An automatic focus adjustment apparatus more ideally accomplishes a tracking servo process, which drives a shooting lens so that a focusing state is maintained by predicting movements of an image plane of a moving object. A lens driving system 6 determines the moving speed of an image plane of an object or a movement prediction curve by regression-calculating from a plurality of defocus amounts previously calculated, a calculator, the accumulation time of a focusing state detector, and a lens position obtained from a lens movement amount detector, to drive a lens by assuming a future position of the image plane based on a result of the calculation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an automatic focus adjustment apparatus for use in cameras and other optical devices. In particular, the invention is directed to a predictive focusing-type automatic focus adjustment apparatus that can detect and predict an object's movement to drive a shooting lens. The object's movement is predicted so as to maintain a focused state.
2. Description of Related Art
In single reflex cameras having an automatic focus adjustment function, also known as an auto-focus function, different kinds of predictive focusing methods or "tracking servo" methods have been proposed. These auto-focus functions detect that an object is moving, determine a defocus amount based on the object's movement, and then drive a shooting lens based on the determined defocus amount to maintain a focused state. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 4-133016, 5-2127, 5-80235 and 1-107224 disclose such auto-focus functions.
Generally, the detection of a defocus amount is determined through a series of processes summarized as follows. A part of a beam of luminous flux is first transmitted through a shooting lens, and is then directed onto a charge accumulating type sensor (AF sensor), such as a CCD, in a focus detecting optical system. A charge corresponding to an illuminent distribution of an image is read after it is accumulated for an appropriate time period. The charge is then input to a microcomputer or CPU by being converted to digital data by an A/D converter. The CPU determines the focusing state by a predetermined algorithm. Then, a defocus amount is calculated as a relative distance between a film's surface and an image plane for the object.
Methods for calculating a defocus amount are known in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 58-142306 and 59-107313. In these publications, a defocus amount is determined as discrete data, which may be intermittently and periodically detected. The periods should preferably be at least 30 ms, because an accumulation time for an AF sensor generally requires, for example, 10 .mu.s to 100 ms, based on the illuminance of the object and because approximately 10 ms is used for the algorithm's calculation time. Therefore, calculating a moving speed of the image plane of the object from an intermittently detected defocus amount is an important aspect of the tracking servo method.
The inventor has developed an overlap servo-type automatic focus adjustment apparatus, which accumulates a charge in an AF sensor, and simultaneously drives a shooting lens as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-133016 (JP016). A graph representing a method for calculating a image plane moving speed of an object according to JP016 is illustrated in FIG. 12.
FIG. 12 illustrates a graph depiction for detecting an image plane moving speed image plane of an object. In FIG. 12, horizontal axis t represents time, and vertical axis z represents distances on an optical axis. Line Q represents focusing positions proximate a film's surface. As the object moves, the focusing positions follow the object's movement in timed coordination with the object. Line L represents an actual image plane position of the shooting lens. Therefore, the difference between lines Q and L is a defocus size D. Defocus size D is directly measured.
Points, such as t(n), t(n-1), . . . , on the horizontal axis are midpoints of each accumulation time for the AF sensor. The accumulation time is a period of time represented between two vertical lines drawn to lines Q and L. (The vertical axis, horizontal axis, line Q and line L have the same meaning in other drawings in this disclosure.) The defocus amount at, for example, times t(n-1) and t(n) are D(n-1) and D(n), respectively, and further, the accumulation time for the AF sensor is t(n).
In FIG. 12, when defocus amount D(n) is obtained from a measurement at time t(n), a previous defocus amount D(n-1) is obtained at time t(n-1) , and the moving amount or distance M(n) of the shooting lens is obtained between times t(n) and t(n-1). Therefore, a movement amount P(n) of the image forming plane for the object from time t(n-1) to time t(n) is calculated according to Equation (1): EQU P(n)=D(n)+M(n)-D(n-1) (1)
The moving speed S (n) of the image plane for the object is calculated according to Equation (2): EQU S(n)=P(n)/{t(n-1)-t(n)} (2)
Defocus amount D is measured as a unit of distance along the optical axis. The movement amount of the shooting lens can be detected as an output pulse number of an encoder, which detects a rotation of a lens driving motor. The speed of the image plane for an object is obtained as a moving distance along the optical axis per unit time, and is accomplished by multiplying a proportional constant, which is determined from a shooting magnification of the shooting lens, by an output pulse number for the encoder. If the speed of the image plane for the object is obtained as an encoder pulse number per unit time, the defocus amount will be converted to a pulse.
However, errors can be caused by factors such as noise from the AF sensor signals or setting a depth for the distance or range measuring area for the object. These factors are included in an intermittently measured defocus amount. Since differences between two defocus amounts are calculated to determine a speed of an image plane for an object (Equation (1), errors in distance measurement greatly affect the defocus amount. In particular, if two defocus measuring times t(n) and t(n-1) are adjacent, computation results for the speed of an object image plane will be inaccurate and unstable due to these consecutive errors.
To overcome this problem, JP016proposes determining an image plane from a defocus amount determined by two non-adjacent time periods. The defocus amount, according to JP016, uses a time period prior to the present period. Thus, a new defocus amount is determined as described with reference to FIG. 13.
FIG. 13 is a graph describing a principle to detect an image plane speed for an object from a defocus amount D(n-2), which is two time periods before the instant period t(n) and the most instant focus amount D(n). In FIG. 13, the amount of movement P(n) of the object image forming plane is defined by Equation (3): EQU P(n)=D(n)+M2(n)-D(n-2) (3)
In Equation (3), M2(n) represents a distance that the shooting lens moves from time t(n-2) to time t(n).
From Equation (3), the moving speed S(n) of the image plane for the object is defined according to Equation (4): EQU S(n)=P(n)/{t(n)-t(n-2)} (4)
If the movement amount for the image forming plane is determined using a defocus amount and distance measurement time from prior time periods, the movement amount is relatively greater than compared to adjacent defocus amounts. This increases the accuracy of the measurements.
However, since responsiveness is decreased as an object speed varies over time, the method for determination should be selected depending on a size of the movement amount for the image forming plane and how many generations before the instant or present time were used to calculate the lens speed. In other words, when the speed of the image forming plane is fast, it is not necessary to use data from such prior time periods. However, when the speed of the image forming plane is relatively slow, it is useful to use data from prior time periods.
A time period of approximately 300 ms is useful for a responsive determination of a defocus amount. The possible number of times to measure a defocus amount during this time is dependent on several factors, including the object's illuminance and the calculation speed of the CPU. Therefore, appropriate measurement data should be selected from prior measurement data for this time range.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 3-80235 (JP235) proposes to determine a linear regression diagram or curve, using backup data, including defocus amounts, and a measurement time up to when a release of the shutter is started. However, in JP235 an object is assumed to be stationary. In other words, JP235 assumes that a focusing position is fixed. Thus, a linear regression diagram or curve is calculated to predict time changes in response to a repeatedly measured defocus amount during the lens drive to focus a stationary object using the overlap servo. This predictive diagram or curve is constructed according to Equation (5): EQU y=a+bt (5)
If the defocus amount and accumulation time for the AF sensor are expressed as D(k) and t(k), respectively, the parameters a and b can be expressed according to Equations (6) and (7): EQU b={.SIGMA.t(k)-.SIGMA.t(k).multidot.D(k)/n}/{.SIGMA.t(k).sup.2 -.SIGMA.t(k).sup.2 /n} (6) EQU a={.SIGMA.D(k)-b.SIGMA.t(k)}/n (7)
where .SIGMA. sums the variables for k=1 to n.
FIG. 14 is a graph illustrating a principle for determining a linear regression diagram or curve. If a time period is determined according to Equation (5), the determined time becomes the most suitable time for exposing on a film. JP235 proposes that exposure is commenced at this time.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-107224 (JP224) proposes to predict the movement locus for an image forming plane with a diagram or curve, such as a quadratic function rather than a linear function.
FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating a principle where a movement locus for the image forming plane is predicted according to JP224. The lens drive and calculation of the AF sensor accumulation for the defocus amount do not sequentially overlap in JP224. If DF 1 is a defocus amount at a previous time; DF 2 is a defocus amount immediately after the previous time; DF 3 is a defocus amount of the instant time; DL 1 is a lens drive amount between the previous time at DF 2 and one before the previous time at DF 1; and DL 2 is a lens drive amount between the instant time at DF 3 and the previous time at DF 2 ; the image plane can be expressed according to the quadratic equation (8): EQU x=at.sup.2 +bt+c (8)
where the parameters a, b, and c are determined according to Equations (9)-(11): EQU a={(DF3+DL2-DF2)/(TM1+TM2)TM 2}+{(DF1-DL1-DF2)/(TM1+TM2)TM1} (9) EQU b=(DF2+DL1-DF1-a.multidot.TM1.sup.2)/TM1 (10) EQU c=DF1 (11)
In JP224, during a normal auto focus lens drive, i.e., before a release sequence, a target for the lens drive is determined immediately after each defocusing amount has been detected. After a total time including a specified time that is applied for lens drive, and a delayed time that is known as a release time lag up to the film exposure in the release sequence, has elapsed, a focusing position for lens drive can be calculated according to Equation (8). In other words, by forcefully synchronizing a start of a release sequence immediately after completion of each lens drive and movement, the lens drive is controlled so the lens is positioned at the focusing position at the film exposure time. Therefore, the start of a release sequence will only be accepted when each lens drive has been completed. FIG. 15 graphically illustrates the above method.
Differences in measurement data, from prior time periods, are used to increase accuracy in the detection of an image plane speed, as explained in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-256677 (JP677). However, in JP677 some data that has been factored out, is not considered in the calculation. Thus, all useful information is not fully considered.
A method to determine a linear regression diagram or curve is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 3-80235 (JP235). JP235 is considered to be accurate in that it considers information normally factored out, for example, in JP677. However, only stationary objects are disclosed in JP235, and JP235 is only used to obtain a most appropriate exposure timing, after the start of a release sequence. Additionally, JP235assumes that a driving speed of the shooting lens has a constant speed, and that times for distance measurement are always equal, thus resulting in poor reliability.
JP235 does not disclose basic concepts for predicting an image plane position using regression diagrams or curves for the tracking servo method before entering into a release sequence. Thus, JP235 is not effectively used for a lens drive with a moving object.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-107224 (JP224), considers a point from which the image plane predicts a diagram or curve, the quadratic function of Equation (8), as the actual motion of the image plane. The image plane is not considered linear but quadratic. Therefore, predicting a focusing position may be more accurately determined using Equation (8) than by using the linear function of Equation (5), where the AF sensor accumulation and lens drive do not overlap. Further, the lens driving time, when the defocus amount is detected, is constant, regardless of the lens drive amount. The lens drive is completed within this driving time. Alternatively, the driving time is limited to a time that a normal lens drive could be completed.
Therefore, with JP224, a subsequent accumulation of the AF sensor is always delayed for a length of time to drive a lens. Furthermore, the number of times to detect the defocus amount per unit time is smaller than compared to a time where accumulation of the AF sensor and lens drive overlap.


