A sliding vane pump comprising a rotor housing having a pumping chamber, a rotor in the pumping chamber having a plurality of radially disposed slots, and a plurality of sliding vanes disposed in the slots configured to extend to follow an inner wall of said pumping chamber.

This invention relates to sliding vane pumps.
Sliding vane pumps are typically used to provide hydraulic pressure and flow to various types of hydraulic systems, such as hydraulic power assist steering systems in automobiles. One example of a common sliding vane pump includes a rotor eccentrically mounted in a cylindrical chamber. As the rotor rotates, vanes within the rotor slide in and out to follow the contour of the housing, pushing fluid from an inlet port to an outlet port in the process.
Another style is referred to as a hydraulically balanced sliding vane pump, which uses a rotor configuration such as that shown in FIG. 2. In this configuration, rotor 12 is centrally located in an oblong, or elliptical chamber 15 defined by pump ring 13. Chamber 15 includes two inlets 16 and two outlets 18, with rotor 12 rotating counter-clockwise as shown. Vanes 22 are radially disposed in radial slots 24. Under the influence of fluid pressure from down stream of the outlets 18, vanes 22 are urged out of slots 24 to follow the contour of chamber 15. Vanes 22 therefore urge fluid along in spaces, or pumping cavities, between the vanes from the inlets 16 to outlets 18 as rotor 12 rotates.
The function of the pumping cavity is to transfer a discrete volume of fluid at low pressure to high pressure. This happens repeatedly during a rotation of the pump shaft due to the presence of multiple pumping cavities. The end result is a steady flow of fluid discharged from the discharge port. Ideally for this to occur, the volume of fluid in the pumping cavity will be compressed and just reach the particular discharge pressure as it is allowed to enter the discharge port, providing a smooth transition from low to high pressure. However, this is seldom the case in practice. During operation, the pressure of the fluid in the pumping cavity is not the same as the pressure of the fluid in the discharge port just prior to the leading vane passing the discharge port. If the pressure in the cavity is lower than the pressure in the discharge port, fluid will quickly flow into the pumping cavity as the leading vane passes the discharge port. Conversely, if the pressure in the pumping cavity is higher than that in the discharge port, then fluid will quickly flow out of the pumping cavity as the leading vane passes the discharge port. This flow pulse is superimposed upon the steady flow of oil discharged from the discharge port. This small but quick flow pulse results in a corresponding pressure pulse (positive or negative) in the discharge port when the leading vane passes the discharge port.
Since the pressure pulse occurs every time the leading vane passes the discharge port, the pulse occurs at vane passage frequency. Since there are multiple vanes passing the discharge port during one revolution of the pump shaft, and the pump shaft is rotated at a constant speed, the vane passage frequency will be an integer multiple of the pump shaft rotation frequency.
The pressure pulse acts upon components within the pump, and components located downstream of the pump, causing these components to vibrate at the corresponding frequency of the pulse. Vibration of these components can radiate sound that is undesirable.
The annoyance of pump noise is due not only because it is loud, but also because it is tonal in nature, due to the repeating of discrete pumping cycles, which occur with equal time intervals between them, every time a vane passes the outlet ports of the pump.
Another drawback to sliding vane hydraulic pumps is that their speed range is limited by cavitation of the fluid within the pumping chamber. Cavitation is the formation and collapse of low-pressure bubbles in liquids. These bubbles are caused by air or vapor absorbed or otherwise entrained in the hydraulic fluid. Cavitation greatly increases pressure ripple which causes excessive noise and vibration, as well as loss of performance. The use of a jet supercharger to increase the inlet pressure to the pump has been used to increase the speed at which cavitation becomes audible, but these efforts have not sufficiently increased cavitation speed for many applications. Another approach has been to remove the air from the hydraulic fluid, but this has proven to be difficult in practice. Yet another drawback is that sliding vane pumps have a fixed capacity, i.e., they pump a fixed amount of fluid in each revolution of the rotor. This is a serious drawback of this type of pump in certain applications. For example, in the automotive industry, the hydraulic pump is often driven by an internal combustion engine that operates at a speed independent of the needed hydraulic power.
The above-listed drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art sliding vane pumps are overcome or alleviated by a high speed dual discharge sliding vane hydraulic pump with two external discharge ports for varying the capacity of the pump and/or irregularly spaced vanes to reduce the tonal characteristics of noise caused by pressure ripple effects and/or increasing the inlet slot length to increase the cavitation speed.


A tape applicator system that employs an extendable arm to carry and control the movement of a tape applicator mounted at its moveable or free end. The tape is dispensed from a essentially fixed location remote from the applicator which permits the use of larger roll (Machine rolls) without the necessitating moving the roll as is required in a normal hand operated device. The movement of the tape applicator mounted on the arm is restricted to straight line movement by the linkage of the extendable arm. If desired a parallel linkage mechanism may be used in the arm to maintain the angular orientation of the applicator which is particularly important when the tape applicator is a common tape head normally use in taping machines. Using a constant height system the height of the tape applicator can be maintained constant when in operation.

The use of pressure sensitive tape is and has been for many years very common in the packaging industries. The tape being applied is usually dispensed from a tape roll. There are two main categories of tape roll sizes available, namely;                1. For use in manual tape application with a tape dispenser or hand applicator which is restricted in the size and weight as required for ease of handling are generally classified as "Hand rolls" and have a roll size that will usually provide about 100 meters tape length        2. For automatic tape application by a taping machine equipped with a tape head the tape rolls generally referred to as "Machine rolls" have a roll size that will provide from 1000 to 2000 meters of tape.
The Machine roll has significant advantage over Hand roll based on the 10 to 1 ratio in tape length tape as roll replenishment is reduced by a factor of at least 9 times thereby reducing production down time. The larger roll also results in more consistent taping performance since most taping problems occurred towards the end or depletion of the roll i.e. when the diameter of the roll has been significantly reduced. The cost per linear length of the tape is also reduced when the Machine roll is used as opposed to the Manual roll as the number of paper cores is used is significantly reduced and both the manufacturing and the shipping costs are reduced.
It is estimated 50 percent packaging tape consumers are restricted to Hand rolls since an automatic taping machine is not feasible for their particular operations. In spite of the economic advantages of the much larger Machine rolls, purchasing and using an automatic taping machine is not justifiable for taping operations that tape less than about 500 cartons a day and automatic taping machines do not lend themselves to intermittent production and/or different sizes of cartons to be taped. Furthermore automatic taping machines require a conveyor to transport the carton through a stationery tape applicator generally referred to as a tape head that applies tape dispensed from a station tape roll and requires a significant amount of space. Manual taping generally applies tape to a stationery carton by manually moving a hand applicator with a Hand roll (as required to ensure the hand applicator is not too heavy to maneuvered manually) and lends itself to do the operations that are not economically or easily accomplished by automatic machines.
Manual tape applicators as currently know in addition to requiring the more expensive tape (per lineal meter of tape) are also, to a significant degree, limited by the dexterity of the operator for alignment, accuracy and speed of application. The present invention alleviates many of the short comings of the manual applicators


