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,098 and Wyman U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,239 disclose ferrofluids which are Newtonian liquids containing suspended, small magnetic particles which do not settle out under the influence of gravity and an external magnetic field.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,898 and 4,906,382 to Hwang provide reagents and methods for magnetizing nonmagnetic materials utilizing a reagent comprising water containing particles of a magnetic material, such as magnetite, each of which is coated with a two layer surfactant coating including an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer covers the particle and is a monomolecular layer of a first water soluble, organic, heteropolar surfactant containing at least 3 carbon atoms and having a functional group on one end which forms a bond with the magnetic particle and a hydrophobic end. The outer layer coats the inner layer and is a monomolecular layer of a second water soluble, organic, heteropolar surfactant containing at least 3 carbon atoms and having a hydrophobic end bonded to the hydrophobic end of the first surfactant and a functional group oriented outwardly toward the water. Nonmagnetic particles are magnetized by contacting their surfaces with the magnetizing reagent in an aqueous medium and the coated magnetic particles couple with the nonmagnetic particles by adsorption. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,087,004 and 4,125,400 to Nott et al., provide magnetic beneficiation of clays utilizing magnetic particulates, including particulates of ferroso-ferric oxide particles.
The present invention provides a method that allows improved processing of lower brightness clays by increasing the removal of iron- and titania-containing impurities in the clay. Since the selective mining of higher brightness crude clays continues to deplete the quantity of available reserves of these high brightness crudes, such method is of great benefit.

Brightness, reduced impurity clays and methods of making same


The present invention 10 discloses a display case 12 for musical instruments 26. The display case comprises a housing 12 having spaced apart top surface 14 and bottom surface 16 with side walls 26, back wall 18 and front wall 21 positioned therebetween. Both the interior and exterior of the cabinet 12 are covered with fabric material, along with the inside of the back panel. The front wall 21 is a removable structure 22 having a border with a transparent member 24 positioned therein for viewing the displayed musical instrument 26. The interior of the case has a fastener or fasteners 28 on the back wall for attaching the musical instrument 26 and a light 42 which can be located on the base for illuminating the displayed article. A door stop 38 is located on the interior side walls having hook and loop material 40 on the anterior side that mates with hook and loop material located on the interior side of the front panel 22 forming retaining means for the front panel. Also located on the front panel 22 is a handle 30, a brass knob in the preferred embodiment, for removing the front panel providing access to the display case interior. Additionally, the front corners of the case can have metallic edge protectors 32 and the exterior base can have polymeric or elastomeric pads.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to display cases and, more specifically, to a display case for musical instruments, in the preferred embodiment a guitar or bass guitar. The display case is comprised of a housing having spaced apart top surface and bottom surface with side walls, back wall and front wall positioned therebetween. Both the interior and exterior of the cabinet are covered with fabric material, along with inside of back panel. The front wall is a removable structure having a border with a transparent member positioned therein for viewing the displayed musical instrument. The interior of the case has a fastener on the back wall for attaching the musical instrument and a light located on the base for illuminating the displayed article. There are also apertures within the back wall for mounting the display case to a wall. A number of stop blocks are located on the interior side walls having hook and loop material on the anterior side that mates with hook and loop material located on the interior side of the front panel forming retaining means for the front panel. The front panel is dimensionally designed to frictionally fit within the display case front panel aperture. The frame of the front panel can be covered with fabric and piping positioned on the periphery edge. Also located on the front panel is a handle, a brass knob in the preferred embodiment, for removing the front panel providing access to the display case interior. Additionally, the front corners of the case can have metallic edge protectors and the exterior base can have polymeric or elastomeric pads.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other display cases designed for article display. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 694,987 issued to Pollard on Mar. 11, 1902.
Another patent was issued to De Haan on Jun. 5, 1934 as U.S. Pat. No. 1,961,137. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 2,120,826 was issued to Young on Jun. 14, 1938 and still yet another was issued on Oct. 10, 1967 to Diack as U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,310.
Another patent was issued to DiMarzio on Mar. 23, 1982 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,829. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,171 was issued to Ortiz on Jun. 2, 1992. Another was issued to Bahl on Jan. 3, 1995 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,829 and still yet another was issued on Sep. 24, 1996 to Dumitru as U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,416.
Another patent was issued to Vacovsky et al. on Dec. 12, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,828. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,174 was issued to Palmqvist on Nov. 27, 2001. Another was issued to Chaplin on Jun. 4, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,322 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 25, 1997 to Janvier as French Patent No. FR2743928.


When a molding machine nozzle is separated from a nozzle touch surface of a hot runner sprue, application of external pressure on resin in a resin supply passage is stopped. At this time, back pressure of resin in the resin supply passage that is received by a seal exceeds atmospheric pressure, and thus the seal is moved to seal an opening of the resin supply passage from the inside of the resin supply passage. As a result, leakage of resin from the hot runner sprue is inhibited, and mixing of air in the resin in a runner is also inhibited.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hot runner sprue.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of a hot runner, as in an injection molding mold 10 for thermoplastic resin shown in FIG. 14, allows a manifold 12 and a nozzle 13 to be heated and resin 14 to be held constantly in a molten state. Further, utilization of the hot runner allows the molded part to be ejected from the injection molding mold 10 while only chilling a part molding cavity 16. The injection molding mold 10 is provided with a hot runner block 18 that ensures a flow path for the resin 14 at the time of injection. Note that, the element indicated by reference numeral 20 in FIG. 14 is a heater (for an example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-4-67923 (Pages 1 and 2, and FIGS. 1 and 2)).
A standard valve gate hot runner block 22, as shown in FIG. 15, normally has a structure in which the supply of resin into the part molding cavity is controlled by blocking a gate 24 of the nozzle 13 using a stem 26. However, with this structure, when the molding machine nozzle is separated from the nozzle touch unit 28a of the hot runner sprue 28 to change the mold or the like, resin in the manifold 12 and the hot runner sprue 28 returns and leaks from the nozzle touch unit 28a. As a result, the pressure within the manifold 12 and the hot runner sprue 28 drops down toward atmospheric pressure. Further, air enters into the hot runner sprue 28 and the manifold 12 from the nozzle touch unit 28a and forms air pockets 32 in the runner 30. The next time molding is carried out, these air pockets 32 cause silver streaks (one type of molding defect) in the molded part. Such silver streaks will continue being formed in the molded parts until all of the resin within the nozzle 13, the manifold 12, and the hot runner sprue 28 has been ejected from the gate 24, and completely replaced with resin containing no air pockets. As a result, in the case of molded parts with a small production quantity for each lot, the reject rate will increase.