In order to provide a color image forming apparatus and its control method capable of obtaining high-quality output images without image variations or the like even when the kind of image is changed, there is provided a color image forming apparatus including a plurality of image carriers, a plurality of developing means corresponding to the image carriers, a plurality of transfer means that are fixed to the image carriers through an intermediate transfer body by the application of pressure, and a plurality of driving mechanisms for driving the image carriers to rotate, the color image forming apparatus comprising control means for selectively actuating the transfer means according to the kind of image and changing the control method for controlling the rotational speed of each driving mechanism according to the kind of image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile machine, and a copying machine, and its control method.
2. Description of Related Art
Color image forming apparatuses are conventionally known which perform feed-forward control of image carriers to control the variations in the rotational speed of each image carrier for each color so as to reduce color misregistration and variations (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-182488, paragraph Nos. 0022 and 0032, and FIG. 4).
Along with recent demand for high-quality color images without color misregistration and variation, there has also been increased demand for a single image forming apparatus capable of outputting various kinds of images such as monochrome images like documents, full-color images taken with a digital camera or the like, and unicolor images like POP (Point Of Purchase advertising) at a supermarket.
As is proposed in the above-mentioned patent document, a method of calculating correction information for feed-forward control of the rotation of a rotating body such as an image carrier at power-on so that the rotation of the rotating body will be controlled based on the correction information calculated becomes suitable for certain kinds of images because the method reduces rotational variations with respect to the conditions calculated.
However, in the case of color image forming apparatuses, for example of tandem type that combines and outputs different kinds of images such as color images and monochrome images, since the number of toner colors varies with the kind of image, the number of fixing means or the like (load) that directly act on each corresponding image carrier needs to be changed each time an image or combined image is transferred from the image carrier to an intermediate transfer body. Therefore, if it is required to output an image under conditions other than those for which the correction information has been calculated, the above-mentioned type of color image forming apparatuses cannot reduce rotational variations, resulting in a reduction in image quality.

Color image forming apparatus and a method for operating

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


Silicalite to be used as catalyst in the isomerization of olefins is pretreated by passing steam thereon at a temperature of 300 to 750.degree. C. Particularly, isobutene is selectively produced by isomerization of n-butenes.

1. Field of the Invention PA1 providing a feed containing at least 10 vol % n-butenes; and PA1 contacting said feed with silicalite at a temperature of at least about 300.degree. C. in the presence of steam in a water/feed molar ratio of about 0.5-5. However that process provides reaction products containing water. Further, that process produces excessive amounts of liquid by-products. Also, it has been observed that deactivation of the silicalite is excessive for the process to be industrially applicable. PA1 passing steam, either pure or diluted in an inert gas, over silicalite at a temperature of from 300 to 750.degree. C.; PA1 providing a feed containing (i) at least 10 vol % of n-butene and (ii) isobutene if any in an isobutene:n-butene ratio of maximum 1:2; PA1 passing said feed over said silicalite at a temperature of at least 500 C.; and PA1 recovering a stream containing an increased amount of isobutene.
The present invention relates to the isomerization of olefins. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in a process for the isomerization of olefins over silicalite.
2. Description of Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,375 discloses a process for the isomerization of n-butenes comprising:
There is thus a need in art for an improvement of the existing isomerization processes of olefins over silicalite.

Process for the isomerization of olefins


For dynamically adjusting a color code corresponding to a task performed by an input/output (I/O) port, a retasking request for the I/O port is received. The retasking request may be generated in response to detecting a plugging in of a multimedia device into the I/O port. The retasking request includes switching the task from a first task to a second task. In response to the retasking request the task performed by the I/O port is automatically reconfigured from the first task to the second task. The color code is automatically changed from a first color code corresponding to the first task to a second color code corresponding to the second task in response to the reconfiguring, without user intervention.

The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to tools and techniques for enhancing user experience of multimedia entertainment systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option is an information handling system (IHS). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements may vary between different applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, entertainment, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Presently, due to advances in multimedia technologies such as high definition (HD) surround sound audio, and HD digital video disc (DVD) based feature films, and/or electronic video games deploying the latest in audiovisual effects, users are able to enjoy theater-like surround sound experience on their IHSs, which may include proprietary entertainment systems. As the multimedia IHSs get more advanced and users migrate from a traditional stereo output requiring 2 cables to a 5.1 (or 7.1) channel surround sound audio output requiring 6 (or 8) cables, the complexity of the cable connections for the multimedia IHS often causes confusion and degrades user experience. A well known solution for reducing the complexity in connecting the various components of the IHS, including the multimedia components, is the use of color coded cable jacks, connectors, and/or receptacles.
However, traditional color coded connectors used to interconnect multimedia components may not be flexible to handle dynamically changing use and/or assignments of HD audio devices, such as dynamic retasking of a function assigned to a jack, which may be desired for improving user experience.


A data processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units each performing a respective one of process parts into which a predetermined process to be performed on data is divided, and a changing unit that changes a connection between the plurality of processing units on the basis of setting parameters that are set to enable a plurality of types of processing procedures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing data that are used for recording or displaying color image data and are suitable for image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
When natural image (picture) data is output with a printer, various types of image processing are required to obtain an image of satisfactory quality. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a general image-processing unit for outputting natural image data with a printer.
An input gamma converter 201 converts image data stored in a frame buffer 200 to signals that are linear in density, and a color converter 202 converts these signals to color material data of a printer (i.e., colors produced by an output device). Then, an output gamma converter 203 performs output gamma correction, and a halftone processing unit 204 converts the output data from the output gamma converter 203 to bitmap data (a dot pattern).
When error diffusion is used as a method for halftone processing of image data in this process, a line buffer 205 is used to diffuse a quantization error of a pixel of interest to surrounding pixels. The obtained bitmap data is temporarily stored in a page buffer 206. In general, a method (band processing) is used, in which parts of a page (a frame) are sequentially processed as bands to save the memory space of each of the frame buffer 200 and the page buffer 206. Hereinafter, it is presumed that band processing is used and that the line buffer 205 and the page buffer 206 are not distinguished from each other and are referred to as a band buffer.
Subsequently, when a print engine (not shown) is activated, the aforementioned bitmap data is read from the band buffer and an image is printed in synchronization with the engine.
The details of this series of operations vary with types of input images, print engines, or the like. For example, when the input image is monochrome, color conversion is omitted. When the input image is a natural image, error diffusion method is used as a method for halftone processing. On the other hand, when the input image is a graphic image, dithering is used as a method for halftone processing (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-183737). Color conversion corresponding to the number of colors produced by an output device is required. For example, when the number of colors produced by an output device is three, i.e., cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY), color conversion corresponding to the three colors is required. Moreover, color conversion corresponding to more than three colors includes two separate steps: a first step of color matching and a second step of conversion to colors produced by an output device. In general, image data is processed with software executed on a processor, such as a CPU, to handle various types of input data, print engines, or the like, as described above.
However, image processing with software has a disadvantage such that the processing speed cannot keep up with an increase in the resolution of an input image. On the other hand, when various types of image processing are performed with hardware, separate hardware units corresponding to individual processing modes are required. Thus, a problem occurs, such that the size of the circuit becomes large. Moreover, a further problem exists, such that the entire structure of the hardware must be rebuilt, for example, when the specifications are changed.