A flight information providing apparatus 10 is composed of an information provision request input section 12 for entering an information provision request 50; a storage section 18 for storing the information provision request 50 entered; a takeoff/landing information acquisition section 14 for acquiring actual flight information 60 on takeoff/landing of an airplane from an existing air-traffic control system; a passenger information acquisition section 16 for acquiring actual boarding information 70 on passengers aboard an airplane; an extraction section 20 for extracting takeoff/landing information by extraction processing of takeoff information and extraction processing of landing information; and a transmission section 22 for transmitting the takeoff/landing information thus extracted, through a communication network 40 to a terminal unit (a personal computer, a mobile telephone, etc.) 30 on the basis of a destination address about a predetermined person.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flight information providing apparatus, a flight information providing method, a flight information providing program, and a computer-readable recording medium for providing flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, more and more people are using airplanes as means for movement on the occasions of overseas travels, domestic travels, business trips, and so on, and the age bracket of the users spans a wide spectrum from elderly people to children.
While the number of airplane users is increasing as described, the travel by plane still involves many unstable factors including occasional cancellation, delays of arrival times, etc. due to weather, e.g., typhoons or snow.
Under such circumstances, there are the potential needs of persons concerned with a certain passenger (e.g., a family, co-workers at a company, etc.) who want to make sure as early as possible whether the pertinent passenger got aboard an expected airplane and departed safely, or whether the pertinent passenger has arrived safely at a destination.
However, the actual flight information, e.g., indicating that the airplane has actually arrived with a delay of twenty minutes, is indicated on a bulletin board at an airport, and there is no existing service for automatically and promptly informing the persons concerned with the airplane passenger, of the information. For this reason, there are eager demands for implementation of such service.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a flight information providing apparatus, a flight information providing method, a flight information providing program, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of automatically and promptly providing flight information about an airplane with a predetermined user aboard to a predetermined destination address corresponding to the pertinent user.
For achieving the above object, a flight information providing apparatus according to the present invention is a flight information providing apparatus adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing apparatus comprising: an information provision request input section for entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided; a storage section for storing the information provision request entered; a takeoff/landing information acquisition section for acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane; an extraction section for collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and a transmission section for transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.
A flight information providing method according to the present invention is a flight information providing method adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing method comprising: an input step of entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided; a storage step of storing the information provision request entered; an acquisition step of acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane; an extraction step of collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and a transmission step of transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.
A flight information providing program according to the present invention is a flight information providing program adapted to provide flight information on an airplane with a predetermined person aboard, said flight information providing program being configured to make a computer execute the following steps: an input step of entering an information provision request including at least identification information on said person, identification information on an airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, and a destination address to which the information is to be provided; a storage step of storing the information provision request entered; an acquisition step of acquiring actual flight information on takeoff/landing of an airplane; an extraction step of collating the identification information on the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual flight information thereof to extract landing information comprising arrival information indicating that said airplane has arrived, from said actual flight information; and a transmission step of transmitting the landing information of the object airplane extracted, to a terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about said person.
Incidentally, the above-stated flight information providing apparatus, flight information providing method, and flight information providing program according to the present invention are based on the same technical concept and are interpretations of the technical concept from an aspect of the flight information providing apparatus, from an aspect of the flight information providing method, and from an aspect of the flight information providing program, respectively.
For this reason, the following will describe a solution to the problem by the flight information providing apparatus according to the present invention, but it is noted that solutions to the problem by the flight information providing method and the flight information providing program are also based on the same concept.
In the flight information providing apparatus according to the present invention, an operator enters through the information provision request input section, the information provision request including at least the identification information on the person, the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, and the destination address to which the information is to be delivered, whereupon the storage section stores the information provision request thus entered. On the other hand, the takeoff/landing information acquisition section acquires the actual flight information about takeoff/landing of the airplane, whereupon the extraction section collates the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with the actual flight information. If the pertinent airplane has already arrived, the actual flight information at this time contains the arrival information indicating that the pertinent airplane has arrived. Thus the extraction section extracts the landing information including the arrival information, from the actual flight information. Then the transmission section transmits the landing information of the object airplane thus extracted, to the terminal unit on the basis of the destination address about the person included in the information provision request. This permits the apparatus to automatically and promptly provide the landing information indicating that the airplane with the predetermined person aboard has safely arrived, to the user of the terminal unit (a family, co-workers at a company, etc. of the person).
In the flight information providing apparatus, the extraction section is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane. In the flight information providing method, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane. In the flight information providing program, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of arrival and an actual time of arrival about the object plane.
In this case, the difference information between the estimated time of arrival and the actual time of arrival about the object airplane is also provided to the user of the terminal unit, so that the user can be informed of more specific actual flight circumstances of the object airplane.
In the flight information providing apparatus, the extraction section is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived. In the flight information providing method, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived. In the flight information providing program, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at an airport different from an expected airport and information on the airport where the object airplane has arrived.
In this case, the information indicating that the object airplane has arrived at the airport different from the expected airport and the information on the arriving airport is also provided to the user of the terminal unit, so that the user can be informed of more specific actual flight circumstances of the object airplane.
In the flight information providing apparatus, preferably, a server further comprises a passenger information acquisition section for acquiring actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane, said extraction section is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that the airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and said transmission section is configured to transmit the takeoff information of the person extracted, to said terminal unit. In the flight information providing method, preferably, said acquisition step is configured to also acquire actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane, said extraction step is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that the airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and said transmission step is configured to transmit the takeoff information of the person extracted, to said terminal unit. In the flight information providing program, preferably, said acquisition step is configured to also acquire actual boarding information on passengers aboard an airplane, said extraction step is configured to collate the identification information on said person and the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with said actual boarding information and said actual flight information to extract takeoff information comprising boarding information indicating that said person has actually gone aboard the expected airplane and that the airplane has taken off, from said actual boarding information and said actual flight information, and said transmission step is configured to transmit the takeoff information of the person extracted, to said terminal unit.
In this case, the flight information providing apparatus acquires, not only the actual flight information, but also the actual boarding information about passengers aboard the airplane by the passenger information acquisition section, whereupon the extraction section collates the identification information on the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, with the actual boarding information to acquire the actual boarding information about the airplane that the person is supposed to go aboard, and the extraction section collates the identification information on the person therewith to extract the information indicating that the person has gone aboard the expected airplane. Besides it, the extraction section collates the identification information on the expected airplane, with the actual flight information to extract the information indicating that the pertinent airplane has taken off. In this way the extraction section extracts the takeoff information comprising the boarding information indicating that the person has gone aboard the expected airplane and that the airplane has taken off, and the transmission section transmits to the terminal unit the takeoff information of the person thus extracted. This permits the apparatus to automatically and promptly provide the takeoff information indicating that the predetermined person has gone aboard the expected airplane and that the pertinent airplane has safely taken off, to the user of the terminal unit (the family, the co-workers at the company, etc. of the person).
In the flight information providing apparatus, the extraction section is preferably configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard. In the flight information providing method, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard. In the flight information providing program, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the takeoff information further comprising difference information between an estimated time of departure and an actual time of departure about the airplane that said person is supposed to go aboard.
In this case, the difference information between the expected time of departure and the actual time of departure about the object airplane is also provided to the user of the terminal unit, so that the user can be informed of more specific actual flight circumstances of the object airplane.
In the flight information providing apparatus, the extraction section is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived. In the flight information providing method, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived. In the flight information providing program, the extraction step is preferably configured to extract the landing information further comprising actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with said person actually aboard has arrived.
In this case, the actual arrival information indicating that the airplane with the pertinent person actually aboard has arrived is also provided to the user of the terminal unit, so that the user can be informed of more specific actual flight circumstances of the object airplane.
In the flight information providing apparatus, preferably, the information provision request comprises language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted from the transmission section, and the extraction section is configured to manipulate the extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information. In the flight information providing method, preferably, the input step is configured to enter the information provision request further comprising language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted at the transmission step, and the extraction step is configured to manipulate the extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information. In the flight information providing program, preferably, the input step is configured to enter the information provision request further comprising language selection information for selection of a language about the information transmitted at the transmission step, and the extraction step is configured to manipulate the extracted information so as to be displayed in a language according to the language selection information.
In this case, the landing information and the takeoff information manipulated so as to be displayed in the language preliminarily selected, is provided to the user of the terminal unit, so that the user can understand and know the actual flight circumstances of the object airplane more easily.
In the flight information providing apparatus, the flight information providing method, and the flight information providing program, the terminal unit as an information receiving unit is preferably a portable terminal having a function of entering said information provision request to deliver the request to said information provision request input section and receiving the information transmitted from said transmission section to display the information. In this case, the user can easily enter the information provision request through the portable terminal (e.g., a mobile telephone, a mobile terminal, or the like) widespread among many users and send it to the information provision request input section, and can also use the portable terminal in order to receive and display the information transmitted from the transmission section of the flight information providing apparatus. Therefore, the user can make simple and easy use of the information providing service by the flight information providing apparatus.
In the flight information providing apparatus, the flight information providing method, and the flight information providing program, the information provision request is preferably entered through the information provision request input section (or at the information provision request input step) when the person purchases an airline ticket or when the person checks in at an airport. Since these airline ticket purchase and check-in procedures are procedures that all the airplane users must be through, the configuration for permitting entry of the information provision request on the occasions of these procedures can provide chances of making use of the information providing service by the flight information providing apparatus, to all the airplane users, which can promote the utilization of the service.
A computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is characterized in that the flight information providing program in either of the above configurations is recorded therein.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not to be considered as limiting the present invention.