An SDIO card development supporting system for development of SDIO cards, an SDIO controller reference board, and a method for running the system are disclosed. The SDIO card development supporting system includes: (a) a hardware component comprising: (i) a platform equipped with an operating system and a memory operably connected to the operating system; (ii) an SD host board including an SDIO host device; and (iii) an SD bus operably connecting the operating system of the platform to the SD host board; and (b) a software component stored in the memory of the platform, wherein the software component comprises an SDIO test program that runs on the operating system of the platform.

There are a variety of standards for integrated circuit (IC) cards that can be mounted on mobile devices such as notebook personal computers (PC), personal digital assistants (PDA), digital video devices, digital cameras, and portable audio devices. These mobile devices will be referred to collectively as "host devices." Recently, SD memory cards have been attracting attention because of their small size, high data transfer rates, and enhanced security features. For the purposes of this disclosure, the abbreviation "SD" stands for "secure digital," and various devices and their components related to this secure digital technology may be identified by the abbreviation "SD."
At present, there are two international standards for SD-related devices: (1) the SD memory standard for memory devices and, (2) the SDIO standard for input/output (I/O) devices. The SDIO standard is an extension of the SD memory card standard and covers input/output (I/O) functions as well as memory functions. Card-shaped peripherals compliant with the SDIO standard are referred to as "SDIO cards." In order to develop or engineer an SDIO card, it is necessary to understand much of the SD and SDIO standards, to prepare appropriately designed environments, and to examine test environments and processes before tackling the solving of various problems including interface application issues.
An SDIO controller in accordance with the present invention is defined as a controller that implements functions needed for peripherals to comply with the SDIO standard and to connect to SDIO host devices. Those skilled in the art know that SDIO is a relatively new standard in industry technology. In view of this fact, future research and development must be conducted in such a way as to meet the specifications of the SDIO international standard. Because SDIO is a newly emerging technology, environments for SDIO-related design and development are not yet in place. Thus, certain necessary hardware devices for SD interfaces and associated software await development. For example, SDIO protocol engines, which would be SDIO compatible host interface modules (abbreviated as "SDIO HIM") for providing communication interfaces between SDIO compatible peripherals and SDIO host devices, and the associated software, have not yet been developed.
Consequently, in order to construct new SDIO systems, engineers must determine whether various SDIO peripheral application devices, such as SD memory cards, SD wireless cards, global positioning systems (GPS), etc., will operate properly on certain pre-existing consumer host systems (e.g., digital video cameras, etc.) undergoing SDIO modification when mounting an SDIO-compatible host controller chip on such pre-existing consumer host systems to make them compatible with SDIO peripherals. More specifically, device driver software for the host systems needs to be developed, and the SDIO modified host systems must be systematically verified for compliance with the SDIO standard, and so on.
On the other hand, engineers of SDIO application devices (i.e., SD memory cards, SD wireless cards, GPS, other types of wireless communication peripherals, etc.) must determine whether newly engineered SDIO cards operate properly for various SDIO host devices. In this case, development of these SDIO application devices themselves, and their corresponding device driver software, is indispensable.
In view of the above SDIO technology development problems, a major object in accordance with the present invention is to improve the design and development environments for SDIO-related devices so as to facilitate the future engineering of SDIO-compatible devices. Another object in accordance with the present invention is to provide a development tool that can reduce burdens on development engineers in various technological fields, which can speed up the development time of SDIO card development systems and make such systems more efficient. Another object in accordance with the present invention is to provide a development tool for SDIO technology that facilitates development and engineering of SDIO-compatible devices through the use of more efficient design and development environments.


Method and systems for selecting transmission rates for overhead communications within an RF network are described. The overhead communications can comprise network-access overhead communications, such as master information blocks in accordance with an LTE standard or access parameters messages in accordance with a CDMA standard. Selection of the transmission rate(s) can be based on conditions of a wireless network in which a network node and user equipment (UE) devices operate. A network node can determine the wireless network condition. A UE device can transmit measurement data to the network node for determining the wireless network condition. The network node can transmit, at a first rate, a first sequence of the overhead communications, such as one more overhead messages, detect the wireless network condition, select a second rate based on the detected network condition, and then transmit, at the second rate, a second sequence of the overhead communications.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the elements described in this section are not prior art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A wireless communication system can assist a user of the system in many ways. For example, a user can operate a user-equipment (UE) device, such as a cellular phone, to carry out communications, such as a voice call or a web-browsing session, while the user is moving throughout one or more radio frequency (RF) coverage areas provided by the wireless communication system.
A wireless communication system transmit can transmit RF signals over a forward-link within a coverage area from a base station to a UE device. The RF signals transmitted by the base station can be referred to as forward-link signals. A UE device can transmit RF signals over a reverse-link from the UE device to the base station. The RF signals transmitted by the UE device can be referred to as reverse-link signals.
Under some circumstances, an RF coverage area can become highly loaded (for example (e.g.), congested). A congested RF coverage area can impact a quality level of the service being provided to UE devices operating within the coverage area. Preventing overloading or reducing a load of a congested RF coverage area can be desirable under many circumstances.