Apparatus and method for processing data


The present invention allows a user to review the routing of various communications. The system receives incoming communications for analysis by a smart routing engine (SRE) software module. The SRE module analyzes the communication at various system routing points, which is used by SRE to route the communication to an appropriate party. The SRE updates a routing log at each point to ensure a record of the reasons for routing the communication in a certain way. The routing log passes with the communication. This ensures that the ultimate recipient of the communication understands why they have received the communication and reduces the time required for a communication to be acted upon.

In a modern high-volume customer engagement center (CEC), it is often the case that a customer contact or communication may travel through multiple routing decision points before ultimately being delivered to a customer service representative (CSR). In order to efficiently handle and distribute the high volumes of communications being received in a modern CEC there may be multiple decision making and routing systems (both automated and manual) involved in analyzing and transferring the communication within the CEC until it is ultimately delivered to a CSR for handling. Examples of systems that can be involved in this decision making and routing include interactive voice response (IVR) systems, rules engines, routing engines, workforce optimization systems, and back office handling systems, among others.
It is, however, often the case that when a CSR ultimately receives the communication for handling, information about this decision making and routing, and hence the context of delivery of the communication, is lost. As a result, when the CSR receives the communication, they have little idea as to why the communication has been delivered to them. A CSR with multiple responsibilities may need to expend valuable time determining just why the communication was delivered to them. If the CSR makes an incorrect assessment, it may delay or cause errors in responsive communications with the customer. The context of the systematic decision making and routing throughout the duration of communication handling may be instructional to the CSR and should be visible them when handling a communication.
For example, a CSR assigned to deal with messages involving either a high-value client or a specific, highest-priority issue may mistakenly think that a message from the client about the issue was delivered to them based on the client, not the issue. This could result in the CSR deprioritizing the high-value client in favor of a different client known to be experiencing the highest-priority issue. By the time the CSR realizes their mistake, the client relationship may be damaged. In another example, a CSR may receive an email because it was flagged for potential fraudulent activity, but not know why the email was flagged, requiring the CSR to undertake time-consuming review.
There is an unmet need in the art for a system and method capable of automatically keeping a readable record of the routing decisions for a communication. There is a further unmet need in the art for a system and method capable of presenting these routing decisions to the handling agent to enable them to best understand the context of the allocated communication.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for logging and displaying routing of communication


A method, system and apparatus for application sharing smoothness when updating application screen imagery in an application sharing system. A shared application smoothness system can include an application sharing server configured for communicative coupling to multiple application sharing clients. The system further can include an application image update smoothness processor programmed to consolidate changes to adjacent image regions in an image of a shared application for transmission to the communicatively coupled application sharing clients in a single application image update interval. A shared application smoothness method can include the steps of detecting common shared image changes across multiple adjacent display regions of a shared application image and transmitting updates for the multiple adjacent display regions to communicatively coupled application sharing clients in a single image update interval.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to application sharing, and more particularly to updating displays across application sharing clients in a shared application system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The rapid development of the computer communications networks has led to advanced modes of communication and collaboration. Using computer communications networks such as the Internet as a backbone, individuals worldwide can converge in cyberspace to share ideas, documents and images in a manner not previously possible through conventional telephony and video conferencing. To facilitate collaboration over the Internet, a substantial collection of technologies and protocols have been assembled to effectively deliver audio, video and data over the single data communications medium of the Internet. These technologies include instant messaging, Internet telephony and application sharing.
In conventional application sharing, an application host can distribute imagery of an application operating in the host to one or more application viewers distributed about the computer communications network. The imagery can include not only the screens rendered in association with the operation of the shared application, but also the visual presentation of mouse pointer movements and the like. Generally, speaking, however, the imagery can include only discrete "snap-shots" of the actual display of the operating application in the host system. In this way, the application viewers can be given the appearance of sharing an application, though each viewer merely views a shadow rendering of only a portion of the operation of the shared application.
Application sharing technology allows the capturing of a series of images which represent the display of an application or even the display of an operating system desktop of a computing device. The images can be transmitted across the computer communications network, which when rendered, can provide the illusion of duplicating the display of the application in its host environment. Nevertheless, the underlying technology used to support application sharing in this manner includes substantial limitations in regard to the refreshing of application imagery during an application sharing session.
Specifically, to achieve certain processing resource conservation efficiencies, in conventional application sharing programs, an application screen image can be partitioned into different regions. Each region can be individually captured, scanned for changes, compressed and transmitted to application sharing clients. By partitioning an application screen into small, manageable portions, the responsiveness of the host application can be improved by performing processor intensive operations upon smaller chunks of data. Moreover, only those portions of the application screen image which have changed need be forwarded to application sharing clients, while the unchanged portions need not be transmitted at all.
In consequence of this clever technique for improving the performance of an application sharing program, it is presupposed that all changed aspects of a portion of an application screen image can be definitively bound by a discrete region of the screen image. In fact, however, in many circumstances a changed aspect of a portion of an application screen image can span multiple discrete regions of the screen image. Consequently, when a change in an application screen image is detected which spans multiple discrete regions of the application screen image, multiple changed portions of the screen image will be transmitted sequentially causing multiple, undesirable screen updates to occur in the application sharing clients. The resulting effect often has been referred to as the "blockiness" effect.

International Business Machines Corporation


A computer method of generating a probabilistic dataset relating to a weather event includes inputting data representative of an historical weather event, and generating data representative of a plurality of alternative events. The data for the alternative events are generated, in certain embodiments, by a dependent sampling process. In particular embodiments, the dependent sampling process is a directed random walk process. Data for the alternative events may include data relating to the geographical positions or “tracks” of the event, data relating to atmospheric pressures, or both.