Flight information providing apparatus, flight information providing method, flight information providing program, and computer-readable recording medium


Embodiments of the present application disclose a fingerprint identification apparatus and an electronic device. The fingerprint identification apparatus is used to be disposed under a display screen and includes a first filter layer and a fingerprint sensor, and the first filter layer is disposed above the fingerprint sensor, the first filter layer includes a plurality of first filter units, and the plurality of first filter units are disposed in a region of the first filter layer corresponding to an edge region of the fingerprint sensor; sensing units of the edge region of the fingerprint sensor are configured to receive a light signal returned by a finger above the display screen and filtered by the plurality of first filter units; and sensing units of a middle region of the fingerprint sensor are configured to receive a light signal returned by the finger, to generate a fingerprint image of the finger.

The application of an optical fingerprint identification apparatus brings safe and convenient user experience to a user, however a fake fingerprint such as a fingerprint mold and a printed fingerprint image made of an artificial material (for example, silica gel, white glue) is a potential safety hazard in fingerprint application. Therefore, how to identify a real or false fingerprint to improve security of fingerprint identification is an urgent problem to be solved.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fingerprint identification apparatus and electronic device


A method for servicing a computerized system includes detecting a failure of a given type in the computerized system, and generating a list of corrective actions in response to the failure, using an automated maintenance program. A record of one or more previous failures of the given type in the computerized system is retrieved, indicating at least one previous corrective action taken in response to the previous failures. The method prioritizes the list of corrective actions responsively to the record, using the automated maintenance program, so as to adjust a priority of the at least one previous corrective action in the list. The prioritized list from the automated maintenance program is provided to a repair function for use in servicing the computerized system.

The development of complex systems containing multiple subsystems and components presents significant reliability and maintainability challenges. As a consequence, various methods and systems have been proposed for detecting, diagnosing and correcting faults in such systems. Applications for automated self-diagnostic systems range from the computer industry, through industrial machinery, to aerospace applications.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,081, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for automatically generating a repair request from a remote client to a server, wherein the client identifies the malfunctioning part and transmits an error notification and an identification of the faulty part to the server. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,645, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a device for identifying faults in a complex system containing a plurality of elements. The device has a centralized processing station monitoring a system of complex elements, which issue fault cues to the central processing station.
Some fault monitoring systems utilize historical information from previous fault events. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,395, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system and method for processing repair data and fault log data from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine, particularly applied to the locomotive industry. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,264, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a process, relating to the locomotive industry, for analyzing fault log data from a machine, and generating repair recommendations based upon the comparison of the new fault log data and prior fault log data.
Relating to computer systems, U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,852, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a data-processing system that diagnoses problems in one of its subsystems and displays information directing an operator to perform certain actions. The information is based upon the subsystem configuration, previous test results, and operator inputs. U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,491, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method of automatically detecting and analyzing exception events in a computer peripheral subsystem. A database is searched to determine whether the current exception event relates to a problem already recorded. If a match is found, a service alert message is transmitted to the host system, containing a variety of information for the subsystem user and for a repair technician.

History-based prioritizing of suspected components

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides isolated dimeric Streptococcus-specific phage lysins having two Streptococcus-specific phage lysin monomers covalently linked to each other, and having killing activity against one or more Streptococcus bacteria. Also provided for are pharmaceutical compositions of dimeric lysins and their use in therapeutic treatment or alleviation of infections or bacterial colonizations. The dimeric lysins may also be used to decontaminate porous and non-porous surfaces or devices.