Methods and systems for varying rate of transmitting sequences of master information blocks based on wireless network conditions


The invention is a trailer tongue alignment accessory that attaches to the tongue of the trailer. The invention includes a mounting assembly, three lighted posts, and position sensing means. The position sensing means comprises a laser projector that is attached to the mounting assembly, and a reflector that is attached to the trailer hitch.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of trailer hitch accessories, more specifically, a trailer hitch alignment aid that attaches near the tongue of a trailer.
For as long as trailers have been around, there has been a need to prevent the unwanted damage associated with backing a towing vehicle into a trailer tongue, and furthermore to assist the driver in aligning said trailer with the trailer hitch of the towing vehicle. Alignment of a trailer involves both left to right as well as front to rear alignment. That being said, the present invention seeks to overcome the difficulties associated when aligning a trailer with the towing vehicle.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As a preliminary note, it should be stated that there is an ample amount of prior art that deals with trailer alignment accessories. As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses an alignment accessory that utilizes a sensing means and of which the assemblage attaches adjacent the trailer tongue.
The Mickley Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,933) discloses an illuminated attachment for boat trailers that assists in the alignment and centering thereof. The illuminated attachment is a pair of lighted posts that the user looks at when attempting to align the trailer to the towing vehicle, as opposed to an accessory that attaches near the tongue of the trailer, and includes a sensing means with indicating lights to aid the driver of the towing vehicle. Furthermore, the illuminated attachment is suited for providing left to right alignment and not forward to rearward alignment.
The Milner et al. Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0261574) discloses a trailer hitch alignment system for vehicles that uses a laser beam to guide to align the trailer with the towing vehicle. However, the laser is mounted on the towing vehicle, as opposed to an alignment accessory wherein the sensing means are mounted on the trailer itself and of which senses the location of the trailer hitch on the towing vehicle with respect to the tongue of the trailer itself. Again, the alignment system does not provide feedback as to forward versus reverse movement of the towing vehicle during alignment.
The Campbell Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,302) discloses a trailer hitch alignment guide that uses a set of illuminated rods attached to a trailer and a vehicle. The illuminated rods do not employ sensing means within themselves, but rather rely upon the driver of the towing vehicle to align the trailer hitch with the trailer tongue, as opposed to an alignment accessory that employs sensing means to align the trailer hitch with the trailer tongue. Again, the alignment guide only provides left to right alignment, and not forward and reverse directional capabilities.
The Black Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,536) discloses a three-pronged trailer hitch alignment assembly, wherein an indication light is triggered once the vehicle and hitch are aligned as well as having two additional alignment indicating features on the other two prongs. However, the alignment assembly requires an accessory that is mounted on the towing vehicle, and an accessory that is mounted on the trailer, as opposed to an alignment assembly that only requires mounting be made to the trailer.
The Amerson Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,363) discloses a three-pronged trailer hitch alignment system that uses a triple illumination feature to center and guide a vehicle into the correct position. Again, the alignment assembly requires an accessory that is mounted on the towing vehicle, and an accessory that is mounted on the trailer. Furthermore, the alignment assembly requires physical touching of the two assemblages in order to provide feedback to the driver of the towing vehicle.
The Cofer Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,376) discloses a trailer hitch guide that utilizes a lamp mounted on the trailer tongue, which projects a beam of light onto a target mounted on the towing vehicle. However, the alignment system requires two components, each of which is mounted to either the trailer or the towing vehicle.
The Capik et al. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,052) discloses an optically guided trailer hitching system that includes a pair of light sources that cross when the trailer tongue is aligned with the trailer hitch. The light sources are mounted on the towing vehicle, as opposed to an accessory that attaches to the trailer.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a trailer hitch alignment aid that provides for the advantages of the trailer hitch alignment aid. In this regard, the trailer hitch alignment aid departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved trailer hitch alignment aid.


A seal ring configuration adapted to be disposed about a shaft to seal a fluid at a pressure differentials across the seal. The seal ring configuration comprises a mating ring and an axially movable primary ring. The primary ring includes a seal face in opposing relationship to the mating ring seal face to define a seal interface. The mating ring seal face or the primary ring seal face defines an annular axially recessed section and a dam section. The recessed section is axially disposed further from the cooperating seal face relative to the dam section. The axially recessed section further includes a face pattern axially spaced further from the dam section than the recessed portion and is capable of generating a hydrodynamic force between the mating ring seal face and the primary ring seal face.