Each year, tropical cyclones (also referred to as hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms) cause severe damage in various parts of the world. The occurrence of such weather events is difficult, if not impossible, to predict over the long term. Even the path, or track, of an existing storm can be difficult to predict over a period of hours or days.
Nevertheless, insurance companies and other entities need to develop ways of assessing the risks associated with such weather events, and factoring that knowledge into the pricing of insurance products and the magnitudes and frequencies of damages to expect over time. Information is available for use in this regard in the form of historical data on storms which have occurred through the years. Approximately 80 such storms occur worldwide each year. Data are collected on many of these storms, including positional data for the storm path or "track," wind speeds, barometric pressures, and other factors. Such storms are best documented in the North Atlantic (i.e., the portion of the Atlantic Ocean north of the equator), where reliable data for more than 100 years of activity are available. Approximately 10 storms occur in the North Atlantic region on an annual basis. Historical data are also available for cyclones occurring in the Northwest Pacific, where approximately 26 storms occur each year. Suitable data for these Pacific storms are available only for the last approximately 50 years. Less data are available for storms in other regions.
Using all available historical data, information relating to a few hundred storms are available for review by researchers and scientists. Such information is useful in assessing risks associated with storm damages in the subject areas. However, given the unpredictable nature of storm behavior, and the number of factors influencing such behaviors, the available data set of historical storms is relatively small from a probabilistic viewpoint. Given that this data set will grow by only a relatively few storms per year, a problem exists with regard to performing statistical analysis relating to the possibility of a storm occurring at a particular location.
One manner in which this problem can be addressed is by generation of simulated or "alternative" storms, and using data from such "storms" to expand the data set available from historical records. This approach can result in the availability of thousands, or even tens or hundreds of thousands, of additional storms from which to create data sets large enough to perform reliable statistical analyses. The subject invention is directed to various embodiments involving uses of computer methods for generating such expanded probabilistic data sets.
One embodiment of the invention comprises a computer method for generating a probabilistic data set relating to a weather event, such as a tropical cyclone, or hurricane, typhoon, or tropical storm. This embodiment of the method includes the steps of inputting data representative of an historical track of a weather event and generating data representative of a plurality of alternative tracks based on the historical track. The data points representative of the alternative tracks are generated from respective points along the historical track by a dependent sampling process. In certain embodiments, the dependent sampling process is a directed random walk process.
In one embodiment, the step of generating data representative of alternative tracks based on the historical track comprises the steps of generating a series of random tuples (xr,yr) for a historical point (x,y) of the historical track, calculating a sum of random deviations (x′,y′) of the random tuples along the historical track, and adding the sum of random deviations (x′,y′) to the historical point (x,y) of the historical track to produce alternative points along the alternative tracks.
The data representative of the historical track(s) include a plurality of points representative of geographical positions along the historical track(s). The generated data representative of a plurality of alternative tracks includes a plurality of alternative points representative of geographical positions along the alternative tracks. In one embodiment, at least some of the plurality of alternative tracks associated with a particular historical track have starting points that differ from a starting point of the historical track upon which the alternative tracks are based. The data representative of the historical track may comprise longitude and latitude data to define a location of each of a plurality of points.
In certain embodiments of the method, the step of inputting data representative of an historical track includes the step of inputting at least one of: longitude and latitude of a plurality of points representative of the historical track; an azimuth angle for at least some of the points along the historical track; celerity for at least some of the points along the historical track; a rate of change of azimuth angle for at least some of the points along the historical track; and a rate of change of celerity for at least some of the points along the historical track. Alternatively, the latter values (azimuth, celerity, and rates of change of azimuth and celerity) may be calculated from longitude and latitude data recorded at periodic time intervals.
Some embodiments of the subject method further comprise the step of selecting a subset of the data representative of the alternative tracks for use in the probabilistic data set. In these or other embodiments, the step of generating data representative of alternative tracks includes the step of limiting a variance of the alternative points from a respective historical point in accordance with one or more physical laws.
In certain embodiments of the subject method, the step of inputting data representative of a track of an historical weather event includes inputting data representative of an intensity of the event. The data representative of intensity may comprise atmospheric pressure data associated with at least some of the plurality of points along the historical track. The atmospheric pressure data defines an historical pressure profile of the historical track. The atmospheric pressure data may include an absolute pressure and a derivative of (or change in) absolute pressure with respect to time. In certain embodiments, the atmospheric pressure data includes one or more pressure distributions. In some embodiments of the subject method, the step of inputting data includes inputting data representative of a plurality of historical tracks, and the step of establishing a grid over a geographical area of interest including at least a portion of the plurality of tracks. These embodiments may further comprise the step of establishing a pressure climatology for selected cells in the grid, based upon the atmospheric pressure data associated with at least some of the plurality of points along the historical tracks located within the selected grid cells. The pressure climatology for the selected cells may be a pressure distribution function. The pressure climatology for a selected cell in the grid may be established from the atmospheric data associated with the selected cell and/or the atmospheric pressure data associated with one or more cells adjacent the selected cell (i.e., one or more neighboring cell). In certain embodiments, the pressure climatology for a selected cell is established from a weighted averaging of pressure data associated with the selected cell and pressure data associated with one or more neighboring cell.
In certain embodiments, each cell in the grid is assigned a land/sea value. In these embodiments, pressure data associated with an adjacent cell is used to establish the pressure climatology of the selected cell only if the adjacent and the selected cell have the same land/sea value.
Certain embodiments of the subject method comprise the additional step of generating one or more alternative pressure profiles for one or more of the historical tracks using the pressure climatology for the selected cells in the grid. In addition, one or more pressure profiles may be generated for one or more of the alternative tracks. One or more alternative pressure profiles may also be generated for one or more of the alternative tracks using the pressure climatology for the selected cells of the grid. In some embodiments, at least one of the alternative pressure profiles for the historical tracks, the pressure profiles for the alternative tracks, and the alternative pressure profiles for the alternative tracks are modified based, at least in part, on the historical pressure profile along the historical track of the associated weather event.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the step of inputting data includes inputting data representative of a plurality of historical tracks and inputting data representative of atmospheric pressure associated with at least some of the plurality of points along the historical tracks. The atmospheric data defines historical pressure profiles of the historical tracks. In these embodiments, the step of generating data includes generating a plurality of alternative tracks for more than one of the historical tracks. Further, these embodiments include at least one of the following steps: a) generating one or more alternative pressure profiles for one or more of the historical tracks; b) generating one or more pressure profiles for one or more of the alternative tracks; and c) generating one or more alternative pressure profiles for one or more of the alternative tracks. These or other embodiments of the subject method may further comprise the step of extracting a subset of data from the data representative of the historical tracks, the alternative tracks, and the pressure profiles, based on climatological conditions for a selected time period.
Additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the method as presently perceived.


This invention relates to the design of direct fired heaters which consist of vertically oriented refractory lined enclosures containing tubular heat transfer elements, the elements partially surrounding a cluster of burners. The burners fire gaseous fuel and generate high temperature combustion products which allow for the transfer of heat, by radiation and convection, from the combustion products to the heat transfer elements and the continuous flow of process fluid contained therein. The transferred heat raises the temperature of the fluid from the design temperature at the inlet to the design temperature at the outlet, at a heat transfer rate commensurate with the temperature differential existing at any given location. The surface area requirements of the heat transfer elements and that of the enclosure surrounding the heat transfer elements is significantly reduced by limiting firebox recirculation of burner generated combustion products, thereby increasing overall temperature differentials and heat transfer rates between combustion products and process fluid. Gains in heating surface reduction are not accompanied by losses in heater run length because low process fluid temperatures and high inside heat transfer coefficients are provided, which minimize process fluid film temperature in areas where high heat transfer rates prevail.

Direct fired heaters find wide application, particularly in oil refineries, where they are used for the purpose of preheating petroleum or petroleum derived feed-stocks for further processing to produce such products as fuel gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, heavy fuel oil and coke. The feed-stocks are of variable composition and boiling range and require that they be preheated to varying temperatures for further processing. Some of the applications considered would be as follows:
Delayed Coking Heater Service, which is one focus of the subject invention, and which involves preheating of high boiling point feed-stocks to high temperature and transferring the heater effluent to a coke drum where it is held for a period of time during which the effluent is converted to a product slate consisting of fuel gas, low boiling point liquids, high boiling point liquids and coke.
Direct fired heaters in this service operate at the most stringent conditions of any in oil refinery service, with the exception of direct fired heaters in thermal cracking service. Thus, the design strategies applicable to heaters in delayed coking service should be applicable to other services as well, including;
Crude Heater Service, wherein pretreated as-received crude is preheated to high temperature prior to being introduced into an atmospheric distillation column where a large spectrum of products with large differences in boiling point are separated from one another, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, heavy fuel oil, and a very high boiling point residuum.
Vacuum Heater Service, wherein residuum from atmospheric distillation is preheated prior to being processed in a distillation tower operated under vacuum, to separate such products as lower boiling point liquids and very high boiling point bottoms liquids from one another.
Visbreaking Heater Service, wherein high boiling point feed-stocks are subject to heat treatment in a fired heater at temperatures lower than those used in a delayed coking heater, resulting in a product slate consisting of fuel gas, gasoline and heavy fuel oil. Reboiling Heater Service, wherein relatively low boiling point feed-stocks are preheated to temperatures at which permit separation of the feedstock constituents in a distillation column is made possible.
Fully Integrated Steam Generating-Steam Superheating-Boiler Feed-Water Service, the direct fired heater for which is the second focus of the subject invention.
The direct fired heaters used for the above services are usually provided with two sections, a radiant section and a convection section. The radiant section consists of a refractory lined enclosure wherein is disposed one or more tubular heating coils thru which the process fluid flows. The heating coils are arranged so as to surround a grouping of one or more burners fueled by gas. The heating coils are arranged so as to form a combustion chamber into which high temperature combustion products generated by the burners are discharged. Heat is transferred from the combustion products to the heating coils, and the process fluid which they contain, principally by radiation.
Process fluid is usually preheated in a convection section prior to entering the radiant section, the convection section consisting of a refractory lined enclosure containing multiple rows of tubes, the rows and the tubes comprising the rows are closely spaced, forming channels thru which combustion products, leaving the radiant section, pass at relatively high velocity. In so doing, heat is transferred from the combustion products to the heating coils and contained process fluid, principally by convection. Ideally, the spent combustion products leave the convection section at low temperature corresponding to a high overall heater thermal efficiency.
Because of the high temperature to which hydrocarbon process fluids in the radiant section are subjected, fluid at the inside wall of the tubular heating elements at this location experience a degree of thermal decomposition, leaving behind adherent coke deposits which reach maximum thickness at the outlet of the coil. These deposits restrict the flow of heat from the tube wall to the contained process fluid so that the tube wall eventually reaches design temperature. At this point, referred to as an end of run condition, the heater must be shut down and de-coked to avoid tube damage. The time interval between shutdowns for decoking is referred to as run length.

Reducing heat transfer surface area requirements of direct fired heaters without decreasing run length


The present concepts relate to devices that can employ deployable controllers. In one example the device can include a base assembly configured to ground the device to a non-hand body part of a user. The example can also include an engagement assembly configured to receive tactile input from a hand of the user or to deliver tactile output to the hand of the user. The device can further include a deployment assembly extending from the base assembly to the engagement assembly and configured to deploy the engagement assembly from a storage orientation proximate to the base assembly to a deployed orientation proximate to the hand of the user.