A major problem in medicine has been the development of drug resistant bacteria as more antibiotics are used for a wide variety of illnesses and other conditions. Hospital infections are the 8th leading cause of death in the United States, due in large part to drug-resistant and newly-emerging pathogens. The use of more antibiotics and the number of bacteria showing resistance has prompted longer treatment times. Furthermore, broad, non-specific antibiotics, some of which have detrimental effects on the patient, are now being used more frequently. A related problem with this increased use is that many antibiotics do not penetrate mucus linings easily. Additionally, the number of people allergic to antibiotics appears to be increasing. Accordingly, there is a commercial need for new antibacterial approaches, especially those that operate via new modalities or provide new means to kill pathogenic bacteria.
Gram-positive bacteria are surrounded by a cell wall containing polypeptides and polysaccharide. The gram-positive cell wall appears as a broad, dense wall that is 20-80 nm thick and consists of numerous interconnecting layers of peptidoglycan. Between 60% and 90% of the gram-positive cell wall is peptidoglycan, providing cell shape, a rigid structure, and resistance to osmotic shock. The cell wall does not exclude the Gram stain crystal violet, allowing cells to be stained purple, and therefore "Gram-positive." Gram-positive bacteria include but are not limited to the genera Actinomyces, Bacillus, Listeria, Lactococcus, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, and Clostridium. Medically relevant species include Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis.
Antibacterials that inhibit cell wall synthesis, such as penicillins and cephalosporins, interfere with the linking of the interpeptides of peptidoglycan and weaken the cell wall of both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Because the peptidoglycans of gram-positive bacteria are exposed, gram-positive bacteria are more susceptible to these antibiotics. Advantageously, eukaryotic cells lack cell walls and are not susceptible to these drugs or other cell wall agents.
Attempts have been made to treat bacterial diseases through the use of bacteriophages. However, the direct introduction of bacteriophages into an animal to prevent or fight diseases has certain drawbacks. Specifically, both the bacteria and the phage have to be in the correct and synchronized growth cycles for the phage to attach. Additionally, there must be the right number of phages to attach to the bacteria; if there are too many or too few phages, there will be either no attachment or no production of the lysing enzyme. The phage must also be active enough. The phages are also inhibited by many things including bacterial debris from the organism it is going to attack. Further complicating the direct use of a bacteriophage to treat bacterial infections is the possibility of immunological reactions, rendering the phage non-functional.
Novel antimicrobial therapy approaches include enzyme-based antibiotics ("enzybiotics") such as bacteriophage lysins. Phages use these lysins to digest the cell wall of their bacterial hosts, releasing viral progeny through hypotonic lysis. A similar outcome results when purified, recombinant lysins are added externally to Gram-positive bacteria. The high lethal activity of lysins against Gram-positive pathogens makes them attractive candidates for development as therapeutics. Bacteriophage lysins were initially proposed for eradicating the nasopharyngeal carriage of pathogenic streptococci (Loeffler, J. M. et al (2001) Science 294: 2170-2172; Nelson, D. et al (2001) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:4107-4112). Lysins are part of the lytic mechanism used by double stranded DNA (dsDNA) phage to coordinate host lysis with completion of viral assembly (Wang, I. N. et al (2000) Annu Rev Microbiol 54:799-825). Phage encode both holins that open a pore in the bacterial membrane, and peptidoglycan hydrolases called lysins that break bonds in the bacterial wall. Late in infection, lysin translocates into the cell wall matrix where it rapidly hydrolyzes covalent bonds essential for peptidoglycan integrity, causing bacterial lysis and concomitant progeny phage release.
Lysin family members exhibit a modular design in which a catalytic domain is fused to a specificity or binding domain (Lopez, R. et al (1997) Microb Drug Resist 3:199-211). Lysins can be cloned from viral prophage sequences within bacterial genomes and used for treatment (Beres, S. B. et al (2007) PLoS ONE 2(8):1-14). When added externally, lysins are able to access the bonds of a Gram-positive cell wall (FIG. 1) (Fischetti, V. A. (2008) Curr Opinion Microbiol 11:393-400). Lysins have been shown to demonstrate a high lethal activity against numerous Gram-positive pathogens (especially the bacterium from which they were cloned), raising the possibility of their development as therapeutics (Fischetti, V. A. (2008) Curr Opinion Microbiol 11:393-400; Nelson, D. L. et al (2001) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98:4107-4112).
Bacteriophage lytic enzymes have been established as useful in the assessment and specific treatment of various types of infection in subjects through various routes of administration. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,109 (Fischetti et al.) relates to the rapid detection of Group A streptococci in clinical specimens, through the enzymatic digestion by a semi-purified Group C streptococcal phage associated lysin enzyme. This enzyme work became the basis of additional research, leading to methods of treating diseases. Fischetti and Loomis patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,985,271, 6,017,528 and 6,056,955) disclose the use of a lysin enzyme produced by group C streptococcal bacteria infected with a C1 bacteriophage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,324 (Fischetti and Loomis) discloses a composition for dermatological infections by the use of a lytic enzyme in a carrier suitable for topical application to dermal tissues. U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,866 (Fischetti and Loomis) discloses a method for treatment of bacterial infections of the digestive tract which comprises administering a lytic enzyme specific for the infecting bacteria. The carrier for delivering at least one lytic enzyme to the digestive tract is selected from the group consisting of suppository enemas, syrups, or enteric coated pills. U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,945 (Fischetti and Loomis) discloses a method and composition for the treatment of bacterial infections by the parenteral introduction (intramuscularly, subcutaneously, or intravenously) of at least one lytic enzyme produced by a bacteria infected with a bacteriophage specific for that bacteria and an appropriate carrier for delivering the lytic enzyme into a patient.
Phage associated lytic enzymes have been identified and cloned from various bacteriophages, each shown to be effective in killing specific bacterial strains. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,402,309, 7,638,600 and published PCT Application WO2008/018854 provides distinct phage-associated lytic enzymes useful as antibacterial agents for treatment or reduction of Bacillus anthracis infections. U.S. Pat. No. 7,569,223 describes the pneumococcal phage lytic enzyme Pal for Streptococcus pneumoniae. Lysin useful for Enterococcus (E. faecalis and E. faecium, including vancomycin resistant strains) are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,582,291. US 2008/0221035 describes mutant Ply GBS lysins highly effective in killing Group B streptococci. A chimeric lysin denoted ClyS, with activity against Staphylococci bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus, is detailed in WO 2010/002959.
Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), a gram-positive encapsulated diplococcus, is a primary etiologic agent in human illnesses such as bacteremia, meningitis, pneumonia, otitis media, and sinusitis. This bacterium is responsible for the death of >1 million children per year under five years of age worldwide (English, M (2000) Paediatr Respir Rev 1:21-5) and community-acquired pneumonia is the sixth most common cause of death in the USA (File, T M (2004) Am J Med 117 Suppl 3A:39S-50S). Moreover, S. pneumoniae is a major cause of acute otitis media worldwide, a disease that affects more than 5 million children per year in the USA (CDC (2009) Pneumococcal diseases, p. 217-30. In W. Atkinson, et al (ed.), Epidemiology and prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases (11th ed), Public Health Foundation, Washington D.C.). Finally, secondary infections as a result of influenza pandemics account for >90% of deaths, with S. pneumoniae being the leading cause of these deaths (Brundage, J F Shanks G D (2008) Emerg Infect Dis 14:1193-9; Brundage, J F Shanks G D (2007) J Infect Dis 196:1717-8; Morens, D M et al (2009) N Engl J Med 361:225-9; Morens, D M et al (2009) Public Health Rep 124:22-5). Pneumococcal infections are often treated with antibiotics, but bacteriologically confirmed treatment failures, due to the increasing incidence of resistance (Reinert, R R (2009) Clin Microbiol Infect 15 Suppl 3:1-3) were reported for macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and cephalosporins (Mandell, L A et al (2002) Clin Infect Dis 35:721-7). The overuse and misuse of antibiotics as a result of treatment of millions of otitis media cases only contribute to the emergence of resistant strains (Goossens, H (2009) Clin Microbiol Infect 15 Suppl 3:12-5. Taken together, these observations have prompted the need for new drugs, acting by totally different mechanisms, for the treatment and prevention of pneumococcal associated diseases.
Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, phages, a major predator of bacteria in nature, were viewed as a possible method to control pathogenic bacteria. At the time, several reports of the successful use of phage to treat infections were published (Sulakvelidze, A and Barrow, P (2005) Phage therapy in animals and agribusiness, p. 335-71. In E. Kutter and A. Sulakvelidze (ed.), Bacteriophages: Biology and Applications, CRC Press, USA; Sulakvelidze, A and Kutter, E (2005) Bacteriophage therapy in humans, p. 381-426. In E. Kutter and A. Sulakvelidze (ed.), Bacteriophages: Biology and Applications, CRC Press, USA), but the advent of antibiotics in the 40's led to a rapid decline of phage therapy research in the western world. The past decade has seen a renewed interest in phage therapy and phage derived anti-bacterial compounds (Borysowski, J et al (2006) Exp Biol Med 231:366-77; Fischetti, V A (2008) Curr Opin Microbiol 11:393-400).
One of these products, phage endolysins or lysins, have been exploited for their rapid killing action on gram-positive bacteria (Borysowski, J et al (2006) Exp Biol Med 231:366-77; Fischetti, V A (2008) Curr Opin Microbiol 11:393-400). These specific enzymes are produced at the time when phage progeny need to escape the bacterial host. Pneumococcal phage Cp-1 produces the lysin Cpl-1, a 37 kDa enzyme. This lysin is constructed like all such endolysins, having two well defined domains connected by a flexible linker. The catalytic activity is restricted to the N-terminal domain, while the C-terminal part, containing 6 choline-binding repeats (ChBR) and a C-terminal tail of 13 amino-acids, is required for substrate binding in the pneumococcal cell wall. Cpl-1 belongs to the family of lysozymes which target the β1,4 linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in the peptidoglycan (Perez-Dorado, I N E et al (2007) J Biol Chem 282:24990-9). Its choline-dependent activity makes Cpl-1 highly specific for S. pneumonia (Garcia, J L et al (1987) J Virol 61:2573-80). The Cpl-1 gene has been cloned into the high expression vector pinIIIAn and then over-expressed and purified (Loeffler, J M et al (2003) Infect Immun 71:6199-204).
Purified Cpl-1 has been successfully tested for treating pneumococcal sepsis (Jado, I et al (2003) J Antimicrob Chemother 52:967-73; Loeffler, J M and Fischetti, V A (2003) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 47:375-7), endocarditis (Entenza, J M et al (2005) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 49:4789-92), pneumococcal meningitis (Grandgirard, D et al (2008) J Infect Dis 197:1519-22), and pneumonia (Witzenrath, M et al (2009) Crit. Care Med 37:642-9) in rodent models. Nevertheless, proteins are usually quickly cleared in vivo and repeated injections or even continuous infusion of Cpl-1 was required in many of the studies performed to date (Entenza, J M et al (2005) Antimicrob Agents Chemother 49:4789-92. 31; Witzenrath, M et al (2009) Crit. Care Med 37:642-9).
These results may be a shortcoming for the clinical development of Cpl-1 and similar lysins. What is needed in the art are improved lysins that may be used to treat pneumococcal diseases having killing activity and enhanced clinically-relevant parameters, such as longer half life or reduced clearance in vivo.


A system and method for enabling a zero configuration nomadic wireless and wired computing environment presenting a just works experience is presented. The system examines predefined user preference or profile settings to determine to which of a competing number of wireless networks available it should connect, and what type of authentication should be used for such connection. Nomadic wireless computing between infrastructure wireless networks and ad hoc wireless networks may be accomplished without further user intervention required in an auto mode. Also, both infrastructure only and ad hoc only modes are available through the system of the invention. Further, the user may set a preference for infrastructure or ad hoc modes in the auto mode. With an infrastructure mode preference set, the system will automatically detect and transfer connectivity to a newly available infrastructure wireless network if the user was previously operating off-line or in ad hoc mode.