This invention relates to rotary mechanical end face seals and more specifically to seals which include some form of pumping mechanism on one of the seal faces.
End face seals depend upon the constant flatness and parallelity of their cooperating radially disposed faces for the effectiveness of the seal produced by these faces. Initially, the faces are lapped flat and smooth so that when placed together, there is no space through which the fluid to be sealed can escape. In use, however, these faces are subjected to uneven wear because of (1) differing linear speeds of the faces produced by the differing radii of the faces; (2) lack of homogeneity of the material of the faces; (3) distortion of the faces by the pressure of the fluid on the rings on which the faces are formed; and (4) poor lubrication.
The first factor cannot be eliminated since it is inherent in the operation of two flat surfaces rubbing together with a rotating movement.
The second factor can be controlled to some extent, but since the material of the rings is determined by the nature of the fluid to be sealed, the choice of material is limited. In high pressure, large diameter water applications, one of the sealing rings is made of carbon. This material is difficult to mold in such manner that it is perfectly homogeneous in the large diameters and masses required to withstand the pressures encountered.
The third factor has lead to various balancing arrangements and to increases in the amount of material in the ring, the latter to provide greater stiffness to resist the pressure of the fluid. However, balancing is effective in an axial direction and has little or no effect upon radial pressure differences which are largely responsible for pressure distortion in the ring. Increasing the mass of the ring aggravates the difficulty in assuring homogeneity in the material of the ring.
The fourth factor is more difficult to detect than to remedy.
Over the years, seal designers have evolved certain design principles which serve to assist them in solving seal design problems. These are (a) increased seal balancing to reduce axial pressure on the seal faces and, hence, wear of said faces, (b) increased face width to reduce unit pressure on the faces, (c) zero turning moment of the ring and seat about the centroid of their axial sections at operating pressures to assure parallelity of the seal faces and, hence, even wear thereacross, and (d) the use of relieved areas (hydro-pads) on at least one seal face to draw lubricant between the faces when they move relative to one another. Commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,512 to Trytek discloses such hyrdo-pads formed on primary ring seal face to draw lubricant between the faces of the mating ring and the primary ring to reduce friction between the faces.
The present invention is an improvement over the seal arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,512, as well as, other non-contacting seal arrangements. It is expected to constitute an improvement and complement virtually every patterned face seal arrangement where modulation of the pumping effectiveness of the pattern is desired.
Use of a pattern on one face of a mechanical end face seal to create a pumping mechanism to arrangement movement of fluid between the faces is common. Such face patterns create hydrodynamic lift to create a fluid film between the faces. Seal arrangements are employed in pumps, compressors, mixers and other devices to retain a fluid such as a gas or liquid. Often the pumping mechanism is arranged to pump a buffer gas between the faces against the flow of the process fluid. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,212,475; 4,407,512; 4,836,561; 5,092,617; 5,556,111; 5,938,206; 5,947,481; 6,446,976; 6,454,268; and 6,626,436 are but a few numerous seal arrangements that illustrate a variety of mechanical end face seal applications where a pumping mechanism is employed.
It has been found that for certain applications it is desirable to moderate the pumping effectiveness of the pumping mechanism. For example, in certain applications, it has been found that though a pumping mechanism on the face is important to seal operation and durability, its use can result in undesirable or excessive leakage.
The present invention provides a structure that tempers the effectiveness of the pumping mechanism and also provides a generally annular path about the seal face that permits uniform distribution of the fluid pumped by the pumping mechanism. In accordance with the present invention, a recessed surface is provided throughout the area which forms the pumping mechanism. That is, to say, in the known seal arrangements with a pumping mechanism such a hydro-pad seal, a wavy face seal or a spiral groove seal, the face includes a dam area and a face pattern area. The dam area is a axially outermost annular surface, which is in facing relation to the opposing seal ring. The face pattern area, which may be radially outward or radially inward from the dam area includes a pattern formed axially into the seal ring by some measurable amount from the plane of the face of the dam area. Depending on the pattern employed, the pattern area in prior known seal arrangements also includes areas which are coplanar with the plane of the dam area. Such is the case with a seal face with a spiral groove pumping mechanism or a hydro-pad arrangement.
The present invention embodies removal of some of the surface within the pattern area that would otherwise reside in the same plane with the dam area. The entire face pattern area is provided with a recessed surface that is displaced axially recessed relative to the plane of the annular dam surface in a direction away from the seal interface with the opposing ring seal face. This configuration provides a permanent gap between the pattern area and the opposing face formed on the other seal ring. The pattern then defines recessed areas that are recessed relative to the plane of the annular recessed area.
By providing the recessed area over the face pattern, the pumping effectiveness of the pumping mechanism is diminished somewhat. That result derives from the fact that the relatively rotating faces are spaced further apart than would be the case in a seal arrangement that did not embody the present invention. The space between the recessed surface and the face of the cooperating ring also provide a generally annular path for fluid distribution about the entire annular seal ring interface. This relationship improves lubrication and seal ring cooling and reduces seal face thermal distortion.
The present invention is considered suitable for use in virtually all patterned face seals including, without limitation, seals disclosed in the patents identified herein. It can be applied to a seal face with hydro-pads formed in the pumping mechanism area, or spiral grooves, "T" grooves, or other groove patterns or a wavy-tilt face pattern seal. It can be employed in a seal application that is I.D. (inside diameter) pressurized or O.D. (outside diameter) pressurized. It can be employed in seals that permit process fluid to flow across the seal ring interface or seal applications that pump a buffer fluid between the faces. The buffer could be a gas to seal against a gas or liquid process fluid or a liquid buffer to seal against a liquid process fluid. The advantages of the invention can be adapted to each of these known prior seal arrangements

Mechanical seal ring assembly with hydrodynamic pumping mechanism


A generator (13A, . . . 13C) of a time-variable magnetic field (B1) of a magnetic resonance device (1) which has an examination space (9,9A) for accommodating at least one area to be examined of an examination subject (7), in which examination area the time-variable magnetic field (B1) is generated by means of a current through a conductor (15, 19, 31). The magnetic field lines (23) of the magnetic field (B1) close with the aid of a field flux return space (17), in which there is arranged at least one sub-assembly (27) which has magnetizable material. A reduction of a magnetic energy density in the field flux return space (17) is produced by this means. This increases e.g. the efficiency in the generation of high-frequency magnetic fields (B1) or of gradient fields with the aid of the conductor (15,19,31).

Magnetic resonance technology is a known technology for, among other things, obtaining images of the inside of a body of an examination subject. In a magnetic resonance device (MR device), rapidly switched magnetic gradient fields which are generated by means of gradient coils are superimposed on a static main magnetic field B0 which is generated by a main field magnet. In order to emit magnetic resonance signals, the magnetic resonance device comprises further a high-frequency antenna (HF antenna) which irradiates the examination subject with HF signals, the so-called B1 field. With the aid of this antenna or further local antennas, the emitted magnetic resonance signals can be recorded and processed into magnetic resonance images. The B1 field and the HF field are generally generated by currents through a conductor.
From U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,550, for example, an open magnetic resonance device having a C-shaped main field magnet is known which comprises at each of the two ends of the C structure on either side of a space for accommodating a patient, said space being arranged in the opening of the C structure of the magnetic resonance device, pole pieces between which the main magnetic field of the magnetic resonance device can be generated at least inside the space for accommodating a patient. Furthermore, there are arranged on each of the pole pieces, on the sides facing the space for accommodating a patient, parts, fashioned essentially planarly, of a gradient coil system and, adjacent thereto, parts, also essentially planarly fashioned, of an antenna system of the magnetic resonance de vice. Gradient coils for the above-mentioned gradient coil system are described in detail for example in DE 40 37 894 A1 and DE 44 22 781 C1.
Furthermore, from DE 42 32 884 A1 an antenna arrangement for a nuclear-magnetic resonance device is known in which a main magnetic field is established between two pole pieces. A sub-antenna into which a high-frequency current is fed is arranged on each pole piece. The sub-antennas consist of a closed, grounded shield facing the respective pole piece and a planar conductor structure arranged at a distance from, and essentially parallel to, the shield.
Furthermore, it is known from DE 42 32 884 A1 that the objective in the case of pole—piece main field magnets is to keep the distance between the pole pieces as small as possible so that the weight of the main field magnet remains small and better homogeneity of the main magnetic field is achieved. For this reason, it is advantageous to keep all components accommodated between the pole pieces such as the gradient coil system, the high-frequency shield and the antenna arrangement, as flat as possible. On the other hand, for the described antenna arrangement to have a high level of efficiency, the maximum possible gap between the antenna arrangement and the high-frequency shield is advantageous. This applies in particular where the antenna arrangement is used for receiving magnetic resonance signals.
A circular planar high-frequency antenna for open magnetic resonance devices is known from DE 101 24 737 A1. It has two spaced systems of planar conductors, arranged on a mounting plate, for currents crossing one another. The conductors are capacitatively shortened at at least one end to tune to the desired resonance frequency by means of tuning capacitors connected to ground. There is arranged on each mounting plate only one planar metal layer into which, shifted through 90°, the two currents, which are in turn by 90° out of phase, are fed. Tuning capacitors are arranged at the infeed point and on the opposite side.

Generator of a time-variable magnetic field and magnetic resonance device


Disclosed is a compressed, evacuated, open-cell polymer foam, the foam having an open cell content of about 70 percent or more prior to compression, the foam having a thickness of about 40 to about 90 percent of the initial thickness of the foam prior to compression, the foam having an absolute cell gas pressure of about 10 torr or less in its open cells, the foam having a density of about 16 to about 250 kilograms per cubic meter. Further disclosed is an evacuated insulation panel employing the foam.

This invention relates to compressed, extruded, evacuated open-cell polymer foams and evacuated insulation panels containing them.
To significantly improve the performance of insulating systems, evacuated or vacuum panel technology is currently being evaluated by industry. The absence of air or gas in the panels affords the possibility of substantial enhancement of insulating performance.
A useful evacuated panel system is one employing a panel corestock of a rigid open-cell foam. The open-cell structure of the foam allows rapid and substantially complete withdrawal of gases from within the foam structure and the panel. The rigid foam matrix provides a corestock of substantial mechanical strength and performance.
Using open-cell foams in evacuated insulation panels, it has been possible to obtain R values of 10 to 15 per inch of thickness depending upon the evacuation or vacuum level, polymer type, cell size, density, and open cell content of the foam.
It would be desirable to achieve yet higher insulation capability (lower thermal conductivity) in evacuated panels employing open-cell foams.

Compressed, extruded, evacuated open-cell polymer foams and evacuated insulation panels containing them


Embodiments of the present application relate to a method and apparatus for hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledge (HARQ-ACK) feedback for carrier aggregation (CA). A method according an embodiment of the present application may include receiving at least one downlink transmission; generating a first HARQ-ACK sub-codebook for the at least one downlink transmission; determining whether to generate a second HARQ-ACK sub-codebook; and transmitting a HARQ-ACK codebook. The HARQ-ACK codebook includes the first HARQ-ACK sub-codebook in response to the second HARQ-ACK sub-codebook determined not to be generated, or includes the first HARQ-ACK sub-codebook and the second HARQ-ACK sub-codebook in response to the second HARQ-ACK sub-codebook determined to be generated. The present application avoids misunderstanding between a base unit and a remote unit when generating the HARQ-ACK feedback for CA.

In wireless communication technology, HARQ-ACK feedback technology is commonly used during data transmission, to provide feedback on whether data was correctly received in the downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) transmission. HARQ-ACK represents collectively the Positive Acknowledgement (ACK) and the Negative Acknowledgement (NACK). ACK means data was correctly received while NACK means data was erroneously received or missing. For HARQ-ACK feedback information (which may be called a HARQ-ACK codebook, for example), the HARQ-ACK codebook size is usually preconfigured and/or determined during transmission.
In addition, a solution of CA is introduced into 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 10, which enables two or more component carriers to be used together to provide high data transmission rates required for LTE Advanced.
However, in the case that a HARQ-ACK codebook consists of HARQ-ACK bits for multiple carriers in carrier domain and/or time domain for CA, issues on the HARQ-ACK codebook determination, especially the size of the HARQ-ACK codebook need to be solved, to avoid any misunderstanding between a base unit and a remote unit during data transmission.
Thus, improved HARQ-ACK feedback for multiple carriers in carrier domain and/or time domain for CA is desirable.

Method and apparatus for HARQ-ACK feedback for carrier aggregation


A refrigeration system where the refrigerant starts out as a liquid at ambient temperatures and pressures and is expanded to a very low pressure and temperature through the use of a special design ejector and pump assembly. The preferred design uses a new type of centrifugal pump which is designed to produce a high velocity discharge rather than pressure. The refrigerant in expanding to a gas extracts BTU's from its surroundings.

Present practice where the ejector is operated by a liquid, the pressure of the operating liquid is first built up by the pump and then is accelerated by expanding it thermodynamically through the ejector operating jet to produce a high velocity and low pressure fluid. The rest is obvious. The problem is that there is a loss of efficiency by first build up of the pressure of the ejector operating fluid and then getting all your velocity through the expansion through the ejector operating jet.
My invention bypasses the step of building up the pressure and uses the centrifugal pump only to accelerate the liquid before the final acceleration in the ejector operating jet. It also happens that the mechanical acceleration of the operating liquid by the centrifugal pump is more efficient than what you would have by expanding the liquid from a high pressure through a nozzle.
My invention further uses the centrifugal pump in way that it has never been used before and that is to not use it to build up pressure or to pump volume but to use it exclusively to increase the velocity of the liquid that is to be the operating fluid of the ejector. It is done mechanically, not thermodynamically as expansion through a nozzle. The final acceleration is done by the expansion of the operating liquid through the ejector operating jet to the high suction vacuum.
A further part of my invention is to use some of the waste heat still in the refrigerant returning to the evaporator to add extra energy to the fluid that is being expanded in the ejector operating jet by use of a heating jacket around the operating jet. Heat at this point helps with the acceleration through the jet.


A novel collagen mimic comprising a tripeptide unit having the formula (flpYaaGly)n, where flp is 4(S)-fluoro-L-proline, is disclosed. The collagen mimic has increased stability relative to the collagen-related triple helices (ProYaaGly)n, (hypYaaGly)n, and (HypYaaGly)n.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in vertebrates, occurring in virtually every tissue, including skin, tendon, bone, blood vessel, cartilage, ligament, and teeth. Collagen serves as the fundamental structural protein for vertebrate tissues. Collagen abnormalities are associated with a wide variety of human diseases, including arthritis, rheumatism, brittle bones, atherosclerosis, cirrhosis, and eye cataracts. Collagen is also critically important in wound healing. Increased understanding of the structure of collagen, and of how its structure affects its stability, facilitates the development of new treatments for collagen-related diseases and improved wound healing treatments.
Collagen is a fibrous protein consisting of three polypeptide chains that fold into a triple helix, Jenkins, C. L., Raines, R. T. Nat. Prod. Rep. 19: 49–59 (2002). Mammals produce at least 17 distinct polypeptide chains that combine to form at least 10 variants of collagen. In each of these variants, the polypeptide chains of collagen are composed of approximately 300 repeats of the tripeptide sequence X-Y-Gly, where X is often a proline (Pro) residue and Y is often a 4(R)-hydroxyproline (Hyp) residue. In connective tissue (such as bone, tendon, cartilage, ligament, skin, blood vessels, and teeth), individual collagen molecules are wound together in tight triple helices. These helices are organized into fibrils of great tensile strength, Jones & Miller, J. Mol. Biol., 218:209–219 (1991). Varying the arrangements and cross linking of the collagen fibrils enables vertebrates to support stress in one-dimension (tendons), two-dimensions (skin), or three-dimensions (cartilage).
In vertebrates, the collagen polypeptide is translated with the typical repeat motif being ProProGly. Subsequently, in vivo, the hydroxylation of Pro residues is performed enzymatically after collagen biosynthesis but before the chains begin to form a triple helix. Thus, hydroxylation could be important for both collagen folding and collagen stability. The hydroxyl group of Hyp residues has long been known to increase the thermal stability of triple-helical collagen, Berg and Prockop, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 52:115–120 (1973). For example, the melting temperature of a triple helix of (ProHypGly)10 chains is 58° C., while that of a triple helix of (ProProGly)10 chains is only 24° C., Sakakibara et al., Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 303:198–202 (1973). In addition, the rate at which (ProHypGly)10 chains fold into a triple helix is substantially greater than the corresponding rate for (ProProGly)10 chains, Chopra and Ananthanarayanan, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 79:7180–7184 (1982).
In general, molecular modeling based on the structure of triple-helical collagen and conformational energy calculations suggest that hydrogen bonds cannot form between the hydroxyl group of Hyp residues and any main chain groups of any of the collagen molecules in the same triple helix, Okuyama et al., J. Mol. Biol., 152:247–443 (1981). Also, several models include the hypothesis that hydroxyproline increases the stability of collagen as a result a bridge of water molecules formed between the hydroxyl group and a main chain carbonyl group. For reviews of observations advancing this hypothesis, see: Suzuki et al., Int. J. Biol. Macromol., 2:54–56 (1980), and Némethy, in Collagen, published by CRC press (1988), and the references cited therein.
However, there exists experimental evidence that is inconsistent with the bridging the water molecule model. For example, the triple helices of (ProProGly)10 and (ProHypGly)10 were found to be stable in 1,2-propanediol, and Hyp residues conferred added stability in these anhydrous conditions, Engel et al., Biopolymers, 16:601–622 (1977), suggesting that water molecules do not play a part in the added stability of (ProHypGly)10. In addition, heat capacity measurements are inconsistent with collagen having more than one bound water per six Gly-X-Y units, Hoeve and Kakivaya, J. Phys. Chem., 80:754–749 (1976). There exists no prior definitive demonstration of the mechanism by which the hydroxyproline residues stabilize collagen triplexes. Therefore, the molecular basis for these observed effects is still not clear, however, recent structural studies have begun to shed light on the structure and stability of collagen's triple-helix, see: Jenkins, C. L., Raines, R. T. Nat. Prod. Rep. 19: 49–59 (2002); and Raines, R. T., et al., JACS, 124:11, 2497–2505 (2002).
A better understanding of how the structure of collagen contributes to its stability would facilitate the design of a collagen or collagen mimics having improved stability. A highly stable collagen substitute could advance the development of improved wound healing treatments.
In recent years, there have been exciting developments in wound healing, including the development of tissue engineering and tissue welding. For example, autologous epidermal transplantation for the treatment of burns was a significant advance in tissue engineering. Tissue engineering has also led to the development of several types of artificial skin, some of which employ human collagen as a substrate. However, a major problem associated with this treatment is the fragile nature of these grafts during and after surgery.
Tissue welding is a wound healing technique in which a laser is used to thermally denature the collagen in the skin at the periphery of a wound. The wound is reannealed by permitting the renaturation of the collagen. In the case of large wounds, a "filler" or solder is required to effect reannealing of the wound. Various materials, including human albumin, have been used as solders for this purpose. A good solder is resilient and is non-immunogenic and should preferably be capable of interaction with native collagen in adjacent sites.
Collagen is also used for a variety of other medical purposes. For example, collagen is used in sutures which can be naturally degraded by the human body and thus do not have to be removed following recovery. A sometimes limiting factor in the design of collagen sutures is the strength of the collagen fibers. A collagen variant or mimic having a greater strength would aid in the usage of such collagen sutures by relieving this limitation.
What is needed in the art is a novel collagen having increased stability for use in artificial skin, as a solder in tissue welding, and as a general tool for use in the design of medical constituents.
It was previously shown that replacing Pro or Hyp in the Y position with 4 (R)Fluoroproline (Flp), first synthesized by Gottleib et al., Biochemistry, 4:11:2507–2513 (1965), greatly increases triple helix stability, see: U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,112; Holmgren, S. K., et al., Nature 392: 666–667 (1998); and Holmgren, S. K., et al., 6: 63–70 (1999). In contrast, it has been shown that replacing Pro or Hyp in the Yaa position with the diastereomer 4(S)-fluoroproline (flp) greatly decreases stability, see: Bretscher, L. E., et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123:777–778 (2001).


The present invention relates to a process for preparing lower-color polytrimethylene ether glycol, comprising contacting said polytrimethylene ether glycol, or its precursor reaction-mixture, with a hydride compound during at least one stage of the process of manufacture, or on the polytrimethylene ether glycol resulting form such process, such that the polytrimethylene ether glycol demonstrates a reduced color (as compared to using no hydride compound).

Polytrimethylene ether glycol (PO3G) and its uses have been described in the art. Preferred methods for preparation of a polytrimethylene ether glycol involve acid catalyzed polycondensation of 1,3-propanediol. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,459 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,291 disclose processes for preparation of a polytrimethylene ether glycol from 1,3-propanediol using a polycondensation catalyst, preferably an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,291 describes a purification procedure for a crude polytrimethylene ether glycol obtained from an acid catalyzed polymerization process comprising: (1) a hydrolysis step to hydrolyze the acid esters formed during the acid catalyzed polymerization; (2) phase separation and water extraction steps to remove soluble acid catalyst, thereby generating an organic phase and a waste aqueous phase; (3) a base treatment of the organic phase to neutralize and precipitate the residual acid present; and (4) drying and filtration of the polymer to remove residual water and solids. It is clear from the disclosure that, when sulfuric acid is used as a catalyst to make polyether glycols from their corresponding diols, it is preferred to include a hydrolysis step because a substantial portion of the acid catalyst is converted to an ester (alkyl hydrogen sulfate).
U.S. 2005/0272911A1 and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/654,865 (filed Jan. 18, 2007) disclose polycondensation processes for preparing polyether polyols, including preparing polytrimethylene ether glycol from 1,3-propanediol, utilizing a polycondensation catalyst system that contains both an acid and a base. It is disclosed that the use of this catalyst system produces polyether polyol with a high degree of polymerization and low color under mild conditions. The purification processes utilize a hydrolysis step wherein water and organic solvent that has affinity for both water and the polyether polyol are used and subsequent separation into aqueous and organic phases. In one example of U.S. 2005/0227911A1, there is disclosed the use of calcium hydroxide to treat the organic phase after the phase separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,045 relates to a process of manufacture of polytrimethylene ether glycol comprising: (a) polycondensing reactant comprising a diol selected from the group consisting of 1,3-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol dimer and 1,3-propanediol trimer or mixtures thereof in the presence of an acid polycondensation catalyst to form polytrimethylene ether glycol; (b) adding water to the polytrimethylene ether glycol and hydrolyzing the acid esters formed during the polycondensation to form a hydrolyzed mixture containing the polytrimethylene ether glycol and the hydrolyzed acid esters; (c) adding an organic solvent that is immiscible with water to the hydrolyzed mixture to form an aqueous-organic mixture comprising (i) an organic phase containing polytrimethylene ether glycol and residual acid polycondensation catalyst from the polycondensing, and (ii) a water phase; (d) separating the water phase and the organic phase; (e) adding a base to the separated organic phase to neutralize the residual acid polycondensation catalyst by forming salts of the residual acid polycondensation catalyst; (f) separating the organic phase into (i) a liquid phase comprising the polytrimethylene ether glycol, the organic solvent and any residual water, and (ii) a solid phase comprising the salts of the residual acid polycondensation catalyst and the base which is unreacted; and (g) removing the organic solvent and the residual water from the organic phase to obtain polytrimethylene ether glycol. The organic solvent added in step (c) helps to promote phase formation and separation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,157,607 discloses a process of manufacture of polytrimethylene ether glycol that is similar to that disclosed in previously incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,045, except that an organic solvent that is miscible with polytrimethylene ether is added to the hydrolyzed aqueous mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,046 and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/599,861 (filed Nov. 15, 2006) disclose the addition of one or more water-soluble, inorganic compounds to the hydrolyzed mixture to promote phase formation and separation, wherein the water-soluble, inorganic compounds are selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt and an inorganic base.
In the PO3G polymer manufacturing processes described above, it is commonly found that the polytrimethylene ether glycol polymers have residual color that results into a lower-quality polymer, not adequate for many of the polymer applications. The quality of 1,3-propanediol, the polymerization process conditions, and polymer degradation are most likely responsible for the polymer discoloration. In addition, the color of the final polymer can be affected by factors such as temperature of polymerization, oxidizing agents present in the reaction mixture, acidity, etc.
The presence of color is a major impediment to providing a high-quality polytrimethylene glycol polymer. Because a majority of the current PO3G processes involve high-temperature processing, discoloration could happen essentially at any step during the process, especially with a strong oxidizing agent (such as H2SO4) present in the mixture.
The present invention reduces color of the resulting polymeric PO3G, without substantially compromising polymer properties, preferably in a shorter cycle time and at a lower cost, by using a hydride compound at one or more stages of the PO3G.

Lower-color polytrimethylene ether glycol using hydride compounds


A system and process for allowing virtual allocations of resources to lots to closely mimic actual allocations of resources to lots is disclosed. Virtual allocations represent planned or scheduled allocations of an organization's resources to produce various products. Actual allocations represent the actual course of events which occur while the product is being manufactured. A manufacturing interpreter interactively functions with an expert in a manufacturing environment to produce a comprehensive and accurate definition of resources utilized in a manufacturing environment. The manufacturing interpreter further allows the expert to define a comprehensive and accurate process flow description for various products. The process flow description specifies the resources, resource attribute capabilities, and order for applying resources to a single lot to produce a completed product. A planner operates upon this process flow data to generate a processing plan that is specifically adapted for the organization at a particular point in time, and an execution controller utilizes the processing plan to control the manufacturing of products within the manufacturing environment. Operation of the execution controller keeps allocation data current. Thus, the planner has current allocation data with which to merge process flow data for new products.

Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to manufacturing and other organizational activities in which a multiplicity of tasks are simultaneously balanced against one another to achieve goals of the organization. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for controlling the allocation of resources to lots both during planning stages and during actual manufacturing to optimize organizational efficiency.
Background Art
A manufacturer who applies a variety of resources to produce a variety of products must make judgments concerning a "best" allocation of resources to products. A best allocation is evaluated in light of the manufacturer's goals. For example, one product lot may be given priority over other product lots because it has a tight schedule or it may be behind in its schedule. Thus, such a high priority lot is favored in allocating resources. Alternatively, a manufacturer may wish to utilize one resource as efficiently as possible to minimize costs. Labor or an exceptionally expensive piece of equipment may be allocated to product lots in a manner which causes these resources to stay busy at a maximum capacity. Judgments must occur to balance one lot's demand for resources against another lot's demand, to balance a desire to expedite a lot against the desire to efficiently use certain resources, and to balance any single lot's demands for resources against overall organizational goals.
In a typical organization, allocation of resources to lots occurs in two "arenas." The first arena is that of "virtual" allocations. Virtual allocations are the result of using planning and scheduling tools and techniques. Critical Path Method (CPM), Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) represent a few of the conventional planning techniques. In a virtual allocation, no resources are actually used or managed in connection with processing a lot. Rather, information is organized and recorded to describe an intention, plan, or schedule to use various resources in connection with the processing of various lots. Typically, these virtual allocations describe future anticipated activities of the organization.
In contrast to virtual allocations, organizations also perform "actual" allocations of resources to lots. Actual allocations occur when an organization uses resources in connection with the processing of real lots. Of necessity, actual allocations relate to present and past activities of the organization. While virtual allocations are merely informational tasks, actual allocations result from ongoing organizational activities. In addition, an actual allocation may correspond to an informational task which records or otherwise describes actual allocations.
At best, an organization might expect or hope that its actual allocations will mimic its conventionally achieved virtual allocations. However, prior art manufacturing and planning systems fall far short of being able to suggest an optimal virtual allocation of product demands with resources. Moreover, conventional techniques fail to provide a system for making actual allocations follow virtual allocations. Consequently, actually achieving an optimal allocation is nearly impossible using conventional techniques.
One explanation for the problems of prior art systems is that virtual allocations generated by such systems are often unrealistic. For example, such conventional systems typically generate virtual allocations based on an assumption that all resources, whether labor or equipment, are treated the same when they are actually allocated. In reality, manufacturers often treat different resources differently. Thus, plans made using such conventional systems are flawed from the outset, and actual allocations tend to differ markedly from the virtual allocations.
Moreover, such conventional systems typically operate by traversing backward in time. In other words, a desired output time, or deadline, for a product lot is supplied to the system, and the system works backward in time from this deadline to determine when various processes need to be started and completed in order to meet the deadline. Unrealistic plans often result because the system focuses on processes needed to accomplish deadlines more than on resources practically available for allocation or on whether a desired deadline is realistic. Consequently, such virtual allocations are expected to describe only that which must happen in the organization and not that which will actually happen. When an organization actually allocates its resources, often the actual allocation fails to closely resemble the virtual allocation.
An organization would receive substantial benefits if it could make virtual allocations which could be closely mimicked by actual allocations. Specifically, such mimicry would permit optimized organizational efficiency. Accurate virtual allocation would permit improved use of resources. For example, resources could be kept busy at optimal efficiencies for longer periods of time. Additionally, lots could be sized, designed, and otherwise managed for improved processing, given an organization's resources. Optimum balancing points in actual allocations could be more closely approached. Moreover, with close mimicry of actual allocations to virtual allocations, an organization could improve prediction for completion of its lots. Any one of these benefits would lead to an improved competitive position for the organization.

Manufacturing control and capacity planning system