In real life, humans tend to use their hands to interact with objects. They tend to reach out for such objects, touch, grasp, manipulate, and release them. In augmented reality (AR) and/or virtual reality (VR) however, such fine-grained interaction with virtual objects is generally not possible today. For instance, AR/VR headsets may track user hand positions, but cannot provide haptic feedback to his/her hands.
Hand-held controllers have been developed for AR and VR scenarios to mimic real world interactions (e.g., to provide positional information for the user's hand and/or to provide haptic feedback). Hand-held controllers exist in a variety of shapes and can perform a range of functions. While most of them track three-dimensional (3D) motion, simple controllers are designed merely for movement and button-based input. More advanced controllers can include complex controls and provide output to the user. While most commercial devices provide only vibrotactile feedback, researchers have demonstrated a wide variety of hand-held controllers rendering texture, shape, grasp and squeeze feedback, shifting weight, and haptic behavior for two-handed use. While the capabilities of these controllers can vary, an unfortunate commonality is that the user has to basically hold them all the time or interrupt the AR/VR experience to put them down when not needed and pick them up when needed.
Thus, one problem with hand-held controllers is that the user must grasp them constantly, thereby impeding the natural use of other objects in the physical world. Particularly in VR, where a virtual environment substitutes one's view of the real world, users must often employ controllers for all virtual interactions. When the real world intrudes, it is slow and cumbersome to repeatedly pick up and put down controllers.
Another set of popular controllers includes glove-type controllers, but since these are worn, the user cannot easily disengage from the controller. Glove-type controllers typically render dexterous feedback, including pressure and vibration to the user's fingertips. However, glove-type controllers still constrain motion and hinder dexterity to use real-world tools or to quickly switch to traditional input devices, like a keyboard. The present concepts can address any of these and/or other issues.


The present disclosure relates to streaming of media content. In one example embodiment, an electronic device for playing video content may comprise a user interface, a processor and a memory. The memory may comprise computer program code, which, when run in the processor causes the electronic device to receive a first request to play first video content associated with a first video stream at the user interface, and in response to receiving the first request, pre-buffer data related to the first video stream; while pre-buffering this data and before playing the first video content at the user interface; display (at the user interface) a still image corresponding to a portion of the first video content in a first video tile at a first size; and re-size the first size to a second size such that a zooming-out effect of the displayed still image is provided.

As computer technology has improved, the digital media industry has evolved greatly in recent years. Users are able to use electronic devices (e.g., smart phones, tablet computers, etc.) to consume music, video and other forms of media content. For instance, users can listen to audio content (e.g., music) or watch video content on a variety of electronic devices. At the same time, advances in network technology have increased the speed and reliability with which information can be transmitted over computer networks. It is therefore possible for users to stream media content over computer networks as needed, or on demand, rather than transmitting a complete file in physical media (such as CD or DVD, or downloading the entire file) before consuming the media content.

Method and an electronic device for playback of video


A hybrid vehicle can travel using outputs from an engine and a second motor-generator. A first motor-generator can generate electric power for charging a plurality of DC power supplies using the output from the engine during vehicle traveling or during a vehicle stop. A power supply system includes a power converter connected across the DC power supplies and an electric power line connected in common to the first and second motor-generators. A control device generates operation commands for the first and second motor-generators and the engine so as to ensure driving request power based on a vehicle traveling condition and charging/discharging request power for the DC power supplies as a whole. The setting of the charging/discharging request power is switched in accordance with an operation mode of the power converter.

A power supply device for a vehicle in which a plurality of power supplies are combined to supply electric power to a load is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-54363 (PTD 1). PTD 1 describes controlling the state of charge of a power storage unit in the power supply device including a constant voltage source implemented by a battery and the power storage unit implemented by a storage element. Specifically, during a stop of the power supply device, voltage control is performed so as to leave the power storage unit at a voltage lower than that in the full state of charge, thereby elongating the life of the power storage unit.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2012-70514 (PTD 2) describes a configuration of a power converter capable of, by means of controlling of a plurality of switching elements, switching between an operation mode of carrying out DC/DC conversion with two DC power supplies connected in series (series connection mode) and an operation mode of carrying out DC/DC conversion with the two DC power supplies used in parallel (parallel connection mode).

Power supply system of electric-powered vehicle


Compositions and methods for addressing oxygen inhibition in free radical polymerization systems and determination of oxygen content in a monomer or oligomer. The compositions used include a singlet oxygen generator and a singlet oxygen trapper. Addition of the generator and trapper resulting in removal of oxygen can occur before polymerization or essentially simultaneously with polymerization. Determination of oxygen content comprises monitoring the concentration changes from the reaction of the singlet oxygen trapper with the oxygen in the system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oxygen inhibition in polymerization.
2. Background
Free radical polymerization is by far the most widely used chain polymerization technique for industrial applications. These industrial applications include, for example, thin films, coatings, coating and paint industries, adhesives, optics, dental filling, sealing compound, and stereo-lithography. These reactions offer many advantages over other polymerizations, including 1) high reaction rates, 2) insensitivity to impurities (compared to anionic and cationic polymerizations), and 3) a wide selection of commercially available monomers and oligomers. However, the vulnerability of free radical polymerizations to inhibition by molecular oxygen remains a significant problem with the technique.
Oxygen inhibition is perhaps the most important unsolved problem in free radical polymerization. Molecular oxygen, with its extraordinary biradical structure and high reactivity towards electron rich groups, participates in numerous chemical and biochemical processes which in some degree determine the ultimate outcome of these reactions. The possible interactions between oxygen and the polymerization system include two mechanisms:    1) physical quenching of the triplet state of the initiator or sensitizer and    2) scavenging of the free radicals/active radical centers (primary or the propagating chain) to produce unreactive peroxide radicals.Both of these mechanisms of oxygen inhibition will significantly reduce the polymerization rate until the oxygen in the system is consumed. Oxygen inhibition 1) reduces the polymerization rate, 2) may reduce the primary polymer chain length, and 3) limits the ultimate attainable conversion in polymerization systems. The presence of oxygen in free radical polymerization systems is known to be the primary cause of an inhibition period and will ultimately affect the attainable properties of the polymer. In an open system where the oxygen will diffuse into the sample incessantly, an incomplete surface cure of the polymer will generally be observed.
Discovering an efficient way to eliminate oxygen inhibition has been a long-standing goal of polymerization scientists and engineers. As a result, a number of approaches have been tried to mitigate the effect of oxygen in free radical polymerizations. Because no satisfactory method has been reported, polymerization often must be carried out under an inert nitrogen atmosphere using expensive inerting equipment.
Many of the current approaches involve the creation of an oxygen barrier (for example, paraffin wax) to prevent the diffusion of oxygen into the system. These barrier approaches are not widely applicable since in many cases it is impractical to add a barrier layer.
The most common method to counter the effect of oxygen is simply to add enough initiator to create enough active centers to both react with the oxygen and polymerize the monomer. This method is not very satisfactory for many cases since the presence of the oxygen still leads to an inhibition period and reduces the length of the polymer chains (often leading to a tacky surface even after cure).
Other current methods for mitigating the effect of oxygen on free radical polymerizations are based on oxygen scavengers (such as tertiary amines). These methods are not satisfactory for many reactions and are fundamentally different from the invention described herein. For example, one way in which prior methods differ is use of a tertiary amine radical capable of forming a hydroperoxide is also capable of initiating the polymerization, therefore, it is not possible to decouple the oxygen depletion and the polymerization using this oxygen scavenger technique (therefore, the deleterious effect on the molecular weight will still be present using oxygen scavengers). In addition, it is often undesirable to add an amine to the reaction system, since the presence of the amines could lead to a residual odor in polymer product, may be toxic, and may lower the shelf life of the formulation.
Two papers published by Christian Decker (C. Decker, Makromol. Chem. 180, 2027, 1979 and C. Decker, J. Faure, M. Fizet, and L. Rychla, Photographic Science and Engineering, 23, 137, 1979) are directed toward addressing the oxygen inhibition problem. In both of these papers, Decker reports using the dye methylene blue (excited using a flash lamp with a 500–800 nm filter) to photochemically transfer ground state oxygen into singlet oxygen and then reacting the singlet oxygen with the compound diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF) to consume the oxygen. The resulting oxidation product, orthodibenzoylbenzene, may further act as an efficient photoinitiator of the polymerization.
While both the Decker method and the current method involve the production of singlet oxygen by reaction with a light-absorbing molecule, followed by the reaction of the singlet oxygen with a second compound, there are many important differences between the system reported by Decker and the current invention. Some of the differences are    1) The singlet oxygen generators used in the current invention are much more versatile than the Decker dye sensitizer, methylene blue (the current singlet oxygen generators are soluble in a wider range of monomers and exhibit unique photochemical properties that are not offered by methylene blue).    2) The singlet oxygen generators used in the current invention do not lead to the production of active centers by themselves or by interaction with common initiators. Methylene blue will photoinitiate polymerization by itself and will interact with common initiators and coinitiators (such as amines) to create active centers.    3) The singlet oxygen generators used in the current invention undergo much less photobleaching than methylene blue and rose bengal during pre-illumination thereby allowing much more efficient production of singlet oxygen.    4) The only compound Decker described as the singlet oxygen acceptor is DPBF (1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran). DPBF does not meet the criteria (described below) as a singlet oxygen trapper because, for one thing, it is not stable in most monomers (especially acrylic monomers)—the C═C double bond in an acrylic monomer is a good dienophile and has a strong possibility to undergo a Diels-Alder reaction with DPBF (studies have shown that the compound decomposes rapidly in 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and butylmethacrylate monomers, totally degrading in less than 30 minutes). This drawback significantly limits the application of DPBF in polymerization systems.
The "consumption" of oxygen prior to the initiation step, as described below for the current invention, is clearly a different fundamental approach than other methods of dealing with oxygen inhibition. The current invention allows the initiation and oxygen depletion to be decoupled, which is not possible if using excess initiator to deplete the oxygen, providing flexibility in the design of the polymerization process. The current invention will reduce the cost of free radical polymerization by eliminating the need for nitrogen purging and its associated complicated equipment. The current invention also allows oxygen to be consumed before the polymerization begins, thus, leading to an increase in primary polymer chain length.