Most businesses have recognized the substantial benefits gained by operating in a networked computing environment. By establishing local area networks (LAN), businesses allow their employees to share network resources, such as printers, file servers, modem banks, e-mail servers, etc., while maintaining the distributed computing power of having a plurality of individual work station computers. Indeed, the benefits of networked computing are now available for home computing environments as more and more households begin having more than one computer. Now, as with at the office, network resources (e.g., a printer) may be shared among the members of the household.
Unfortunately, despite all the benefits that the networks provide, their hardwired architecture presents several problems that tend to limit the users ability to compute in a flexible manner. For example, many networked computer users are now provided the flexibility to take their computers with them wherever they go by utilizing laptop and notebook sized computers. Unfortunately, however, the physical wired architecture often does not accommodate multiple users in a particular location (e.g., in a meeting room) due to the limit of network connection port outlets that are physically installed at that particular location. Therefore, while a user has the theoretical ability to connect to the network from any location wherein a network port outlet is provided, the physical realities of the wiring installation often limit this. Additionally, even if a sufficient number of outlet ports were provided, the requirement for each user to carry around network cabling of lengths sufficient to couple to a network outlet is undesirable from a user standpoint. Likewise, the cost and difficulty of installing network cabling within a household to provide connectivity for each room of the house often limits the actual cable installed to only those fixed locations where computers and network resources are currently located. Therefore, such hardwired systems essentially preclude the mobile computing that has been enabled by the portable computing devices currently on the market.
In recognition of the significant limitations that a wired LAN architecture places on the mobility and flexibility of modern computing, many industry leaders have developed and are now implementing wireless networks. These wireless networks allow for substantially increased flexibility by enabling truly nomadic computing from any location within the business enterprise covered by the wireless LAN. No longer do users need to carry network connection cables and restrict themselves to computing only in physical locations where network connection outlets are provided. This wireless networking technology also has significant advantages for the home computer user who may now have full home network accessibility from any location within the house that is convenient.
Recognizing the tremendous benefits provided by wireless networking, their deployment in airports, hotels, schools, etc., is becoming much more widespread. Further, with the increasing popularity of handheld computing devices, the deployment of such wireless networks in shopping malls, grocery stores, is envisioned. Further, wireless wide area network computing having coverage areas similar to that currently in widespread use for wireless telephone systems enable true nomadic computing regardless of a user's physical location. In this way, nomadic computer users are able to access their network resources and remain productive while waiting on a plane, commuting on a train, etc.
Recognizing that compatibility among the various network service providers who may deploy these wireless networks is of paramount importance to ensure the continued growth and acceptance of such technology, various industry standards have been developed. One such standard developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is designated by IEEE 802.11. Under this wireless standard, nomadic computer users may form their own network in an ad hoc mode, or may connect to an established network in an infrastructure mode. In the ad hoc mode, there is no structure to the network, and each member is typically able to communicate with every other member. These ad hoc networks may be formed whenever a group of users wish to communicate among themselves to share information such as during a meeting. An example of such an ad hoc formed network under IEEE 802.11 is illustrated in FIG. 2. As may be seen from this simplified Figure, multiple users 200, 202, 204 communicate with one another in their own loosely formed network, all without the requirement of being coupled together by hard wires.
The second type of network structure of IEEE 802.11 is known as an infrastructure network and is illustrated in simplified form in FIG. 3. As may be seen, this architecture utilizes at least one fixed network access point (AP) 206 through which a mobile computer user 208 can communicate with the network members 210, 212, 214 and resources 216, 218, 220. These network access points 206 may be connected to hardwired land lines to broaden the wireless network's capability by bridging these wireless nodes to other wired nodes on the established network 222.
Unfortunately, despite the significant advantages and flexibility that wireless networking brings to the computing environment, once a user has actually become coupled to the wireless network, the current user experience in configuring and connecting to such a wireless network is still quite complex and input intensive. Specifically, once a nomadic computer user enters a wireless network coverage area, the user is required to open a user interface (UI) and select the connection method under 802.11. At work, the nomadic computer user will typically select the infrastructure mode to connect to the corporate LAN. In addition to selecting the type of mode in which to operate, the user must also input the name of the network to which it is to connect. While such an entry is a simple matter when the corporate network name is known, when traveling and in an airport, hotel, etc., the user may not know the network name established therein. Further, it is foreseeable that public places such as airports may well have multiple network service providers available for connection, which further complicates the name selection to allow a user to connect to that particular wireless network. Further, there may be a myriad of other parameters which the user must manually configure to allow full connectivity to the wireless network based upon that user's application and data rate requirements.
Further detracting from the user experience is the requirement of current wireless networks and mobile computing devices that force a user to manually reconfigure the network settings when transferring between networks. For example, a user who accesses a wireless network at work and at home must upon each transition from work to home and back manually reconfigure his wireless network configuration settings before being able to transition from one wireless network to the other. Further, if the user has the wireless network set to infrastructure mode in his home and a problem occurs with one of the machines on the network that includes the functionality of an access point, the user will be forced to manually reconfigure all of the other machines in his house to enable networking in an ad hoc mode. This constant requirement that the user manually reconfigure the wireless network settings and configuration severely limits the promise of true nomadic computing enabled by the underlying wireless network technology.

System and method for achieving zero-configuration wireless computing and computing device incorporating same


A method and apparatus for writing spiral servo information is provided. In one embodiment, a servo track writer having a digital signal processor is provided. The servo track writer also includes a clock head, which reads a clock track from a disk surface to generate a clock signal that is used to provide interrupt signals to the digital signal processor. A transducer, which writes spiral servo information onto the disk surface, is positioned under control of the digital signal processor based upon the interrupt signals. In one embodiment, a method of writing spiral servo information onto a disk surface using a servo track writer having a digital signal processor is provided. The method includes the steps of reading a clock track written onto the disk surface to generate interrupt signals; providing the interrupt signals to the digital signal processor; and, positioning a transducer over the disk surface under control of the digital signal processor based upon the interrupt signals provided thereto.