Photochemical method to eliminate oxygen inhibition of free radical polymerizations


A dispensing syringe for dispensing a multi-component dental composition, preferably a two component composition, is provided. The syringe includes a syringe body with multiple elongated barrels for storing the components of the composition; a threaded plunger rod assembly; and a rotatable, threaded connector knob. Preferably, the syringe body has a double-barrel structure and the plunger rod assembly includes two plunger rods that slide within the barrels. The threaded knob has a through-bore with a continuous internal thread for engaging the outer threads of the first and second plunger rods. A dental practitioner manually rotates the knob to displace the first and second plunger rods and discharge the components. The dispensing syringe may further include a dispensing tip containing a static mixing element for mixing the components and dispensing the mixed composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a dispensing device for dispensing a multi-component composition such as, for example, epoxy cements, adhesives, medicaments, and dental materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a dispensing syringe having a syringe body with at least two elongated barrels. Each barrel is used to store and dispense a component of the composition. The dispensing syringe may include a dispensing tip containing a static mixing element for mixing the components and then dispensing the mixed composition. Preferably, the syringe is used to mix and dispense a dental composition such as, for example, a dental cement or adhesive.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Dental professionals use dispensing syringes for storing, mixing, and dispensing a wide variety of dental compositions. For instance, a dentist may use a dispensing syringe in preparing and dispensing dental impression materials, temporary restorative materials, cements and adhesives. Such dental compositions can be self-curable, light-curable, or dual-curable. The dental compositions are cured and hardened by different chemical mechanisms to form a strong and durable material. In one example, a dentist uses a self-curing dental cement, which is prepared from two paste components, for bonding crowns, bridges, veneers, and other restoratives to the tooth. Generally, about 0.25 to about 0.5 mL of dental cement is used in such applications. One component used to make the dental cement is a base paste and the other component is a catalyst paste. The base paste typically contains polymerizable monomers such as methacrylate or acrylate monomers; a free-radical polymerization accelerator such as a tertiary amine; and fillers such as silica, glasses, or alumina. Meanwhile, the catalyst paste typically includes a polymerizable monomer, a free-radical polymerization initiator such as a peroxide, and fillers.
The base and catalyst pastes can be measured and mixed together by hand or an auto-mix syringe system can be used. Dentists often prefer working with auto-mix systems, because the base and catalyst pastes are stored in commercially-available cartridges and can be dispensed from the cartridges in a pre-determined volume ratio to form an optimally mixed composition. The dentist can save time using such auto-mix systems and avoid mixing ratio errors. A "double barrel" dispensing syringe is often used in auto-mix systems. In general, the double barrel syringe includes two separate, elongated barrels or chambers that are arranged in a side-by-side configuration. The barrels are sealed, and the base paste is stored in one barrel, while the catalyst paste is stored in the other barrel. The barrels are connected to a dispensing tip. In practice, the dentist pushes on the plunger of the syringe to force the base and catalyst pastes from their respective barrels and into the dispensing tip. The dispensing tip typically contains a static mixer. As the base and catalyst pastes are extruded through the static mixer, they are combined and mixed together to form the final, mixed dental cement. Then, the dentist can dispense the cement onto the desired target, for example, a temporary crown, and mount the crown over a "crown-prepped" tooth in the mouth of the patient.
In another example, the double barrel syringe is used to dispense a dental composition used to make the temporary crown. Generally, about 1 to about 2 mL of material is used to make the temporary crown. Normally, the dentist places a temporary crown on the tooth to cover and protect the tooth, until a dental laboratory makes the permanent crown. The temporary crown is made from a polymeric material such as an acrylic. More particularly, a polymerizable material, which is prepared from base and catalyst pastes, can be used to form the temporary crown. In a manner similar to the above-described method used to make dental cements, the base and catalyst pastes are stored in the barrels of the syringe until it is time to prepare the crown. Then, the base and catalyst pastes are forced from their respective barrels and into the dispensing tip containing the static mixing element. The pastes are mixed in the dispensing tip and the resulting composition is dispensed onto an alginate impression, plastic matrix, or other material to make the temporary crown.
One example of a double barrel syringe is illustrated in Drake, U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,920. This patent discloses a dispensing device having a having a pair of chambers for storing dental resins separately and a pair of plungers that are forced into the chambers to discharge the resins. The device further includes a static-mixing element housed with an exit conduit and a discharge nozzle. The static-mixing element is held in a fixed position in order to maintain a predetermined alignment of a first blade in the static-mixing element relative to the two streams of resinous material. The patent suggests that this is necessary to achieve maximum mixing of the two streams of resinous materials in the discharge nozzle.
Spehar et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,536 describes a double barrel syringe with two compartments for storing two separate dental polymeric materials, a discharge assembly, and a nozzle assembly for dispensing the material. The nozzle assembly comprises a common nozzle, a static-mixing element with an arm extending from one end. The static mixer is arbitrarily inserted into the bore of the nozzle. The discharge of the polymeric material from the compartments causes the static mixer to turn until the arm engages an end stop. The end stop prevents further rotation of the arm as material is fed into the nozzle, thereby allowing the mixer to intermix the two materials from the storage compartments.
Sawhney et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,314 discloses a double-barreled syringe for storing two viscous dental substances. The syringe includes a double-plunger assembly with juxtaposed first and second plungers and a mixing tip. The plungers are attached at their distal end to a disc-shaped thumb-rest so that when the thumb-rest is depressed the plungers move forward in tandem and discharge the substances into the mixing tip. The mixing tip is detachable after the tip is locked to the syringe body, so a person can replace the tip with a locking cap.
Bills, U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,887 discloses a double barrel syringe having detachably connecting barrels, detachably connecting plungers, and an applicator tip. The barrels can be manufactured at different times and out of different materials so that they have different colors, insulating properties, and opaque or translucent properties. The plunger assembly includes a first plunger, which is pressed to force out the first component from the first barrel and a second plunger, which is pressed to force out the second components from the second barrel.
Xie et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,652 describes the device as being particularly suitable for delivering a single dose quantity of a two-component dental impression material. The double barrel syringe includes a dispenser body having a first and second cylindrically shaped chamber, an actuator, a closure, and a dispenser tip. The first and second components of the material are stored in their respective chambers. The actuator includes first and second plungers, which are adapted to slide within the first and second chambers and dispense the respective components. The plungers are connected at their distal end by a thumb pad. A dental professional depresses the thumb pad when he or she is ready to dispense the material. This causes the plunger rods to move in unison and dispense the first and second components simultaneously.
In the double-barrel syringes described in the above-mentioned patents, a person must depress the syringe plunger to force the resin components from the barrels and into a mixing/dispenser tip. These double-barrel syringes are generally effective. One drawback, however, is that it can be difficult to dispense resins having a thick consistency using such conventional double-barrel syringes. A sufficient amount of pressure must be exerted on the thumb pad or other actuator handle, and it can be difficult to apply this force while handling the syringe at the same time.
Other dual chamber systems for dispensing dental material are known including hand-held ejector-type guns as described in Wilcox et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,624,260 and 5,722,829. These gun-like applicators include a cartridge having a first chamber and a second chamber for storing dental materials and a pair of plungers for dispensing the materials through a discharge tip. The applicator further includes a handle extending from a body portion and an arm located next to the handle and movable relative to the body. To advance the plungers, the arm is swung about the pivot point. As the arm moves toward the handle, the lower front edge of a pawl engages the ratchet teeth on the plungers, there causing the plungers to simultaneously advance. These applicator guns can provide an effective system for dispensing highly viscous resin materials. The applicator guns increase the mechanical advantage of the operator. This allows the operator to hold the gun in various orientations and dispense the material in difficult to reach areas of a patient's oral cavity. However, such applicator guns have several disadvantages including their added bulk, complexity of operation, and relatively high cost to manufacture.
In view of the drawbacks with some conventional dispensing devices for dental materials, there is a need in the industry for an improved dispensing device. Particularly, the syringe device should be capable of dispensing two components of a dental composition simultaneously and in precisely metered quantities. In addition, a dental professional should be able to handle and use the syringe easily. A user should not be required to spend a large block of time loading the components into the barrels, mixing, and dispensing them accordingly. The dispensing mechanism should be relatively simple and not require the interaction of many small parts. The syringe should be economically feasible to manufacture. Moreover, the syringe should have a dispensing mechanism, which provide a mechanical advantage to the user. Such a syringe would be particularly valuable to users who need ergonomic assistance in dispensing the material from the syringe. The present invention provides a dispensing syringe having the foregoing features and characteristics. These and other objects, benefits, and advantages of this invention are evident from the following description and illustrated embodiments.

Dispensing syringe having multiple barrels for discharging a dental composition


An audio signal delivery management system includes a management apparatus and an delivering apparatus which delivers an audio signal to a plurality of speaker devices to which respective addresses are assigned. The delivering apparatus include an address storing portion which stores the addresses of the speaker devices, an audio signal acquiring portion which acquires an audio signal, an audio signal delivering portion which delivers the audio signal to at least one of the speaker devices using the addresses, and a sending portion which sends the audio signal to the management apparatus. The management apparatus includes a receiving portion which receives the audio signal from the audio signal delivering apparatus, an identifying portion which analyzes the audio signal, collates an analysis result of the audio signal with audio signal analysis information of respective tunes, and identifies a tune represented by the audio signal based on a collation result, and an output portion which outputs identification information.

The present invention relates to a technique of delivering an audio signal.
In stores such as restaurants and boutiques, it is a general procedure to play background music (hereinafter abbreviated as BGM) using cable broadcast. However, to use cable broadcast for reproduction of BGM, it takes considerable time, labor, and cost to install cable broadcast receiving equipment. It is therefore difficult to introduce such equipment. Furthermore, in cable broadcast, a playing schedule of music (i.e., when to play what tunes) is entirely left to the broadcasting station side and hence it is difficult to play BGM according to a user's tastes.
In view of the above, Patent document 1 proposes a BGM terminal apparatus capable of playing BGM according to a program written by a user itself rather than a program written by the broadcasting station: side as in the case of cable broadcast. This apparatus makes it possible to play BGM according to a program written by a user itself.
However, with the technique of Patent document 1, it is necessary for a user to, for example, add up and pay use fees of individual tunes which are composed works. This is complicated work. As for the adding-up of use fees of tunes, Patent document 2 proposes a system in which to reduce the time and labor taken to record use results of composed works and make a report relating to their uses, logs of composed works reproduced by a reproducing apparatus are collated with a database by using ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) codes, POS codes, or the like and pieces of use results information of reproduced composed works are thereby collected.
[Patent document 1] JP-A-9-247105
[Patent document 2] JP-A-2005-209084
However, in the technique of Patent document 2, composed works are collated by referring to codes (information) recorded on a CD (compact disc) such as ISRC codes or POS codes. Therefore, tunes that are assigned no such codes cannot be collated. After all, an operator is required to input pieces of identification information of composed works. This is complicated work.

Audio signal delivery management system, audio signal acquiring and transmitting apparatus, audio signal identifying and outputting apparatus, and audio signal delivering apparatus


Provided is a demodulator circuit allowing a tag or transponder to efficiently recover data of an input amplitude signal at very low power in a wireless communication system such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. The demodulator connects an output of a voltage multiplier to a low-current path by capacitive coupling, thereby recovering data. Therefore, data is recovered, at low power, from an input amplitude signal having a low modulation depth, and it is possible to increase a communication distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a demodulator circuit used in a tag or transponder in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, and more particularly, to a demodulator circuit capable of generating a clearly level-identified output signal upon receiving an input amplitude signal having several modulation depths.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, an RFID tag is used in wireless communication systems such as an RFID system, and operates by receiving an amplitude signal from a reader. A communication distance between an RFID tag and a reader is defined by power consumption of the RFID tag. Since such a communication distance is a very important factor in application fields as well as performance of a system, researches for improving the communication distance have been constantly in progress.
However, conventional RFID tags require extremely-limited available driving voltage, and amplitude signals input thereto have very low power levels. Thus, it is exceedingly difficult to embody a data recovery circuit capable of detecting a modulation signal at low power.
Methods for solving such a technical problem have been suggested in U.S. Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 20040056691A1 and 20050104573A1 in which a voltage multiplier for data recovery comprises two output capacitors having different capacitance connected to inputs of a voltage comparator, and the voltage comparator compares voltages of the two capacitors with each other whenever the level of a tag input signal is changed. In addition, a method for comparing an output voltage of a voltage multiplier for data recovery with a reference voltage has been suggested in U.S. Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 20020149482A1, and also a method for converting output voltage of a voltage multiplier for data recovery into current and recovering data from variation of the current has been suggested.
However, the above-mentioned methods have drawbacks in that the period of a signal to be recovered may be somewhat changed by an offset difference of a compared voltage due to use of a comparator, there are many current paths due to the same reason, and a large amount of power is consumed due to use of an inverter.
When a reader used in an RFID system outputs an amplitude signal, a tag converts the signal into a direct current (DC) signal and then uses the DC signal as driving power for an entire circuit in the tag while detecting amplitude variation of the signal and decoding command data. A small modulation depth of an input amplitude signal is favorable to obtain large driving power, but a large modulation depth is favorable to easily detect an envelope upon demodulation. Here, a modulation depth is defined by following Formula 1:Modulation depth=(high−low)/(high+low)×100%.  Formula 1
Because of the above-described reason, most RFID systems comprise a demodulator circuit that utilizes 100% of the modulation depth in the relatively short duration of a low level by adopting an encoding method making the duration of a high level of an input amplitude signal longer than the duration of a low level. Here, a conventional RFID demodulator circuit compares a signal passing through an envelope detector using a comparator, and generates a detected signal that can be classified into a high level and a low level. However, when the reading range of an RFID system increases, it is hard to utilize 100% of a modulation depth, and only 10 to 30% of the modulation depth may be used.
When only a small modulation depth is used, the level of a data signal to be recovered by a tag does not have a large difference from the level of an amplitude signal for supplying driving power. The demodulator circuit of the tag should be able to recover small variation of the input signal into a logic signal of "0" or "1." However, when the input signal is slightly changed, an amplifier should be additionally installed or the number of stages of a voltage multiplier should be increased so as to amplify the signal. Therefore, power consumption for data recovery increases, and desired impedance of a tag is not easily obtained or driving power for the tag needs to be reduced.

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


A method for a seismic data acquisition system (FIG. 1) for determining whether a geophone circuit break is in a seismic cable conductor pair (22) or in a takeout conductor pair (26). A resistor (32, 32A) is positioned across the takeout conductor pair (26) for a geophone group (20). An impedance measuring device (30) determines if the break is in the seismic cable conductor pair (22) by measuring infinity for an open circuit, or by measuring the impedance of the resistor (32, 32A) if the break is in the takeout conductor pair (26).

For seismic data acquisition in seismic exploration, geophones are usually deployed in groups at each detector location with series connected geophone groups connected in parallel to form a string. Each string is attached to a takeout in the main cable which feeds to a specific channel in the recording system. Frequently, several multiconductor cables are deployed to adequately sample the signals from the earth. Thus, seismic signals are detected by arrays of single geophones, and field equipment is provided to record the reflected seismic signals. The field equipment typically includes remote acquisition electronics, telemetry and central control electronics for control, display and storage. Oftentimes, many miles of cables, for example, fifty miles of multiconductor cables with geophone strings spread over five to fifteen square miles may be used.
One of the problems in seismic data acquisition is broken wires in the cables and geophone groups. These breaks are caused by various reasons, such as rodent gnawing, rock cuts, thorn piercing, and so forth. Cables could be built more ruggedly but costs of materials, additional cable weight and increased labor deployment costs are the result. Normally a broken wire involves replacing the cable, or the geophone group, or both. When the break is in the geophone circuits, there is a problem in determining whether to replace the multiconductor cable, the takeout cable, or both.

Method for detecting breaks in geophone cables for seismic data acquisition system


The present invention may be embodied as a biofuel heating system comprising a controller for operating a fan based on a load operating parameter such that air flows along a flow path extending through a combustion chamber, through a burn-out port, through a burn-out chamber, through a heat exchange port, through a heat exchange chamber, and out of an exhaust port. A heat exchange system transfers heat energy from air flowing through the heat exchange chamber to a working fluid. The controller operates in a char mode based at least in part on the load operating parameter, and the biofuel remains within the combustion zone during the char mode.