Computer disk drives store information on magnetic disks. Typically, the information is stored on each disk in concentric tracks that are divided into sectors. Information is written to and read from a disk by a transducer that is mounted on an actuator arm capable of moving the transducer radially over the disk. Accordingly, the movement of the actuator arm allows the transducer to access different tracks. The disk is rotated by a spindle motor at high speed which allows the transducer to access different sectors on the disk.
A conventional disk drive, generally designated 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1. The disk drive comprises a disk 12 that is rotated by a spin motor 14. The spin motor 14 is mounted to a base plate 16.
The disk drive 10 also includes an actuator arm assembly 18, which includes a transducer 20 (wherein the transducer has both a write head and a read head) mounted to a flexure arm 22. The actuator arm assembly 18 is attached to an actuator arm 24 that can rotate about a bearing assembly 26. A voice coil motor 28 cooperates with the actuator arm 24 and, hence, the actuator arm assembly 18, to move the transducer 20 relative to the disk 12. The spin motor 14, voice coil motor 28 and transducer 20 are coupled to a number of electronic circuits 30 mounted to a printed circuit board 32. The electronic circuits 30 typically include a read channel chip, a microprocessor-based controller and a random access memory (RAM) device.
The disk drive 10 typically includes a plurality of disks 12 and, therefore, a plurality of corresponding actuator arm assemblies 18. However, it is also possible for the disk drive 10 to include a single disk 12 as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram which illustrates a conventional disk drive 10 that is coupled to a host computer 32 via an input/output port 34. The disk drive 10 is used by the host computer 32 as a data storage device. The host 32 delivers data access requests to the disk drive 10 via port 34. In addition, port 34 is used to transfer customer data between the disk drive 10 and the host 32 during read and write operations.
In addition to the components of the disk drive 10 shown and labeled in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 illustrates (in block diagram form) the disk drive's controller 36, read/write channel 38 and interface 40. Conventionally, data is stored on the disk 12 in substantially concentric data storage tracks on its surface. In a magnetic disk drive 10, for example, data is stored in the form of magnetic polarity transitions within each track. Data is "read" from the disk 12 by positioning the transducer 20 (i.e., the read head) above a desired track of the disk 12 and sensing the magnetic polarity transitions stored within the track, as the track moves below the transducer 20. Similarly, data is "written" to the disk 12 by positioning the transducer 20 (i.e., the write head) above a desired track and delivering a write current representative of the desired data to the transducer 20 at an appropriate time.
The actuator arm assembly 18 is a semi-rigid member that acts as a support structure for the transducer 20, holding it above the surface of the disk 12. The actuator arm assembly 18 is coupled at one end to the transducer 20 and at another end to the VCM 28. The VCM 28 is operative for imparting controlled motion to the actuator arm 18 to appropriately position the transducer 20 with respect to the disk 12. The VCM 28 operates in response to a control signal icontrol generated by the controller 36. The controller 36 generates the control signal icontrol in response to, among other things, an access command received from the host computer 32 via the interface 40.
The read/write channel 38 is operative for appropriately processing the data being read from/written to the disk 12. For example, during a read operation, the read/write channel 38 converts an analog read signal generated by the transducer 20 into a digital data signal that can be recognized by the controller 36. The channel 38 is also generally capable of recovering timing information from the analog read signal. During a write operation, the read/write channel 38 converts customer data received from the host 32 into a write current signal that is delivered to the transducer 20 to "write" the customer data to an appropriate portion of the disk 12. The read/write channel 38 is also operative for continually processing data read from servo information stored on the disk 12 and delivering the processed data to the controller 36 for use in, for example, transducer positioning.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a magnetic storage disk 12 illustrating a typical organization of data on the surface of the disk 12. As shown, the disk 12 includes a plurality of concentric data storage tracks 42, which are used for storing data on the disk 12. The data storage tracks 42 are illustrated as center lines on the surface of the disk 12; however, it should be understood that the actual tracks will each occupy a finite width about a corresponding centerline. The data storage disk 12 also includes servo information in the form of a plurality of radially-aligned servo spokes 44 that each cross all of the tracks 42 on the disk 12. The servo information in the servo spokes 44 is read by the transducer 20 during disk drive operation for use in positioning the transducer 20 above a desired track 42 of the disk 12. The portions of the track between servo spokes 44 have traditionally been used to store customer data received from, for example, the host computer 32 and are thus referred to herein as customer data regions 46.
It should be understood that, for ease of illustration, only a small number of tracks 42 and servo spokes 44 have been shown on the surface of the disk 12 of FIG. 3. That is, conventional disk drives include one or more disk surfaces having a considerably larger number of tracks and servo spokes.
During the disk drive manufacturing process, a special piece of equipment known as a servo track writer (STW) is used to write the radially-aligned servo information which forms servo spokes 44. A STW is a very precise piece of equipment that is capable of writing servo information on the disk surface with a high degree of positional accuracy. In general, a STW is a very expensive piece of capital equipment. Thus, it is generally desirable that a STW be used as efficiently as possible during manufacturing operations. Even a small reduction in the amount of data needed to be written by the STW per disk surface can result in a significant cost and time savings.
FIG. 4 depicts, in block diagram form, certain portions of a conventional servo track writer 50 and a disk drive 10. Only those components that are used to position the disk drive's actuator arm assembly 18 radially relative to the center of the disk surface are shown in FIG. 4. Among other things, the servo track writer 50 includes an STW digital signal processor (DSP) 52, a STW voice-coil motor (VCM) 54, a STW actuator arm assembly 56 and a push-pin system 58.
In order to write servo information on to a disk surface 12, the disk drive 10 is loaded onto the STW 50 and is held securely in place. One of a variety of push-pin systems 58 (e.g., a mechanical push-pin system or an optical push-pin system) is used to create an interface between the actuator arm assembly 18 of disk drive 10 and the actuator arm assembly 56 of the servo track writer 50. By properly positioning the STW actuator arm assembly 56, the actuator arm assembly 18 and, hence, the transducer 20 of the disk drive 10 may be positioned at an appropriate location relative to the center of the disk surface 12. In order to effectuate this positioning, the STW 50 uses a servo loop formed by an external relative encoder (see block 70 in FIG. 6), which cooperates with (or forms a part of) the STW VCM 54, and a compensation circuit (see block 70 in FIG. 6).
Once the transducer 20 is appropriately positioned relative to the disk surface 12, servo information is then written by the transducer 20 onto the disk surface 12 at the particular radial location. Subsequently, the STW actuator arm assembly 56 is used to position the actuator arm assembly 18 of the disk drive 10 at a next radial location and servo information is written at this radial location. The process repeats until servo information is written at all predetermined radial locations across the disk surface 12.
As shown in FIG. 4, the STW 50 also includes a crystal 60 and a divide-by-N circuit which are used to provide a series of interrupt signals 64 (see FIG. 5) to the STW DSP 52 at predetermined sample times, Ts. Upon receipt of an interrupt signal 64, the STW DSP 52 performs an interrupt service routine (ISR) 66, which lasts for a duration generally less than the sample time, Ts, as indicated by the brackets shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 depicts, in block diagram form, the steps of a conventional interrupt service routine. As shown in FIG. 6, the ISR broadly includes the steps of: profile generation (block 68), STW servo loop closure, whereby the generated profile is followed (block 70), and communication/housekeeping between the host computer 32 and the STW DSP 52 (block 72).
Although not shown in FIG. 4, the STW 50 also includes an external clock head assembly and a phase-locked loop (PLL). The external clock head is used for reading a clock track that has been written on the disk surface 12 using conventional techniques (e.g., the Monte Carlo technique). The phase-locked loop (PLL) is provided to maintain very accurate physical transitions relative to the disk surface 12. Importantly, in the conventional STW 50, the transducers 20 of the disk drive 10 are "placed" and "held" at radial positions relative to the center of the disk 12 completely independently from the clock PLL. It is only after the transducers have been "placed" at a radial position that the transducers 20 write the appropriate servo pattern clocked out by the PLL clock via a pattern generator, which keeps track of the circumferential position. After the servo pattern has been written, the transducers 20 are moved to the next radial position (again, independent from the clock PLL) and the process is repeated. Eventually, servo information is written across the entire disk surface to form the servo spokes 44 shown in FIG. 3.
Because servo information is currently written by placing transducers at radial locations across the disk surface and then writing servo information which is used to define a track, the time for writing servo information increases as the total number of tracks able to be placed on a disk surface increases. Since the number of tracks per inch (TPI) continues to increase, manufacturing times are likely to continue to increase, unless more servo track writers are supplied. However, as alluded to above, the purchase of additional servo track writers involves a significant capital expense.
In order to solve this problem and to expedite the manner by which servo information is written onto a disk surface (among other things), it has been determined that it would be beneficial to write servo information in spiral patterns (see, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/853,093 filed May 9, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). FIG. 7 is a simplified diagrammatic representation of first and second spiral patterns 100, 102 written onto a disk surface 12. Each of the spiral patterns 100, 102 is written while the transducer 20 is dynamically moved across the disk surface 12 at a constant velocity. The spiral patterns 100, 102 may include a constant frequency pattern with synch marks (represented by black squares in FIG. 7) imbedded therein. During operation of the disk drive 10, the synch marks are used to position a transducer 20 over the disk surface 12 and, hence, forms (at least a part of) the servo information.
Writing servo information in such a manner presents a number of new problems. For example, since the transducer 20 is not "placed" and "held" at a particular radius relative to the center of the disk surface 12 before servo information is written, it would be desirable to develop a method for ensuring that corresponding synch marks along different spirals are located along the same radius. Furthermore, it would be desirable to develop a method for ensuring that the circumferential distance between adjacent synch marks along the same radius is equivalent. Reference is made to FIG. 8, which is diagrammatic representation of a fragmentary top view of a disk surface 12 having two spiral patterns written thereon, to illustrate these points.
As shown in FIG. 8, portions of Spiral N and Spiral N+1 are written on disk surface 12. A first synch mark 104 associated with Spiral N is written along Spiral N near the outer diameter of the disk surface 12. Similarly, a first synch mark 106 associated with Spiral N+1 is written along Spiral N+1 near the outer diameter of the disk surface 12. For the servo information to properly perform its function, sync mark X of Spiral N and synch mark X of Spiral N+1 should lie on the same radius R relative to the center 108 of the disk 12. Furthermore, the circumferential distance between adjacent synch marks along the same radius should be the same. For example, the circumferential distance between adjacent synch marks that lie along radius R should be equal to the circumferential distance D between synch mark X of Spiral N and synch mark X of Spiral N+1.
A further problem is that, as mentioned above, servo track writers are extremely expensive instruments. Accordingly, replacing existing servo track writers with new servo track writers that are used to write servo information in spiral patterns would be extremely expensive. Thus, it would be beneficial to develop a method for writing servo information using spiral patterns by minimally modifying existing servo track writers, rather than requiring altogether new servo track writers.

Method and apparatus for writing spiral servo information by modifying existing servo track writing equipment


A modular irrigation controller has a robust ground path with high conductivity that can accommodate lightning induced power surges on field valve wires and common wires that are connected to a plurality of station modules. Sensitive electronic components in the station modules are thereby protected from damage. The robust ground path extends from conductors on circuit boards within the station modules through captive mounting screws to a metallic backplane and then through metallic grounding brackets within a pedestal enclosing the modules and the backplane. The grounding brackets are in turn grounded to both an earth ground stake and to a ground wire associated with the incoming one hundred and ten volt AC power.

Irrigations systems usually include a programmable irrigation controller that turns valves ON and OFF in accordance with a watering program. The irrigation controller is typically connected to a plurality of solenoid actuated valves through field valve wires and valve common wires. Some irrigation controllers known as "decoder controllers" control a large number of valves through a single set of wires that run between all of the valves by encoding unique valve identity codes on the wires along with the power signal. Large irrigation systems installed at golf courses and parks sometimes include miles of wires buried under ground near the surface. This presents a significant challenge in terms of protecting the sensitive electronic components of the irrigation controller from power surges, because lightning strikes are attracted to the areas where the wires are buried.

Irrigation controller with robust ground path


An electronic control unit includes a main microcomputer and a sub-microcomputer. Both the microcomputers include buffers for initialization and buffers for normal processing. At the time of startup of the main microcomputer and the sub-microcomputer, the sub-microcomputer reads out a correction value from a memory, stores the correction value in its buffers for initialization, and also transmits the correction value to the main microcomputer, which stores the correction value in its buffers for initialization.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic control unit that includes plural processing units.
2) Description of the Related Art
Some vehicle are provided with an electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU electronically controls various kinds of processing necessary for operating the vehicle. For example, the ECU is made to control injection of gasoline in the engine based on information from a speed sensor, a water temperature sensor. As a result, appropriate amount of gasoline can be injected into the engine.
An ECU includes a plurality of processing units (microcomputers) which make it possible to realize high-level processing by an inexpensive system. However, if a system has many processing units, it is important that the processing units cooperate efficiently with each other.
A multiprocessor system is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-312334. In this multiprocessor system, a main processor is started earlier than sub-processors, and a startup program for the sub-processors is written in a memory for the sub-processors as required within a defined time until the sub-processor is started. This configuration makes it possible to avoid runaway of the sub-processors.
A startup method for a multiprocessor board is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-87481. Initial programs for a plurality of subordinate processing devices are stored in a volatile memory that can be commonly accessed from all the subordinate processing devices. Each of the subordinate processing devices read the initial programs from the volatile memory simultaneously or one-after-other and perform an initial processing. This configuration makes it possible to eliminate a read-only nonvolatile memory for storing initial programs.
Another approach to increase the efficiency is to use a speedy communication unit in a system like Direct Memory Access (DMA). For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-289979 discloses a technology for improving a usage efficiency of a buffer by judging a boundary of data according to data transfer control information including transfer control conditions, data transfer source addresses, data transfer destination addresses, and the number of transferred words and controlling a transfer destination of data or a transfer source of data and the number of transferred words based on a result of the judgment.
A printer apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-48345. In this printer apparatus, a common bus is used effectively by changing a method of transmitting communication data from a host apparatus according to whether print data is being transferred.
Incidentally, in an ECU in which analog data is input as an input signal, it is necessary to correct the input signal. More specifically, since supply voltages of a power supply IC of each ECU are generally not uniform, when an input signal is evaluated with a voltage supplied by the power supply IC as reference, fluctuation in evaluation depending on fluctuation in outputs of the power supply IC occurs. Thus, to evaluate a value of an input signal accurately, it is necessary to correct fluctuation in supply voltages of the power supply IC.
Since a correction amount, which should be applied to an input signal, depends on a power supply IC, the correction value is determined at the time of assembly of an ECU and stored in a nonvolatile storage medium like an Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM (EEPROM). Then, the correction value is read out and used at the time of startup of respective processing units (microcomputers, etc.), whereby it is possible to perform evaluation of the input signal accurately.
When there are plural processing units in an ECU, provision of dedicated nonvolatile recording media in the respective processing units leads to an increase in cost and an increase in overall size. Thus, it is desirable that correction values to be used by all the processing units are stored in one storage medium, and a processing unit reads out one correction value and transmits the correction value to the other processing units.
However, if the corrections values are managed unitarily in one storage medium and transmitted to the processing units in this way, the respective processing units cannot process an input signal until the processing units receive a correction value. Therefore, there is a problem in that, if an ECU is not actuated until all the processing units receive a correction value, a startup time increases. In addition, there is a problem in that, if the ECU is actuated before the processing units receive the correction value completely, abnormality in operation occurs because an accurate input signal is not obtained.
Thus, conventionally, in an ECU that has plural processing units and uses an analog signal requiring correction, it is important to increase speed of startup of the processing units and actuate the processing units accurately and safely.

Transmitting data from a single storage unit between multiple processors during booting


A flooring product for application to a subfloor which includes a wooden flooring component for installation with like flooring components to form a floor. The flooring component has a top surface for being exposed after installation and a base surface, a pressure-sensitive adhesive carried on a foam tape applied and permanently adhered directly to the base surface of the flooring component for providing an attachment interface surface for adhering the flooring component to the subfloor, and a protective release cover applied and releasably adhered to the attachment interface surface of the adhesive to protect the adhesive until removal of the release cover when the flooring component is applied to the subfloor.

This invention relates to a glue-down prefinished wood flooring product. Wooden flooring is typically installed by either nailing strips of adjacent wood flooring strips to a subfloor to form an essentially seamless wooden flooring surface, or by applying wood flooring strips to a subfloor which has been pre-coated with, for example, a mastic-type layer into which the flooring strips are embedded.
There are significant differences in the problems associated with parquet flooring blocks versus elongate hardwood flooring strips. Since parquet blocks are normally square, they are substantially more stable and less prone to warping and pulling away from the subflooring. Hartco presently manufactures a parquet product which is serviceable.
There is a need in the market for a prefinished hardwood strip flooring product which can be adhered by an adhesive directly to a suitable subfloor, and which will serve with the same durability and longevity as other, more expensive wood flooring systems. This flooring product should preferably have the same solid "feel" as a full thickness, solid hardwood floor of the type typically nailed into place, without any of the "spring" or "bounce" which characterizes prior art glue-down flooring systems which rely on relatively thick foam adhesive pads to adhere the system to the subfloor.
The product according to the application is faster, easier and less expensive to install than either an unfinished nail-down flooring system or a flooring system laid into a pre-applied mastic layer. The product has particular application in the flooring aftermarket for use by "do-it-yourself" homeowners who want the expensive look of high quality hardwood flooring without the disruption resulting from a contractor-installed floor. There is presently a trend back towards the use of hardwood flooring, and many homeowners are removing existing carpeting in order to replace it with hardwood flooring. A flooring system which can be installed onto a subfloor onto which a carpet was previously installed without the need to raise doors and moldings to accommodate a greater thickness is desirable, since it simplifies the do-it-yourself installation process.
The flooring product according to this application address those needs. In particular, the combination of substantially increased flexibility of the flooring strip and a much thinner foam tape and aggressive adhesive provides a high-quality, long-lasting and durable product without the disadvantages observed in prior products.

Glue-down prefinished wood flooring product


A particulating apparatus for liquid filled plastic containers in preparation for recycling produced plastic particulate. The particulating apparatus includes a container hopper for accepting a supply of plastic containers to be processed by the particulating apparatus wherein at least a portion of the containers are partially liquid filled. There is a transport for conveying the supply of plastic containers from the hopper to a pulverizer. The pulverizer has a pulverizing chamber within which a pulverizing means is housed for reducing the plastic containers to plastic particulate. The chamber includes means for draining liquid held within the containers to a liquid collector. A conveyor means is provided for transporting plastic particulate from the pulverizer to a collection bin where the particulate is retained for further processing or disposal. The conveyor means is inclined at least partially vertically upwardly from horizontal to permit drainage of additional liquid from the particulate. A method of particulating liquid filled containers into particulate is also disclosed that includes supplying containers, at least a portion of which contain liquid, to a pulverizing chamber. The containers are subjected to mechanical stress to break up the container walls to produce a particulate and to release the contained liquid. At least a portion of the released liquid is drained therefrom. The partially drained particulate is moved to a collection bin. The movement is directed upwardly to permit additional drainage of remaining liquid. A disinfectant is suppled to the containers prior to movement to the collection bin.

Many industries dealing with the production and processing of liquids require capabilities for sampling those liquids for various purposes. Commonly, samples of the liquids will be taken for examination and analysis pursuant to a quality assurance program. Most liquid manufacturers and processors require such sampling to assure uniformity of the end product. Many consumer products serve as examples of liquids that are sampled for testing purposes. This is particularly true with liquid items that are to be consumed by the public. Not only are the manufacturers and processors concerned with the quality of the product from a commercial standpoint, but in many instances they must also comply with certain regulations pertaining to the quality of the product. An example of such users of sampling techniques are processors of liquid dairy products. In the instance of milk, there are multiple opportunities during the several processing stages between the animal source and the grocers' shelves during which the milk may become contaminated or spoiled and unfit for human consumption. In many cases, the first instance of test sampling will be shortly after the cow has been milked. In this way the specimen can be identified with the particular animal in the event that anomalies are detected when the sample is analyzed.
Other industries obtain and process particular liquid samples from many different sources. One such industry includes testing laboratories that analyze bodily fluids for detecting conditions present in a person's or animal's body. An example associated with the medical field is the collection of urine for the purpose of detecting certain qualities of the urine that are indicative of physical conditions of the donor. In one instance, the urine may be tested to determine whether or not a patient is diabetic. Similarly, blood samples may be drawn from a patient to ascertain other conditions.
In a similar industry, bodily fluid samples are taken for determining the presence of foreign substances such as alcohol and drugs. This is becoming an important industry both from a law enforcement perspective, as well as that of employers who have testing policies. Because of the extreme consequences associated with the results of these tests, it is of paramount importance that they be accurate and remain uninfluenced by outside factors.
In each instance described above in which a liquid sample is taken for analysis purposes, it is important that the specimen does not become contaminated either after it is initially taken and before it is first accessed for testing purposes. It is also important that the specimen not be contaminated after being accessed for initial testing since further testing of the specimen may be required based upon the results of the prior test(s). This requirement may necessitate special handling of the samples, but at a minimum requires that the container within which the specimen is carried be sufficiently closed after the specimen is test sampled to prevent the introduction of contamination.
It is likewise important that the container be free of contamination prior to the sample being dispensed into the container. To assure the purity of the sample carried in the container, it is a common practice for the container to be closed before the sample is introduced and then reclosed immediately after the sample has been dispensed therein. After the specimen has been placed within the container and the container has been closed, the specimen may be transported to the location at which it is to be analyzed.
Often times, only a small portion of the specimen will be required for analysis and the balance of the sample must be disposed of properly. The container itself can be recycled. In many instances, the sample to be analyzed may be withdrawn in a fashion that permits the container to remain substantially closed so that it retains the balance of the liquid specimen carried therein.
In the event that the sample containers or bottles retain portions of a liquid sample that must be appropriately discarded, special treatments may be required because of the nature of both the container and the conditions of the liquids themselves. Oftentimes, the specimens may be toxic or otherwise contaminated, or potentially contaminated so that neutralization is required before ultimate disposal.
The containers themselves may be manufactured from a variety of materials, but in most cases will be produced from plastic if that material is suitable for the containment of the liquid specimens to be analyzed. Because of the containers' plastic construction, it is possible that the bodies of the containers may be further processed to either reduce their volume for disposal purposes or otherwise processed for subsequent use; one such use would be as source material for the manufacture of other plastic items through recycle.
In some situations, not all of the containers will contain liquid, but there is the potential that at least some will still contain liquid after their primary use as specimen containers. Still further, it is possible that some of the containers may be sufficiently open so that liquid freely escapes therefrom and is commingled with and about the other containers when stored together before being further processed. In these cases, the present invention strives to provide means by which the escaping liquid may be drained from about the containers prior to further processing. If desired, a rinse may also be applied to the containers that is drained together with the escaping portions of the specimens.
The present invention provides an apparatus having the ability to drain remaining liquid specimen held within the containers and separate the liquid from the solid components of the containers. In this manner, each may be appropriately treated for subsequent but separate processing. In the process of separating the contained liquid specimen from the sample bottle, the body of the bottle is normally pulverized into smaller pieces of plastic particulate. During the separation and particlization processes, the draining liquid must be collected and drained from the unit. Therefore, the present invention provides a liquid collector associated with the pulverizing unit.
In some circumstances, the particulate remains "dirty" with traces of the specimen adhering to the individual pieces after fragmentation and may require additional cleansing, even if only by a water rinse. Therefore, the present invention provides one or more rinses in association with the draining process.
In many situations, the liquid specimen will itself include offensive or infectious components that have contaminated the container so that the sample bottle must be disinfected before certain other processes may be applied thereto. For these reasons, the present invention not only separates the liquid specimen from the container or sample bottle, but also provides a means for disinfecting the containers after the liquid has been removed therefrom.
In many instances, the specimen held within the container may have other noxious qualities that can result in the release of offensive gases upon the opening and processing of the closed container. Therefore, this invention provides a capability for evacuating and exhausting any such released or produced noxious gas. From the exhaust vacuum, the gases may be ported to the environment if their condition is suitable for direct release, or they may be additionally treated if so required prior to release.
In order to more completely cleanse the particulate, additional rinsing means may be optionally incorporated into the system of the present invention downstream from the pulverizing process and configured so that the rinsing fluid may be drained from the particulate before it is deposited into a collection bin where it is held for further processing or disposal.
Heretofore, no system has been available for adequately processing used sample bottles of the nature described above in a manner similar to the present invention. Several apparatus and methods are known for reducing the size of certain containers and other instruments that are most often associated with the medical field. Those known means and apparatus, however, do not contemplate the processing and separation of containers from the liquid specimens they hold, particularly when the volume of liquid specimen is appreciable.
An example of an apparatus for crushing small containers is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,508 issued to Griffith et al. Therein, a pair of cooperating crusher rolls rupture vials containing a scintillation liquid and permit the same to be expelled therefrom. The Griffith apparatus, however, does not particulate the bodies of the containers for purposes of further processing. Another example of a waste treatment system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,756 issued to Pearson. Therein, infectious waste is shredded and then disinfected in a bath. The disinfected solid waste is then separated out of the bath. The inclusion of appreciable volumes of liquid specimen with the solid waste is not, however, contemplated.
In view of the advantageous features described hereinabove as desirable in a particulating apparatus, and heretofore unavailable, the new particulator described herein has been invented.


Equipment for continuously moving heavy loads in a generally horizontal plane comprising a support structure, cog-wheels carried on the support structure and base elements linked to one another by hinges carried on the cog-wheels and defining a chain. Support and moving wheels support the chain and slide on a slide surface. The cog-wheels have external teeth or projections which cooperate with slots in the support and moving wheels. The load carried by the top surface of the base elements is transferred to the support and moving wheels and then to the support structure. The equipment allows for movement of heavy loads in a generally horizontal plane.

The present invention refers to equipment which can resolve the problems inherent in moving heavy loads on predetermined lines or routes, above all in environments which are not easily accessible and/or in places where for geometric or other reasons, there is no traditional equipment for moving heavy loads such as roller tracks, cranes, gantry cranes, platforms, etc.
In particular, the equipment in question allows the loading of loads with a specific pressure of up to 100,000 kg/m.sup.2 with contained vertical and transversal dimensions and is able to ensure a perfectly level and linear transport since the load is always positioned on the same unitary elements which provide for the movement of the load. This equipment is suited for use in steelworks, quarries, foundries, automatic warehouses with heavy weights, as well as for all those applications which require a high specific pressure such as compactors, etc.
The system described below therefore develops a solution to the problem of continuously moving loads with a specific pressure of up to 100,000 kg/m.sup.2 in environments and sites which are not easily accessible and/or which either do not have available or cannot house other means of transport whatever they may be.


A social network drawing system allows users of the social network to communicate with text as well as pictures that are posted on a web site. The social network program includes a user interface having drawing tools and a drawing area. The user selects the desired tools which include a marker, marker color, marker size and canvas size to prepare the illustration using a computer mouse. The completed illustrations are posted on the posting page which allows other users to view and respond with additional illustrations to the posted drawings.

Many computer drawing programs are currently available. These drawing programs vary in complexity from simple artistic computer painting programs to very complex computer aided drafting programs. The drawing programs provide a set of drawing tools such as lines, shapes, line width, color fill, pattern fill and erase. The user can manipulate a cursor on a screen and click on the desired tool. The marker tool with a thin tip may simulate a pen or pencil drawing while a marker with a winder point may be used to simulate a brush stroke. With the drawing tools, the user can move the mouse to control the movement of the marker and simulate the release of ink by depressing the left mouse button to create lines displayed on the screen. The user can paint an image and then edit the image on a computer screen. The drawings can be made from many lines in many different colors, widths and shapes. Once the drawings are finished, they can be saved in various formats.
Existing internet applications include: e-mail, forums, instant messenger, blogs, and social networks. These internet applications allow users to log on and input text that is sent to others or viewable on a website. Some forums such as auction or on-line classified sales web sites allow saved pictures to be posted with text or attached as files or links. The pictures are typically created with a digital camera which are saved and downloaded to the internet web site. Some communications network programs allow for limited pre-drawn illustrations to be input into text. These illustrations are built into the application and are typically obtained by typing a specific group of text symbols such as the combination of ":" and ")" to create a happy face illustration. Other writing programs allow a limited number of symbols to be input into the text document. When desired, the user can access a symbol menu that includes a set or multiple sets of predefined symbols some of which may be very basic illustrations. A user can select the desired illustration for insertion into the text. Because these illustrations are predefined, they are not original works created by the user.
While the drawings or paintings produced by drawing programs can be saved and posted on social network websites with text, these communications programs do not provide any integrated drawing tools that allow users to create and post artistic works on a social network webpage. What is needed is a social network system that has integrated drawing capabilities.

Drawing tool used with social network computer systems