The term "biomass energy" is used herein to refer to energy obtain from solid biofuels such as wood, sawdust, wood chips, grass cuttings, domestic refused, charcoal, agricultural waste, energy crops, and dried manure. To release biomass energy, solid biofuels are typically burned in a fireplace, stove, or furnace to create heat. Certain solid biofuels, such as wood (e.g., firewood) can be burned directly; other solid biofuels, such as sawdust and wood chips, may be processed into pellets, cubes, pucks, or the like to facilitate burning. The heat generated by burning solid biofuels may be used directly or may be transferred to another medium to facilitate distribution of the heat throughout a dwelling.
In general, the market for biomass reduction systems may be divided into commercial furnaces and residential stoves, fireplaces, and furnaces. The present invention is of particular significance in the context of furnaces designed for use in a residential setting. Commercial furnaces are typically relatively large, and the biofuels used in a commercial furnace typically have a predetermined form factor and composition. For example, commercial furnaces are designed to use densified pellets to facilitate handling of the biofuels and to allow the furnace to be designed for a biofuel having a known energy density. Commercial devices are further typically designed to run continuously and at high utilization or demand and do not operate efficiently at low utilization or demand.
In contrast, in residential or domestic settings, biofuels are commonly burned in a stove or fireplace, and the generated heat is transferred as radiant heat energy to the surrounding environment. Residential stoves and fireplaces are typically relatively inefficient, resulting in incomplete burning of the biofuel and thus the discharge of soot, ash, and gasses through the smokestack or chimney.
Additionally, in North America, biofuels burned in a residential setting most commonly take the form of firewood. Firewood is typically obtained from trees of different species and comes in different shapes, sizes, and moisture content; the form factor and composition of firewood is thus typically not known in advance.
The need exists for biomass reduction furnaces designed for residential settings that do not require biofuels having a known form factor and composition, that transfer heat energy to water for use in domestic purposes (e.g., heating domestic hot water or radiant heating systems), and that result in complete burning of the biofuel.

Systems and methods for heating water using biofuel


Provided are a top-emitting N-based light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same. The device includes a substrate, an n-type clad layer, an active layer, a p-type clad layer, and a multi ohmic contact layer, which are sequentially stacked. The multi ohmic contact layer includes one or more stacked structures, each including a modified metal layer and a transparent conductive thin film layer, which are repetitively stacked on the p-type clad layer. The modified metal layer is formed of an Ag-based material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a top-emitting N-based light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a top-emitting N-based light emitting device, which has improved ohmic characteristic and luminous efficiency, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, a transparent conductive thin film layer is being widely used in the fields of displays and energy industries.
In the field of light emitting devices, much research into transparent conductive thin-film electrodes that enable smooth hole injection and highly efficient light emission has been conducted.
Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) and transparent conductive nitride (TCN) are materials for forming transparent conductive thin film layers and have lately been laboriously studied.
TCOs are, for example, indium oxide (In2O3), tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and indium tin oxide (ITO). TCN is, for example, titanium nitride (TiN).
However, these TCOs or TCN have a high sheet resistance, a high reflectivity, and a small work function. Thus, it is difficult to apply only one of the TCOs and TCN to a p-type transparent electrode of a top-emitting GaN-based light emitting device.
More specifically, first, when a thin film is formed of one of the above-described TCOs or TCN using physical vapor deposition (PVD), an e-beam or heat evaporator, or sputtering, the thin film has a high sheet resistance of about 100 Ω/cm2. Such a high sheet resistance of the thin film is an obstacle to the horizontal (parallel to an interfacial surface between films) current spreading of a light emitting device and the efficient vertical hole injection. Accordingly, it is difficult to apply one of the above-described transparent conductive materials to highly luminous light emitting devices, which have large area and high capacity.
Second, the above-described transparent conductive materials have a high reflectivity with respect to light emitted from GaN-based light emitting diodes, thus degrading luminous efficiency.
Third, since transparent conductive materials including ITO and TiN have a relatively small work function, it is difficult to form an ohmic contact between the transparent conductive materials and p-type GaN.
Finally, if an electrode that is directly ohmic-contacted with GaN-based compound semiconductor is formed using TCO, during formation of a thin film for the electrode, Ga2O3, which is an insulating material, is generated on the surface of GaN due to a high oxidation activity of Ga. This precludes formation of a good ohmic-contact electrode.
Meanwhile, when a light emitting device, such as a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD), is formed using GaN-based compound semiconductor, a structure in which an ohmic contact between semiconductor and an electrode is formed is necessarily required.
GaN-based light emitting devices can be categorized into top-emitting light emitting diodes (TLEDs) and flip-chip light emitting diodes (FCLEDs).
In the prevalent TLEDs, light is emitted through an ohmic contact layer that contacts a p-type clad layer. Also, in order to embody a highly luminous TLED, a current spreading layer as an excellent ohmic contact layer is essentially required to compensate for a high sheet resistance of a p-type clad layer having a low hole concentration. Since the current spreading layer has a low sheet resistance and a high transmittance, smooth hole injection and current spreading and efficient light emission are enabled.
A conventional TLED includes a Ni layer and an Au layer, which are sequentially stacked on a p-type clad layer.
As is known, if the Ni/Au layer is annealed in an O2 atmosphere, a semi-transparent ohmic contact layer, which has an excellent specific contact resistance of about 10−3 to 10−4 Ω/cm2, is formed. When the semi-transparent ohmic contact layer is annealed in an O2 atmosphere at a temperature of about 500 to 600 □, the low specific contact resistance of the semi-transparent ohmic contact layer reduces Schottky barrier height (SBH) and thus, facilitates supply of carriers, i.e., holes, to the vicinity of the surface of the p-type clad layer.
Also, if the Ni/Au layer formed on the p-type clad layer is annealed, reactivation occurs. In other words, the dopant concentration of Mg in the surface of GaN is increased by removing Mg—H intermetal compounds, so that the effective carrier concentration in the surface of the p-type clad layer exceeds 1018/cm2. As a result, a tunneling phenomenon occurs between the p-type clad layer and the ohmic contact layer containing nickel oxide and thus, the ohmic contact layer has a low specific contact resistance.
However, a TLED having a semi-transparent thin-film electrode formed of Ni/Au contains Au, which degrades transmittance. As a result, the TLED has a low luminous efficiency and thus, cannot be one of the next-generation light emitting devices that have a high capacity and a high luminance.
Also, an FCLED includes a reflective film and radiates light through a transparent substrate formed of sapphire in order to increase heat emission and luminous efficiency during the driving of the FCLED. However, the FCLED has a high resistance due to oxidation and poor adhesion of the reflective film.
To overcome the drawbacks of the TLEDs and FCLEDs, a structure in which a TCO excluding Au, for example, ITO, instead of a conventional Ni/Au layer is used as a p-type ohmic contact layer so as to obtain a high transmittance was disclosed in many papers (e.g., IEEE PTL, Y. C. Lin, et al. Vol. 14, 1668 and IEEE PTL, Shyi-Ming Pan, et al. Vol. 15, 646). In recent years, a paper (Semicond. Sci. Technol., C S Chang, etc. 18(2003), L21) has presented a TLED that employs an ITO ohmic contact layer and has better output power than a TLED having a conventional Ni/Au film. However, although these ohmic contact layers can increase the output power of light emitting devices, they require relatively high operating voltages. Accordingly, since many problems still remain unsolved, the foregoing ohmic contact layers cannot be readily applied to light emitting devices that have a large area, a high capacity, and a high luminance.
In the meantime, LumiLeds Lighting (US) has reported that an LED having a high transmittance and excellent electrical characteristics was manufactured by combining oxidized thin Ni/Au (or Ni/Ag) and ITO (U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,947 by Michael J. Ludowise et al.). However, an ohmic-contact electrode forming process is very complicated, and because an ohmic electrode formed of transitional metals including Ni or oxides of elements of the group II of the Mendeleev Periodic Table has a high sheet resistance, it is difficult to embody a highly efficient light emitting device. Further, it is known that oxides of metals including Ni hardly have a high transmittance.
In summary, it is very difficult to obtain a transparent electrode including a good ohmic contact layer because of the following problems.
First, p-type GaN has a low hole concentration and thus, has a high sheet resistance of 104 Ω/cm2 or higher.
Second, since there is no material for the transparent electrode having a larger work function than the p-type GaN, high Schottky barrier is formed between the p-type GaN and the transparent electrode, thereby precluding efficient vertical hole injection.
Third, the electrical characteristics of most materials are inversely proportional to the optical characteristics thereof. Thus, a transparent electrode having a high transmittance generally has a high sheet resistance so that horizontal current spreading is remarkably degraded.
Fourth, while a TCO is being directly deposited on the p-type GaN, Ga2O3, which is an insulating material, is produced on the surface of the GaN, thus deteriorating the electrical characteristics of a light emitting device.
Finally, more heat is generated between the p-type GaN and the transparent electrode due to the above-described problems, so that the life span of the light emitting device is shortened and the operating reliability thereof is degraded.

Top-emitting nitride-based light emitting device and method of manufacturing the same

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology