An improvement to a method of acquiring and processing a satellite observation image of the earth through the use of one strip or a matrix of charge coupled device type detectors. As the detectors travel over an observed zone, a plurality of pixels are acquired in a sampling method. The sampling method includes xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d subarrays corresponding to sampling thereby satisfying Shannon""s condition. The xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d is an integer or rational number greater that 1. Processing is implemented that enables a noise-reduced image to be interpolated at a resolution corresponding to that of a sampling subarray on the basis of initially acquired image pixels.

The present invention relates to acquiring a satellite observation image of the earth by push-broom scanning using one or more strips (or matrix(ces)) of detectors of the charge coupled device (CCD) type travelling relative to the observed zone.
The principle of push-broom type scanning is shown in FIG. 1 for the case of a single strip 1 of detectors.
As the satellite carrying the strip 1 travels, the strip observes successive lines L1, L2, . . . , Ln perpendicular to the travel direction (arrow D). At each instant, an optical system 2 of the instrumentation forms the image of a line of landscape on the line of detectors, with the strip 1 being placed in the focal plane of the optical system 2, perpendicularly to the speed vector of the satellite. The landscape scans over each detector which integrates light flux over an exposure time and transforms it into a proportional electric charge.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional system for processing images taken in this way.
That processing system comprises, in outline: a unit 3 for processing and amplifying the output from the detectors of the strip 1; an analog-to-digital encoder 4 that receives the signal output by the unit 3; transmitter means 5 for taking the digital images picked up in this way and transmitting them from the satellite to the ground; and a unit 6 on the ground for reconstituting the images.
The unit 3 includes, in particular, a shift register into which the information as integrated and stored in charge form in each detector of the strip 1 is transferred at the end of an exposure time. Thereafter, the register transfers the charges in the form of electrons, and the charges are converted into a succession of voltages that are proportional to the received and integrated light fluxes.
The unit 6 on the ground reconstructs the images, in particular by implementing deconvolution processing to compensate for instrument defects, and where appropriate interpolation processing to reconstitute certain pixels within the image.
It is known that the finer the resolution of an image, the more the signal-to-noise (SNR) tends to diminish, in particular because of the lack of light flux, so that images cease to be acceptable.
Unfortunately, presently known solutions for mitigating that drawback are not satisfactory.
In particular, one possible solution consists in increasing the dimensions of the instrument, and in particular the diameter of the pupil of the telescope. However that solution is expensive.
Another solution consists in controlling the attitude of the satellite so as to slow down its rate of scanning. That technique allows light flux to be integrated for longer, but it implies a loss of continuity in the track of the satellite, and consequently leads to a loss of data.
A third solution consists in using special time delay integration (TDI) detectors. These detectors are constituted as matrices in which the rows are shifted electronically so as to compensate for the speed of the satellite. Nevertheless, such a system is complex to embody and implement. Furthermore, it does not enable sampling to be performed that is adapted to the modulation transfer function so as to ensure that spectrum folding is negligible and acquisition data rate is optimized.
An object of the invention is thus to provide an acquisition method of this type in which instrument noise is reduced and which does not suffer from the drawbacks of the above-mentioned solutions.
Theoretical Background
It is known that image acquisition by push-broom scanning can be modelled linearly by the formulation:
Ib=Πp(h{circle around (xc3x97)}◯+b)
where:
{circle around (xc3x97)} designates the convolution operation;
◯ is the landscape whose image is to be acquired;
h is the impulse response of the instrument;
b is the noise superposed on the filtered landscape;
Ib bis the raw image; and
Πp is a two-dimensional Dirac comb which means that the continuous image has been made discrete.
The image is digital and encoded on a limited number of bits.
A spectral representation is often preferred. It is represented by the Fourier transform (FT) of the raw image, i.e.:
Îb=Πp{circle around (xc3x97)}(MTF.Ô+b)
where the hats indicate that these are Fourier transforms, and where the abbreviation MTF stands for modulation transfer function, which is the Fourier transform of the impulse response. In the spectral representation, the convolution operation is equivalent to a multiplicative operation.
The parameters that are mainly involved in the above equations are described in greater detail below.
Modulation Transfer Function or MTF
The MTF is the attenuation factor of spatial frequencies. The higher the frequency the lower the MTF. The geometrical location where the MTF becomes zero is the boundary of the instrumental cutoff. The instrument spectral medium is the low frequency domain as limited by the instrumental cutoff boundary.
The MTF of an instrument is the product of the MTF of its optical system multiplied by the MTF of its detector and by the MTF of its displacement in the travel direction.
Noise
Instrumental noise is always present. A simplified approach consists in considering that it is characterized by the mean SNR (generally known once the mission of the satellite has been defined), and that, compared with other noise, Poisson type photon noise is preponderant at the mean luminance. With such a distribution, the standard deviation of the noise varies with the square root of the number of photons N picked up by the detector. Consequently:
SNR={square root over (N)}
Sampling Array
Present satellites generate a square orthogonal array (speed and strip are in orthogonal directions). The sampling step size in the speed direction on the ground is xcex94xcfx84=v.te (where v is the speed of the satellite and te is the sampling time), and the sampling step size in the strip direction is equal to the distance between two adjacent elementary CCDs. Consequently, using the arrays implemented in present satellites, the two pitches are equal and the projections of ground pixels do not overlap (the ground is scanned once only).
However, with acquisition as performed by current satellites, the sampling frequency is equal to the cutoff frequency so Shannon""s condition is not satisfied (te less than xc2xdfc, where fc is the cutoff frequency). This results in a high level of spectrum folding that gives rise to artifacts and makes any attempt at deconvolution or interpolation difficult.
To mitigate that drawback, proposals have recently been made, in particular in French patent FR 2 678 460 in the name of the Applicant, to use a technique whereby two offset strips make it possible to perform oversampling so as to limit spectrum folding.
In its patent application WO 97/05451, the Applicant has also proposed techniques for implementing staggered oversampling adapted to the modulation transfer function of the instrument so as to enable the amount of spectrum folding to be negligible while nevertheless optimizing acquisition data rate.
The invention proposes an instrumental solution which makes it possible to obtain images in which firstly spectrum folding is limited and secondly noise is minimized.
More particularly, the invention provides a method of acquiring and processing a satellite observation image of the earth by means of at least one strip or matrix of detectors of the charge coupled device type, said detectors travelling over the observed zone, in which a plurality of pixels are acquired in a given sampling, the method being characterized in that that array of said sampling includes xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d subarrays corresponding to sampling satisfying Shannon""s condition, where xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d is an integer or rational number greater than 1, and in that processing is implemented that enables a noise-reduced image to be interpolated at a resolution corresponding to that of a sampling subarray on the basis of the initially acquired image pixels.
In other words, the initial image is equivalent to xe2x80x9ceexe2x80x9d images corresponding to sampling that satisfies Shannon""s condition, with which a new image at the same resolution is reconstituted. For each pixel of the new image, xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d times more flux is available than in the case of normal acquisition, such that the mean noise in the new image is divided by {square root over (e)} compared with the noise normally obtained for an image of the same resolution.
The invention also provides a camera instrument for implementing the method.

Image acquisition by push-broom scanning


A pressure responsive well tool is provided of the general type including a housing having a flow conducting passage therethrough, a pressure conducting channel formed in the housing, and a spring assembly in the housing for storing potential energy in response to an increase in fluid pressure within the pressure conducting channel and releasing the stored potential energy into the pressure conducting channel in response to a decrease in fluid pressure within the pressure conducting channel. A staged latching assembly is operatively connected to the spring assembly for providing at least one intermediate stage pressure position for the spring assembly. The staged latching assembly preferably includes interfering structures on a mandrel and a collet for providing the intermediate stage pressure position. The intermediate stage pressure position of the spring assembly can be used as a stage for selectively directing the spring assembly in either direction, thereby providing better control over the tool. The staged latching assembly can be incorporated into a multi-mode well tool having a ball valve assembly and a circulating assembly to assist in selectively controlling the operation of the tool between a well test mode, a blank mode, any a fluid circulating mode. A method of operating a well tool is also provided.

In oil and gas wells, it is common to conduct well testing and stimulation operations to determine production potential and enhance that potential. Annulus pressure responsive downhole tools have been developed which operate responsive to pressure changes in the annulus between the testing string and the well bore casing and ran sample formation fluids for testing or circulating fluids therethrough. These tools typically incorporate both a valve ball and lateral circulation ports. Both the valve ball and circulation ports are operable between open and closed positions.
A tool of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,952 issued to Ringgenberg and assigned to Halliburton Company. A commercially available multi-mode testing tool of this type is the "Omni SandGuard IV Circulating Valve." The tool is capable of performing in different modes of operation as a drill pipe tester valve, a circulation valve and a formation tester valve, as well as providing its operator with the ability to displace fluids in the pipe string above the tool with nitrogen or another gas prior to testing or retesting. A popular method of employing the circulating valve is to dispose it within a well bore and maintain it in a well test position during flow periods with the valve ball open and the circulation ports closed. At the conclusion of the flow periods, the tool is moved to a circulating position with the ports open and the valve closed. The tool is operated by a ball and slot type ratchet mechanism which provides opening and closing of the valve responsive to a series of annulus pressure increases and decreases.
Unfortunately, the changing between tool modes in the type of tool described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,952 is limited in that the ratchet dictates preprogrammed steps for changing the tool between its different positions. An operator must follow each of the preprogrammed steps to move the tool between positions. A standard circulating valve ratchet, for instance, requires 15 cycles of pressurization and depressurization in the annulus to move the tool out of the well test position, into the circulating position and back again. This process requires approximately one hour.
It is desirable, therefore, to employ a tool which allows an operator to shift the tool from a well test position to a circulating position with a minimum of pressure cycles. An operator would be able to maintain his tool in the well test position and close the tool when desired without following a preprogrammed cycle schedule. The number and times of closures could be orchestrated in accordance with programs established by reservoir engineers or supervisors.
A tool of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,119 issued to Kevin R. Manke and Curtis Wendler and assigned to Halliburton Company, entitled "Multi-Mode Well Tool With Hydraulic Bypass Assembly. The specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,119 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This annulus pressure responsive tool contains lateral circulation ports and a valve ball, each of which are operable between open and closed positions to configure the tool into different modes of operation. These modes include a well test position in which the valve ball is open and the circulation ports are closed, a blank position in which the valve ball and circulation ports are both closed, and a circulating position in which the valve ball is closed and the circulation ports are open. Through manipulation of annulus pressure, the tool mode can be changed upon reduction or release of annulus pressure to move the tool out of the well test position and into the blank and circulating positions.
The type of tool described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,119 includes an operating mandrel assembly that is slidably disposed within the exterior housing of the tool whose movement dictates the positions of both the circulation ports and the valve ball. The operating mandrel is moveable by means of an annulus pressure conducting channel which is capable of receiving, storing and releasing annulus pressure increases.
A ratchet assembly associates the operating mandrel assembly and housing and functions as an overrideable position controller which dictates response and movement of the operating mandrel assembly to annulus pressure changes. The ratchet assembly contains a pair of ratchet balls which travel in ratchet slots on a ratchet slot sleeve. The ratchet slots feature a well test travel path within which the ratchet balls are maintained during normal operation of the tool in its well test position. A secondary ratchet path is contiguous to the well test path. The ratchet balls may be redirected into the secondary ratchet path and moved to ratchet ball positions which permit the operating mandrel assembly to be moved to positions corresponding to blank and circulating modes for the tool.
A fluid metering assembly includes upward and downward fluid paths for flow during annular pressure changes. The upward flow path toward the fluid spring during annulus pressurization permits relatively unrestricted fluid flow. The downward flow path away from the fluid spring during a release of annulus pressure provides metered flow to provide an operator sufficient time to generate an annulus pressure increase to move the rachet balls out of the well test travel path and into the secondary path.
A hydraulic bypass assembly is included which selectively reduces the time required for portions of the metered transmission of stored fluid pressure away from the fluid spring. The bypass assembly includes a bypass mandrel and associated fluid communication bypass grooves which increase the flow of fluid away from the fluid spring and toward the rachet assembly during portions of the pressure release operation.
Nevertheless, a tool of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,119, while more flexible and faster in operation than earlier designs, still depends on a precision combination of time and pressure to control the positions of the tool. This design requires timed cycles of pressure up and bleed-off. It would be desirable, therefore, to employ an improved tool which will allow an operator to shift the tool from a well test position to a circulating position based on the principle of pressure alone. This would result is substantially simplified operation and improve the ability to control the modes of the tool. In addition, the operation time would be further reduced if the metering mechanism could be eliminated.

Pressure responsive well tool with intermediate stage pressure position


An improved film format for a self-developing, peel-apart film unit having flexible positive and negative sheet elements and a pod of developer liquid, wherein at least one of the sheet elements bends when a force is applied to a trailing edge thereof to effect sheet element movement. Pockets are formed on the leading end of each sheet element so that a force may be readily coupled thereto without bending either sheet element while they are being moved, for example, into a developer liquid spread system for subsequent film processing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to peel-apart film of the self-developing type, in general, and to an improved film format which will both facilitate the automated handling of such film during film processing and reduce film processing costs, in particular.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Self-developing, peel-apart film units are well known in the field of instant photography. Each film unit comprises a negative or photosensitive sheet for forming a negative image of a subject, an image receiving sheet for forming a positive subject image and a rupturable pod of processing liquid. A positive image is formed on the positive sheet by means of a well-known diffusion transfer process after the pod containing the processing liquid is ruptured and its contents spread between said positive and negative sheets.
Film units of the aforementioned type are typically exposed in portable, multiple-exposure, instant-type photographic cameras or processed in large format film processing equipment. When employed in a camera as many as ten film units are provided in a single lighttight film pack, in a stacked relation, with the positive sheet on one side and the negative sheet on the other side of a pressure plate located within the film pack. Pull tabs are attached to one or both of the leading ends of the positive and negative sheets. After exposing an outermost negative sheet at a film plane of the camera a first tab attached to the negative sheet is withdrawn from the camera forcing the exposed negative to be turned 180.degree. about the pressure plate and into superposition with the positive sheet. This movement causes a second tab attached to the forward ends of the positive and negative sheets to enter the bite of a pair of pressure applying spread rollers. A combination of the angle at which the first tab is attached and the force applied by a camera operator causes the first tab to detach from the negative sheet at this time.
After the first tab is so detached, the operator pulls the second tab so as to advance the positive and negative sheets between the pair of spread rollers in a superposed relation. At the beginning of the advancement of the positive and negative sheets the spread rollers apply pressure to a pod containing a processing liquid located at the leading ends thereof, thereby rupturing same,, and spreading its contents between the superposed sheets in a thin uniform layer as the sheets are advanced therebetween. A positive image is formed on the positive sheet outside of the camera by a diffusion transfer process. After a required interval of time the positive image is peeled away from its negative and the negative, along with the second tab attached thereto are discarded. A more detailed description of this particular type of peel-apart film may be found at pages 185-187 of a book entitled, "Camera Technology" by Norman Goldberg published in 1992 by the Academic Press.
The above-described peel-apart film format has several disadvantages, especially if considered for use in certain photographic apparatus. One disadvantage is film cost. In addition to the multiple tabs and the relatively large amounts of leader material required for each film unit, which necessarily increases material costs, economies of scale are limited by the fact that both a positive and a negative sheet must be included within a single film cassette. Including significantly larger numbers of film units within a single cassette in order to take advantage of such economies, would substantially increase cassette size and thereby make such a cassette unwieldy for use by a camera operator. Another disadvantage is that this type of film format is not susceptible of inclusion in highly automated film processing equipment. Processing a film unit by pulling certain tabs at various times in the film processing cycle is clearly a processing technique that is inherently manual.
As noted above, self-developing, peel-apart film units of the aforementioned type are also processed in large format, film processing equipment. These film units are similar in format and construction to the large format color film marketed by Polaroid Corporation under the trade designation Type 800 Land Film. This large format film and a portion of the equipment employed to process such film are shown in prior art drawing FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a peel-apart, selfdeveloping, large format film unit 10 comprises a photosensitive or negative sheet element 12 and a nonphotosensitive or positive sheet element 14. The negative sheet element 12 includes a leader 16 with a rear-facing, pocket-like opening 18 having a forward projecting tab 20. An opaque envelope 22, sealed on three sides, encloses the bottom or photosensitive surface 23 of the negative sheet element 12 to prevent its exposure to ambient light. The positive sheet element 14 has a nonphotosensitive image-receiving or coating layer 24 and a rupturable pod 25 attached to a leader 26 which is folded back on itself on the image-receiving layer side thereof and is adhesively maintained in this folded condition. A slot 28 formed in the fold of the leader 26 is adapted to receive the tab 20 of the negative sheet element 12.
A lighftight cassette 30 (FIG. 2) is provided for enclosing the opaque envelope 22 and the negative sheet element 12 included therein. The cassette comprises a base housing member 32 and a cover 34 having an exposure opening therein (not shown) which is pivotally movable with respect to the base 32 about a hinge 36. A tab 38 is mounted in a fixed position within the base member 32 of the cassette 30. To load the cassette 30 the opaque envelope 22 together with the negative sheet element 12 included therein is placed within the base housing member 32 such that the tab 38 enters the pocket-like opening 18 of said negative sheet element 12. In this position the tab 20 portion thereof projects beyond the forward end of the base housing member 32 and a portion of the envelope 22 extends beyond the rear or opposite end thereof via a lighftight opening 40. When the cover 34 is placed in its closed position, a lighttight chamber is formed within the cassette 30. The envelope 22 is then removed from the negative sheet element 12 through the lighftight opening 40 in the cassette 30. Negative sheet element 12 is prevented from being withdrawn with the opaque envelope 22, because of the pocket-like opening 18 of the negative sheet leader 16 being engaged by the fixedly mounted tab 38.
The cassette 30 includes a displacable dark slide (not shown) in the cassette cover 34. The dark slide is temporarily displaced in order to subsequently expose the photosensitive layer of the negative sheet element 12 to scene light through exposure control and lens systems in an appropriate photographic camera, to form a subject image thereon. The dark slide is then replaced over the photosensitive layer and the cassette 30 with the negative sheet element 12 included therein is removed from the camera.
To process an exposed negative, the positive sheet element 14 is placed in a generally flat, horizontal tray 42 of a conventional large format film processor 44 with its image-receiving layer 24, rupturable pod 25 and the folded portion of the leader 26 facing upward. The cassette 30 is placed on top of the processor tray 42 with the exposed photosensitive layer of the negative sheet element 12 facing the image-receiving layer of the positive sheet element 14. Cassette 30 is then moved forward by a processor operator until the forward projecting tab 20 of the negative sheet element 12 enters the slot 28 in the positive sheet element leader 26 to the point where the shoulder portions 46A, 46B thereof engage the crease in the fold formed in the leader 26 and where the leading end of said tab 20 engages the bite of a pair of motor driven processing rollers 48A, 48B (motor not shown). When the motor that drives the processing rollers is energized, the negative sheet element tab 20 together with the engaged positive and negative sheet elements 12 and 14 are drawn into the rollers 48A, 48B to initiate film processing. The initial movement of the tab 20 by the rollers 48A, 48B causes the photosensitive layer on the negative sheet element 12 and the image-receiving layer on the positive sheet element 14 to be moved into longitudinal registration with one another. As the negative and positive sheet elements 12 and 14 are drawn through the spread rollers 48A, 48B, the pod of processing liquid 25 is ruptured thereby and its contents are uniformly spread between the photosensitive layer on the negative sheet element 12 and the image-receiving layer on the positive sheet element 14 to initiate the formation of a positive image. When the required amount of image formation time has elapsed the positive sheet is peeled from the negative sheet and the negative sheet together with a mask and leaders from both sheets are discarded.
Large format film material costs are somewhat lower than that of the above-described multiple pull-tab, peel-apart film due primarily to a reduction in the size of the leader on the positive sheet element 14. However, the leader design of both such negative sheet elements is comparable which should make the cost of comparably sized negatives more or less equivalent. More importantly though, the format employed in this large format type of film has inherent undesirable features which render it unsuitable for use with highly automated film processing equipment for peel-apart self-developing film. One such undesirable feature is the location of the rupturable pod of processing liquid 25 on the positive sheet element 14. In addition to its susceptibility to being damaged by the tab 20 of the negative sheet element 12 when tab 20 is inserted into the slot 28 in the leader 26 of the positive sheet element 16, the location of the pod 25 sometimes causes the leading end of the tab 20 to be-come trapped between said pod 20 and an adjacent surface of the leader 26 as it is being moved toward the leader slot 28 by the equipment operator to thereby cause a film unit misfeed within the film processing equipment.
Another undesirable feature associated with the above-described large format color film is the requirement that one sheet element thereof be moved or transported by the other when both are moved into the bite of a pair of spread rollers to initiate film processing. As described above, in order to produce such simultaneous movement, each large format film sheet element requires a different type of force transmitting means. The negative sheet element is moved by the spread rollers 48A, 48B when the tab 20 of the negative sheet element 12 enters the bite thereof, whereas the positive sheet element is moved only when its leader 26 is engaged by shoulder portions 46A, 46B of the negative sheet leader 16. Requiring two different types of force transmitting means within a film processor wherein, for example, it is desirable to introduce both positive and negative sheet elements of a self-developing peel-apart film unit into the processor from separate film cassettes, could increase film processor complexity and manufacturing costs over an arrangement where only a single type of force transmitting means need be employed.
At this point it should be noted that self-developing integral film such as that marketed by Polaroid Corporation under the trade designation "Spectra Film" is also moved into a developer liquid spread system by a force transmitting member incorporated within certain photographic apparatus. The force transmitting member (sometimes referred to as a "pick") engages the trailing edge of the integral film unit, after film exposure, and moves the leading edge thereof into the bite of a pair of processing rollers. However, this method of integral film movement would not be appropriate for moving sheet elements of a peel-apart film unit, such as that described above, into a developer spread system. This is so because a negative sheet element, and to a lesser extent a positive sheet element, lack the degree of stiffness necessary for a force transmitting member to be able to consistently position one sheet element of a peel-apart film unit in an overlaying relation with respect to another sheet element, for subsequent film unit processing, with the application of a force to the trailing edge of either of said sheet elements.

Film-sheet assemblage for peel-apart self-developing film


An important new vulnerability was discovered and is applicable to several in-vehicle networks including Control Area Network (CAN), the de facto standard in-vehicle network protocol. Specifically, a bus-off attack exploits the safe mode of CAN to disconnect or shut down uncompromised (healthy) ECUs. This is an important attack that must be thwarted, since once the attacker compromises an ECU, it is easy to mount the attack on safety-critical ECUs while its prevention/detection is very difficult. Based on analysis and experimental results, a mechanism to detect and/or prevent a bus-off attack is proposed and evaluated.

Contemporary vehicles are usually equipped with 40-100 Electronic Control Units (ECUs), which are interconnected to exchange data for making maneuvering decisions. Such internally networked ECUs improve response time, safety, control precision, and fuel-efficiency for vehicles.
Internally wired ECUs are now being connected/exposed to external entities. Through vehicle-embedded Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular connections, drivers and passengers are provided with various types of infotainment and other applications/services. Typical examples of vehicle connection are GM's Onstar, Ford's Sync, and BMW's Assist. Moreover, Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications are used to introduce new functionalities such as remote diagnostic/prognosis, crash avoidance, and traffic management to enhance safety and mobility, and reduce environmental impact. Thanks to its substantial benefits to vehicles and drivers/passengers, external connectivity has been continuously gaining popularity and even starting to be considered as a regulation.
Vehicles with more external interfaces, however, prove to be a double-edged sword. While they provide a wide range of benefits, they also open up more remote surfaces/endpoints which an attacker can exploit and in the worst case, control the vehicle. Researchers have demonstrated how vulnerabilities in such endpoints are exploited to compromise an ECU, access the in-vehicle network, and take control of the vehicle. These vulnerabilities are inevitable due to the inherent nature of automotive manufacturing: in-vehicle components and software codes are developed and written by different organizations, and thus vulnerabilities emerge naturally at interface boundaries. The reality of vehicle cyber attacks has made automotive security one of the most critical issues that need to be resolved by industry and governments.
Researchers have experimentally evaluated various remote attack vectors (e.g., CD, PassThru, Bluetooth, Cellular) and have shown that they can indeed be exploited to remotely compromise ECUs and thus seize the control of a vehicle. Exploiting the compromised ECUs, researchers have also shown to be able to control vehicle maneuvers by packet injection in the in-vehicle network. Recently, researchers have been able to compromise and remotely stop a Jeep Cherokee running on a highway, which triggered a recall of 1.4 million vehicles. The researchers also succeeded in a remote attack via a vehicle's tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). An ECU is shown to be reprogrammable by injecting forged diagnostic messages. However, in order to mount the demonstrated attacks, the attacker is required to reverse-engineer the messages on the in-vehicle network.
To detect or prevent vehicle cyber attacks, various types of security solutions for in-vehicle networks have been proposed (e.g., message authentication and intrusion detection). These provide a certain level of security, but there still remain critical, uncovered vulnerabilities specific to the automotive domain that existing Internet security solutions cannot handle.
A new attack model is described below and referred to herein as a bus-off attack. The attack model, ironically, exploits the safe mode (i.e., error handling) of in-vehicle networks. The attacker periodically injects its attack message to the in-vehicle network, deceives an uncompromised/healthy ECU into thinking it is defective, and eventually forces it to be to disconnected or shut down. It is important to detect/prevent the bus-off attack, as it can evade any state-of-the-art security mechanisms for in-vehicle networks, and it is thus neither preventable nor detectable. Moreover, since the attack relies solely on low-level safety features of in-vehicle networks, it is independent of actual implementation subtleties of different ECUs and their hardware/software. Also, the barrier for an attacker to mount this attack is low (e.g., no additional reverse-engineering of messages is required), while the severity of its consequences and the difficulties of its prevention are very high.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Exploiting safe mode of in-vehicle networks to make them unsafe

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


The invention comprises a nested tray-like product separator apparatus and a packaging system employing the nested product separator for the separation of a plurality of generally vertically upright nested plastic tray products into packaging units composed of a defined plurality of the nested tray products. The product separator includes a base plate having a cavity therein and a pair of spaced-apart picker elements, with a tension-biased holdback finger element between the pair of spaced-apart picker elements. The product separator includes a pneumatic cylinder, to move the picker elements sequentially and cyclically between a non-use position and a separating position, wherein the one end of the picker elements extend between selected nested tray products to separate the products. The product separator holdback finger element moves with the picker elements in the non-use position and in the product separating position the finger element is moved to a holdback position which is slightly back from the separating position of the pair of picker elements to provide for the defined spatial separation between the holdback finger elements and the pair of picker elements of the nested tray products. The product separator operates in a packaging system which includes a thermoformer, a trim press and a film bagger packaging machine for the tray products with an electric counter operating from the trim press and connected to an electrical solenoid valve to provide activating of the product separator.

A wide variety of thermoformed, nested, plastic products such as plastic foam or non-foam meat trays, plastic covers, and the like are produced in a nested relationship, which nested plastic products must be separated and packaged in discrete units composed of a defined, selected number of products. Generally, an automated system is employed which comprises a thermoformer to thermoform the plastic product, an adjacent in-line horizontal trim press, a separator to separate the product in units, and a bagger apparatus to receive the counted, nested, generally vertical plastic products, and the bagging, such as by the use of a plastic film wrapper, or otherwise packaging the counted nested products.
In one system, the bagger is adjacent the output end of a horizontal trim press and has a plurality of separate, elongated, U-shaped channels to receive the nested plastic product from the trim press. The nested products are separated periodically and cyclically into desired units for packaging, generally by the vertical reciprocating movement of the channel side wall, having at the end thereof short, inwardly projecting plates which are designed to intervene between the edges of the nested plastic products being fed to the bagger and to separate a selected, counted number of nested plastic products from the nested products being fed into each channel by the trim press. Generally the side walls with separating blades move upwardly, separate the nested products, and then move forward to propel the counted, separated products into the bagger for conveying to a plastic film wrap station for wrapping of the plurality of counted, nested products.
The operation of this type of nested product separator with vertical, closely nested plastic products such as nested shallow plastic foam meat trays, has not been wholly satisfactory, since the separation is often not precise, and nested product edges and products are often damaged by the blade movement while the separator machine itself gets jammed by the tray products. Thus the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of separating a nested plastic product exiting a horizontal trim press into a bagger is not wholly satisfactory with present techniques and equipment.
It is therefore desirable to provide a nested plastic product separator, system and method which accurately, efficiently, and effectively separates nested plastic products and overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art.

Nested plastic tray separator apparatus packaging system and method


An automatic switching method for a smart switch is implemented in an automatic switching system having a mobile device, a wireless station, a CPnP server and at least one match switch. The method includes steps of: developing match data for establishing relationship between the mobile device and the matching switch in the CPnP server; and establishing a connection between the mobile device and the match switch by a user operation to control the match switch. When the mobile device is within wireless signal range of the wireless station to be connected with the match switch via the wireless station, the mobile device controls the match switch through the wireless station. When the mobile device is located outside the wireless signal range of the wireless station to be connected with the match switch via the CPnP server, the mobile device controls the match switch via the CPnP server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic switching system and method for a smart switch, and more particularly to an automatic switching system and method for a smart switch capable of automatically switching between local control and remote control.
2. Description of Related Art
Since economy grows so fast and many office constructions are built in urban areas, office space at each floor of the construction buildings or each of the offices requires lamps to provide illumination. Normally, it is common to see many lamps in one office at the same time. However, not everyone is familiar with the installation locations of the lamp switches and it is very inconvenient for people to find out where the lamp switch is in the darkness. In addition, the conventional lamps can provide light source with fixed illumination, but when ambient luminance exists or when the ambient luminance varies during day time and night time, the light source with fixed illumination does not meet the demand. Therefore, the power is wasted and the cost for the company is increased. Accordingly, a conventional switch control system can remotely control electronic devices (such as lamps and so on) and the electronic devices can be controlled at anytime and anywhere to eliminate the inconvenience to switch on or off the electronic devices.
As shown in FIG. 4, the conventional switching control system 40 includes a mobile device 41, a commercial/consumer plug and play (CPnP) server 42, at least one match switch 43 and a wireless station 44. Each of the match switches 43 includes a wi fi adapter 431.
The mobile device 41 is connected with the CPnP server 42 via Internet. The wi fi adapter 431 of the match switch 43 is connected with the wireless station 44 via an Intranet and the match switch 43 may be connected with the CPnP server 42 through the wireless station 44 via the Internet. Therefore, the mobile device 41 and the match switch 43 can be connected with the CPnP server 42 at the same time. Even when the user is not in the office, the user can use the mobile device 41 to remotely control the match switch 43 via the CPnP server 42.
However, in the conventional switching control system 40, when the mobile device 41 performs the operation at any location, the mobile device 41 is required to be connected with the CPnP server 42. For example, the wireless station 44 is installed in the office and the match switch 43 can control one lamp in the office. When the user is in the office, the mobile device 41 is connected with the CPnP server 42 via the Internet through the wireless station 44 and the mobile device 41 can control the match switch 43 via the CPnP server 42. When the user is not in the office, the mobile device 41 may be connected with the CPnP server 42 via the Internet through a different wireless station or 3G/4G telecommunication technique and the mobile device 41 can also control the match switch 43 via the CPnP server 42. In other words, no matter where the mobile device 41 is, the mobile device 41 is required to be connected with the CPnP server 42 so as to control the match switch 43. Therefore, when the number of the mobile devices 41 connectable with the CPnP server 42 is increased and a large number of the mobile devices 41 are connected with the CPnP server 42 to control the match switch 43, it causes a burden to the CPnP server 42 and slows down the data transfer.
Therefore, according to the aforementioned problems, a solution to reduce the burden of the CPnP server and improve the performance of the switching control system is required.

Automatic switching system and method for smart switch


An in-cell touch display panel, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device are disclosed. The in-cell touch display panel includes a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other, a driving electrode layer disposed on the first substrate and comprises a plurality of driving electrodes, a sensing electrode layer disposed on the second substrate and comprises a plurality of sensing electrode groups, each of the sensing electrode groups comprises at least two sensing electrodes, the sensing electrodes in each of the sensing electrode groups are disposed intercross with the driving electrodes, wherein the adjacent sensing electrodes in each of the sensing electrode groups are connected with each other by sensing electrode connecting wires arranged with an interval, and a projection of the sensing electrode connecting wires on the first substrate is not overlapped with the driving electrodes.

With a rapid development of touch screen, current mainstream products mostly adopt a touch screen in which a touch panel is directly added to a surface layer of display panel (Add On structure). However, such a conventional Add On touch screen is heavy and thick, and has higher cost. With the consumer's demand for a lighter and thinner touch screen, in-cell touch screens become important development direction in the touch screen field.
In a conventional in-cell touch screen, both of driving electrode and sensing electrode are designed within the liquid crystal panel. The driving electrodes adopt shared common electrodes, thus each of the common electrodes acts as one driving electrode. Sensing electrodes are formed on inner side of an opposing substrate and at positions opposite to black matrix. Although the sensing electrodes designed as described above have sensing function, load and node capacitance of the sensing electrodes could not be in an appropriate range for fulfilling the integrated circuit standard due to limitations in manufacturing process, thus the performance of the touch screen is deteriorated.

In-cell touch display panel, method for manufacturing the same and display device

BEIJING BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A pneumatic retractable syringe in which the needle is retracted into the barrel of the syringe following use by compressed gas that is released from a gas reservoir when the gas reservoir is ruptured by applying force to the plunger after injection is completed.

It is well known that many communicable and dangerous diseases are spread through contacting the bodily fluids of an infected person. After use of a needle, residual bodily fluids are likely to remain on or within the needle. For this reason, syringes are typically intended for a single use only. In order to be handled safely after use, the needle of a syringe must be covered to prevent it from accidentally stabbing a person, thereby releasing residual bodily fluids into such person. Typically, a protective cap is provided with the syringe, which, after use of the syringe, can be used to cover the tip of the needle. However, it is common for medical personnel, when attempting to cap a used needle, to miss the cap and accidentally stab themselves, resulting in the potential exposure to communicable diseases.
There have been several attempts to address this problem by incorporating into syringes, mechanisms for retracting the needle into the syringe following use. However, these attempts have not, so far, provided a optimal solution to this problem. U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,155 discloses an evacuated double walled protective sheath. Before use, the partial vacuum within the protective sheath causes the sheath to fold inwardly upon itself so that the needle extends beyond the protective sheath and may be used for injections. Subsequent to injection, the double wall of the protective sheath can be breached in one place so that the inside of the protective sheath reaches atmospheric pressure. The protective sheath then extends to cover the projecting needle. However, the protective sheath may interfere with use of the syringe as it may obstruct the view of the point the needle is to be inserted into on the patient. In addition, it is inconvenient to use; after injection, the user must change the user's hand position on the syringe in order to breach the double wall and activate the sheath.
The protective safety device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,614 is a hollow cylindrical casing that encompasses the syringe. A dual component foaming agent is disposed at the downstream end of the casing. Following injection, the two components of the dual component foaming agent are mixed, creating an expanding foam mixture that forces the syringe back and encompasses the needle. However, this device suffers from the disadvantages that the casing may interfere with the use of the syringe in making injections as it changes the dimensions and size of the syringe significantly. In addition, a considerable amount of material is necessary in order to make the protective sheath, increasing the expense of both making and disposing of the device.
An optimal solution to the problem of how to prevent accidental needle stabbing after injection would include the following features: the mechanism should be simple in that it employs a minimal number of moving parts and is, accordingly, reliable in retracting the needle; syringes incorporating the mechanism should be inexpensive to manufacture; the mechanism should not increase significantly the waste plastic, or other materials, to be disposed of after use of the syringe; the mechanism should not change how the needle feels or is operated; and the mechanism should be simple to use. The pneumatic retraction mechanism of the present invention provides these features.


This invention is directed to a pharmacologically acceptable composition for inhibiting or treating hemorrhagic shock in a mammal. The composition includes a K.sub.ATP inhibitor and a pharmacologically acceptable carrier, with the K.sub.ATP inhibitor being present in an amount sufficient to inhibit or treat hemorrhagic shock in the mammal. The invention is also directed to a method for inhibiting or treating hemorrhagic shock in a mammal. The method includes administering to the mammal an amount of a K.sub.ATP channel inhibitor sufficient to inhibit or treat hemorrhagic shock in the mammal. In a preferred form of the invention, the K.sub.ATP channel inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of a sulfonylurea, a guanidine, a phenothiazine, an imidazoline, TMB-8 (also known as (8-N, N-diethylamino) octyl-3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate), 2,3-butanedione monoxime, disopyramide, gliquidone, chlorpromazine, AMP-NPP (also known as 5'-adenylylamidodiphosphate), flecainide, MS-551 (also known as 1,3-dimethyl-6-(2-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl) propylamino!ethylamino)-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione HCl) and combinations thereof.

This invention relates to the treatment of a mammal with severe blood loss or hemorrhagic shock and, more particularly to a pharmaceutical composition and method for the treatment of severe blood loss, and for the inhibition or treatment of hemorrhagic shock in a mammal.
Hemorrhagic shock is a life-threatening condition brought on by severe blood loss. For example, hemorrhagic shock may originate from internal or external hemorrhage, gun shot wounds, severe trauma or any other condition associated with blood loss. Unfortunately, because of the severity and complexity of hemorrhagic shock, a patient is likely to die unless treated during a relatively short treatment window, generally known as the "golden hour".
Hemorrhagic shock is an extremely complex process, stimulating multiple injury pathways. That is, the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic shock is multifactorial. For example, hemorrhagic shock stimulates the release of cytokines and nitric oxide, as well as the formation of peroxynitrite and the generation of superoxide radical. In addition, hemorrhagic shock stimulates pathways which release platelet activating factor, and induces alterations in the complement cascade and coagulation cascade. Furthermore, hemorrhagic shock stimulates neuroendocrine responses, electrolyte disturbances and metabolic changes. Accordingly, the treatment and management of a patient experiencing hemorrhagic shock is extremely complex.
The initial phase of hemorrhagic shock, unless rapidly corrected, is followed by progressive tissue ischemia, end-organ disfunction and refractory vascular failure. Hemorrhagic shock also is associated with early vasomotor paralysis and cardiovascular collapse. Accordingly, conventional resuscitation methods have been directed toward hemostasis and intravenous infusion of sufficiently large volumes of fluid, preferably blood, in order to restore cardiac index, improve oxygen-carrying capacity and minimize cellular hypoxia. Although this approach may be well suited for the in-patient setting, it is impractical in field situations where the supply of resuscitation fluid is limited. Therefore, it would be extremely beneficial to have a method for treating hemorrhagic shock which does not require large volumes of resuscitation fluid.
In addition, traditional resuscitation methods using pharmaceutical intervention usually involve a catecholamine, such as norepinephrine for example, which rapidly loses its effectiveness within one hour, and thus is of limited clinical utility. Accordingly, it would be extremely desirable to have a method and composition for treating hemorrhagic shock which does not lose its effectiveness in a short period of time.

Pharmaceutical method for the treatment of severe blood loss and for the inhibition or treatment of hemorrhagic shock


An X-ray stress measuring apparatus, for measuring stress on a sample, comprises: a pair of X-ray generating means (10, 11, 10′, 11′) for irradiating X-ray beams, determining an angle defined between the X-ray beams, mutually, at an arbitrary fixed angle, on a plane inclining by an angle desired with respect to a surface of the sample to be measured stress thereon; an X-ray sensor portion (29) for detecting plural numbers of Debye rings (C, C′), which are generated by incident X-ray beams from said pair of X-ray generating means; and a battery (410) for supplying necessary electricity to each of parts of the apparatus, wherein said X-ray sensor portion is made up with only one (1) piece of a 2-dimensional X-ray detector (20) or a 1-dimensional X-ray detector (20′), and is disposed in a position where the plural numbers of Debye rings generated by the incident X-ray beams from the at least one pair of X-ray generating means are adjacent to each other, or intersect with each other, thereby detecting the plural numbers of the Debye rings caused due to the X-ray and the X′-ray in common with.

Analyses of various kinds of samples with using the X-ray (s) are adopted widely, in particular, in a field of so-called a non-destructive analysis, for example, because of not accompanying disassembly of the sample. Conventionally, for example, in the following Patent Document 1 is already known a hand-held type X-ray diffractometer, mounting an X-ray generating apparatus and a 2-dimentional (or, area) X-ray detector and being portable.
On the other hand, for the purpose of detecting intensity of the X-ray diffraction or the like, although an imaging plate (IP), such as, a photo-sensitive film, etc., has been used, in general; however, accompanying with a remarkable development of a semiconductor manufacturing technology in recent years, various kinds of X-ray detectors are developed. For example, in the following Patent Document 2 is already disclosed a photon counting mode (PCM) detector equipped with plural numbers of pixels, in which a cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector and an ASIC chip mounting one (1) or more number(s) of read-out circuit(s) thereon are combined with. Also, in the following Patent Document 3 is already known a method for monitoring a dose of radioactivity corrected on the pixel and an X-ray detector for the same, in particular, in an apparatus equipped with plural numbers of such pixels. And, in the following Patent Document 4 is also already known an X-ray imaging device applying a semiconductor X-ray array detector therein.
Furthermore, in the following Patent Document 4 is also already known the structure for achieving a compactification of detector (i.e., a compact detector), and also for eliminating a dead space, which is generated when aligning the plural numbers the detectors each having a unit of pixels.


This invention relates to the use of the baculovirus glycoprotein, Interferon Stimulating Protein (ISP) (also known as gp67, gp64 EFP, or gp64), or the gene sequence encoding ISP, to stimulate production of interferon, such as for immunotherapy, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, or anti-parasitic therapy. This invention also relates to novel mutant forms of ISP that show enhanced biological (i.e., anti-viral) activity, increased stability, higher yield or better solubility.

The Baculoviridae are a family of enveloped animal viruses that are pathogenic to invertebrates, primarily insects. Baculoviruses have large circular double-stranded DNA genomes ranging from approximately 80 to 180 kbp. Baculoviruses are characterized by an infection cycle that produces two virion phenotypes that are structurally and functionally distinct. Blissard, G. W. and Rohrmann, G. F., Annu. Rev. Entomol. 35: 127-155 (1990). The first virion phenotype produced in the infection cycle is the budded virus (BV). Production of the BV begins when viral nucleocapsids bud through the plasma membrane into the extracellular space. BV is responsible for the systemic infection of insect cells and tissues in vivo and is highly infectious in cell culture systems. The second virion phenotype, the occlusion-derived virus (ODV), is produced in the very late phase of the infection cycle when nucleocapsids become enveloped within the nucleus. Although BV and ODV appear to be identical in nucleocapsid structure, they differ in the sources of their envelopes. This difference results in differences in biochemical compositions and correlates with observed differences in relative infectivities for different tissues within the insect and in tissue culture. Keddie, B. A. and Volkman, L. E., J. Gen Virol. 66:1195-1200 (1985).
Infectivity of BV is dependent on the major BV-specific envelope glycoprotein, gp67. See, e.g., Oomens et al., Virology 209:592-603 (1995). This envelope protein is an extensively processed type I integral membrane glycoprotein that has been studied in some detail. See, e.g., Jarvis, D. L. and Garcia, A., Virology 205:300-313 (1994); Blissard, G. W. and Wenz, J. R., J. Virol. 66:6829-6835 (1992).
The gp67 proteins from three baculoviruses, Orgyia pseudotsugata multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (OpMNPV), Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV), and Choristoneura fumiferana multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (CfMNPV), show a high degree of amino acid sequence similarity (Blissard, G. W. and Rohrmann, G. F., Virology 170:537-555 (1989); Hill, J. E. and Faulkner, P., J. Gen. Virol. 75:1811-1813 (1994)) with the predicted extracellular domains showing at least 82% identity across all three baculovirus gp67 proteins. The gp67 genes of AcMNPV and OpMNPV have been mapped, cloned, and sequenced (Whitford et al., J. Virol.63:1393-1399 (1989); Blissard, G. W. and Rohrmann, G. F., Virology 170:537-555 (1989)).
The important role of gp67 in BV infectivity has been demonstrated by the neutralization of BV infectivity with monoclonal antibodies specific to gp67. See, Hohmann, A. W and Faulkner, P., Virology 125:432-444 (1983); Volkman et al., Virology 133:354-362 (1984). Later studies demonstrated that gp67 is necessary and sufficient for low pH-activated membrane fusion activity, consistent with the role of gp67 in viral entry through the low pH environment of the endosome. Blissard, G. W. and Wenz, J. R., J. Virol. 66:6829-6835 (1992). More recently, Monsma et al., J. Virol. 70:4607-4616 (July 1996), used a stably transfected insect cell line that constitutively expressed the gp67 of Orgyia pseudotsugata multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (OpMNPV), to generate a recombinant gp67-null Autographa californica multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) baculovirus. They then examined the effect of the gp67-null mutation on viral transmission in both cell culture and insect larvae. Monsma et al., demonstrated that gp67 is an essential virion structural protein that is required for propagation of the budded virus from cell to cell and for systemic infection of the host insect.
Despite the fact that gp67 is a well studied baculovirus envelope glycoprotein with a documented role in cell to cell transmission of infection, the recognition that gp67 induces Type I and Type II interferon production (and thereby confers, inter alia, anti-viral activity) has previously gone unnoticed.
Interferons (IFNs) are a well known family of cytokines secreted by a large variety of eukaryotic cells upon exposure to various mitogens. The interferons have been classified by their chemical and biological characteristics into three groups: IFN-alpha (leukocytes), IFN-beta (fibroblasts), and IFN-gamma (lymphocytes). IFN-alpha and beta are known as Type I interferons; IFN-gamma is known as Type II or immune interferon. The IFNs exhibit anti-viral, immunoregulatory, and antiproliferative activity. The clinical potential of interferons has been recognized, and will be summarized below:
Anti-viral: IFNs have been used clinically for anti-viral therapy, for example, in the treatment of AIDS (Lane, H. C., Semin. Oncol. 18:46-52 (October 1991)), viral hepatitis including chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C (Woo, M. H. and Burnakis, T. G., Ann. Pharmacother. 31:330-337 (March 1997); Gibas, A. L., Gastroenterologist 1:129-142 (June 1993)), papilloma viruses (Levine, L. A. et al., Urology 47:553-557 (April 1996)), herpes (Ho, M., Annu. Rev. Med. 38:51-59 (1987)), cytomegalovirus (CMV) (Yamamoto, N. et al., Arch. Virol. 94:323-329 (1987)), viral encephalitis (Wintergerst et al., Infection 20:207-212 (July 1992)), and in the prophylaxis of rhinitis (Ho, M., Annu. Rev. Med. 38:51-59 (1987)).
Anti-parasitic: IFNs have been suggested for anti-parasite therapy, for example, IFN-gamma for treating Cryptosporidium parvum infection (Rehg, J. E., J. Infect. Des. 174:229-232 (July 1996)).
Anti-bacterial: IFNs have been used clinically for anti-bacterial therapy. For example, IFN-gamma has been used in the treatment of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (Condos et al., Lancet 349:1513-1515 (1997)).
Anti-cancer: Interferon therapy has been used in the treatment of numerous cancers (e.g., hairy cell leukemia (Hofmann et al., Cancer Treat. Rev. 12 (Suppl. B):33-37 (December 1985)), acute myeloid leukemia (Stone. et al., Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 16:159-163 (April 1993)), osteosarcoma (Strander et al., Acta Oncol. 34:877-880 (1995)), basal cell carcinoma (Dogan et al., Cancer Lett. 91:215-219 (May 1995)), glioma (Fetell et al., Cancer 65:78-83 (January 1990)), renal cell carcinoma (Aso et al., Prog. Clin. Biol. Res. 303:653-659 (1989)), multiple myeloma (Peest et al., Br. J. Haematol. 94:425-432 (September 1996)), melanoma (Ikic et al., Int. J. Dermatol. 34:872-874 (December 1995)), and Hodgkin's disease (Rybak et al., J. Biol. Response Mod. 9:1-4 (February 1990)). Synergistic treatment of advanced cancer with a combination of alpha interferon and temozolomide has also been reported (Patent publication WO 9712630 to Dugan, M. H).
Immunotherapy: IFNs have been used clinically for immunotherapy or more particularly, immunosuppression, for example, to prevent graft vs. host rejection, or to curtail the progression of autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or diabetes. IFN-beta is approved for sale in the United States for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (i.e., as an immunosuppressant). Recently, it has been reported that patients with multiple sclerosis have diminished production of type I interferons and interleukin-2 (Wandinger et al., J. Neurol. Sci. 149:87-93 (1997)). In addition, immunotherapy with recombinant IFN-alpha (in combination with recombinant human IL-2) has been used successfully in lymphoma patients following autologous bone marrow or blood stem cell transplantation, and may intensify remission following transplantation (Nagler et al., Blood 89:3951-3959 (June 1997)).
Anti-allergy: The administration of IFN-gamma has been used in the treatment of allergies in mammals (See, Patent Publication WO 8701288 to Parkin, J. M. and Pinching, A. J.). It has also recently been demonstrated that there is a reduced production of IL-12 and IL-12-dependent IFN-gamma release in patients with allergic asthma (van der Pouw Kraan et al., J. Immunol. 158:5560-5565 (1997)). Thus, IFN may be useful in the treatment of allergy by inhibiting the humoral response.
Vaccine adjuvantation: Interferons may be used as an adjuvant or co-adjuvant to enhance or stimulate the immune response in cases of prophylactic or therapeutic vaccination (Heath, A. W. and Playfair, J. H. L., Vaccine 10:427-434 (1992)).
Clearly, there exists a need in the art for the discovery of proteins that stimulate endogenous, multi-form interferon production for numerous applications, in e.g., immunotherapy, as well as anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, or anti-cancer therapies, or any medical condition or situation where an increased production of interferon is desired.

Interferon stimulating protein and uses thereof


A method of determining a transmission mode configuration for a cell of a node of a telecommunication network, the node configured to serve a plurality of user devices within the cell, wherein the determination is based on evaluation of at least one condition associated with one or more applications running at one or more user devices served by the cell, the evaluation being against a specific transmission mode configuration.

Nowadays, 4G LTE mobile networks have embedded several different transmission modes capable to strongly enhance the user's throughput. One example of such differentiation is between transmitting using SIMO mode (Single Input-Multiple Output) or MIMO (Multiple-input multiple output) mode.
MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output) transmission modes are supported by utilizing multiple antennas both at the receiver and at the transmitter side (access node and user equipment, UE). Depending on the number of antennas at the UE and access node sides, different throughput values can be attained by the MIMO transmission mode. Theoretically, the more the antennas, the higher the throughput. The usage of MIMO allows maximum performance but implies the utilization of at least 2 different power amplifiers in the RF part of a NodeB, (while SIMO can be handled with only one power amplifier) and when an amplifier is ON it consumes an amount of energy.
However there may be several users in a cell that do not need the very high peak rate achievable through MIMO mode of operation, and in these cases the overconsumption of energy does not make sense. Since MIMO transmission mode is more costly in terms of energy-consumption with respect to SIMO transmission mode, having an intelligent decision-making process that would apply SIMO mode when certain conditions are met would translate into a more energy-efficient network, as well as in cost savings for telecom operators. For these reasons, some solutions have been proposed in the prior art to optimize the usage of the MIMO mode only in those situations in which a difference (e.g. in terms of cell throughput and/or capacity) is found, considering the trade-off between user experience and energy/OPEX savings.
Most of the existing radio access network (RAN) solutions known so far simply consider the cell load as a parameter to decide if MIMO mode has to be enabled and thus whether a second power amplifier should be switched-on. Typical examples include tracking if in a cell there is at least one user (and accordingly use this information to switch between MIMO/SIMO modes), or deciding that in specific night hours (in which lower traffic is expected) a cell is left in SIMO mode only.
These solutions are very basic as no optimization or trade-off capability is provided to the operator. Therefore, there is a need in the art for optimizing these schemes which further improve the use of MIMO mode in telecommunication networks. The cell energy consumption should be further optimized by using additional user information available, for example, in the nodes, providing therefore a set of intelligent mechanisms that would trigger on and off the MIMO operation mode.

Method for determining a transmission mode for a cell of a node of a telecommunication network


An electric chemical capacitor includes first and second electrodes each including a collector 111, 121, a polarized electrode layer 112, 122 and an undercoat layer 113, 123 for bonding the collector and the polarized electrode layer with each other, and a separator put between the first and second electrodes so that the polarized electrode layers 112 and 122 face each other, wherein an end portion of each undercoat layer 113, 123 is located in the same position as or on the outer side of an end portion of the corresponding polarized electrode layer 112, 122, and located on the inner side of an end portion of the separator 130. Thus, the polarized electrode layers can be prevented from peeling from the collector. Further, the undercoat layers can be prevented from abutting against each other, and the undercoat layer of one electrode and the collector of the other electrode can be prevented from abutting against each other.

Electric chemical capacitors such as electric double layer capacitors and so on can be made smaller in size and lighter in weight easily. Therefore, electric chemical capacitors are expected, for example, as backup power supplies for portable equipment (miniature electronic equipment) or the like, auxiliary power supplies for electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, etc. Thus, various examinations have been made to improve the performance of the electric chemical capacitors. A typical electric chemical capacitor has a laminated structure in which a separator is put between electrodes (electric chemical capacitor electrodes) each including a collector and a polarized electrode layer formed thereon. When high capacitance is required in an electric vehicle power supply, it is typical to use a structure in which a large number of such electrodes are laminated through separators (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-250742
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-284184
The capacitance of an electric chemical capacitor depends largely on the area of a polarized electrode layer included in each electrode. In order to increase the capacitance of the electric chemical capacitor, it is therefore preferable to set the area of the polarized electrode layer to be as wide as possible.
However, a part of the collector may be used as an extractor electrode or the like. In this case, when the area of the polarized electrode layer is set to be too wide, an area available as the extractor electrode is so insufficient that it is difficult to assemble the electric chemical capacitor. Accordingly, in order to secure the capacitance as large as possible without spoiling the easiness to assemble, it is important to accurately control the position where the polarized electrode layer is formed on the collector.
On the other hand, in some electrodes for use in electric chemical capacitors, an undercoat layer serving as an adhesive layer may be provided between a collector and a polarized electrode layer so as to enhance the adhesion strength therebetween. A high-conductivity material is generally used for such an undercoat layer in order to prevent the resistance value from increasing. The undercoat layer is a layer for bonding the collector layer and the polarized electrode layer with each other. It is therefore necessary to set the region where the undercoat layer is provided to be equal to or wider than the region where the polarized electrode layer is provided.

Electric chemical capacitor, and method and apparatus for manufacturing electrode for electric chemical capacitor


An intermittently operating slow sand filter uses the damming of water in a raised pipe to provide a constant level of water in a slow sand filter container. The container includes a water inlet and outlet, and is partially filled with sand or other filter material. A pipe from the water outlet in the slow sand filter is raised upward to the desired level of water over the sand before descending to a water reservoir. Water backs up in the pipe and the container to the desired level above the top of the sand, even when the flow of water is intermittent. The schmutzdeuke forms at the top of the filter medium. The water level in such a manually operated slow sand filter, using fine quartz sand as the filter medium, and at ambient temperatures (about 21.degree. C.) is maintained above about 1 cm above the top of the filter medium and below about 8 cm above the top of the slow sand filter.

Slow sand filters are known to be effective in removing bacteria, parasites, Giardia cysts, Cryptosporidium oocysts and viruses. While bacteria, parasites and viruses may be killed or rendered inactive with disinfection, dormant cysts and oocysts are very resistant to disinfection unless disinfectant is administered very intensively. Slow sand filters may be used to supply clean water directly for consumption or may be used to supply water for further treatment, such as by reverse osmosis and ultra- filtration, both of which processes require quite clean water to begin with.
In the prior art, slow sand filters are known that require a continuous water supply, and that are intended for use with continuously flowing water. Such a prior art slow sand filter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,261 to Pyper. The slow sand filter includes a container partially filled with sand. The slow sand filter is provided with a water inlet and water outlet. Water continuously flows through the sand at a rate of about or slightly over 0.08 m/hour, with the sand providing a filter effect for the flowing water. In addition, when the sand is immersed in the flowing water for several days, a biolayer forms at the top of the sand. This layer is referred to as a schmutzdeuke, which is formed from various organisms such as algae, plankton, diatoms, protozoa and bacteria. The schmutzdeuke entraps and partially digests and breaks down organic matter container in the raw water passing through the filter. The organic matter accumulates on the schmutzdeuke and simple inorganic salts are formed. At the same time, inert suspended particles in the raw water are removed mechanically.
Such slow sand filters are not, however, effective where the water supply is intermittent, such as at country cottages, which limits the utility of prior art slow sand filters. In such cases, the water in prior art slow sand filters becomes stagnant and the schmutzdeuke dies.
Thus, in Visscher et al, "Slow Sand Filtration for Community Water Supply", Technical Paper no. 24, International Reference Centre for Community Water Supply and Sanitation, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1987, at page 31 it is stated that intermittent operation of slow sand filters should not be permitted because "it has been shown conclusively that an unacceptable breakthrough of bacteriological pollutants occurs four to five hours after the filters recommence operation". Likewise, Huisman, "Slow Sand Filtration", World Health Organization, Geneva, 1974, at page 32 teaches that slow sand filters should be operated at as constant a filtration rate as possible. Thus the understanding in the art was that slow sand filters should not be operated intermittently. By intermittently it is not meant that the slow sand filter be occasionally taken out of operation for maintenance, such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,892 of Hulbert, but that the slow sand filter remains in operation, with the schmutzdeuke alive, during the period when there is no flow of water through the filter. By contrast with the present invention, the filter of Hulbert is cleaned during maintenance, so that the schmutzdeuke does not remain alive until it is operated again.
For a slow sand filter of the type described by Hulbert, with depth of water above the filter material being in the range of 60 cm to 2.44 m, the schmutzdeuke will begin to die immediately as the water flow is shut off during periods of intermittent operation and will die overnight due to lack of oxygen. This can be shown from theoretical calculations of the oxygen demand of the schmutzdeuke.
The inventor has discovered that by maintaining the static water level above the top of the sand (or other filter material) above a minimum depth, such that the schmutzdeuke does not dry out or be disturbed by the incoming water supply, and below a maximum depth, such that the schmutzdeuke is not killed by stagnant water, the schmutzdeuke may be preserved and the effectiveness of the slow sand filter maintained even where the supply of water is intermittent. The static water level, or maintenance level, is the water level in the slow sand filter while it is not being operated, that is, not being used to supply water. The schmutzdeuke layer of the slow sand filter of the present invention will typically survive more than a weekend and may survive more than a week in conditions of no flow of water between periods of flow of water through the filter, such as may occur while a cottager is away from a country cottage, and ultimately the schmutzdeuke is not killed off by a lack of oxygen but by a lack of food. By providing a life for the schmutzdeuke greater than 24 hours during periods when there is no flow of water through the slow sand filter, the present invention is believed to be distinguished from the prior art.
This is a surprising result in that it was considered in the art that the schutzdeucke would die in slow sand filters in which water was not flowing. The present invention therefore provides a substantial improvement over the known prior art.
Since normal operation of a slow sand filter results in the biological layer increasing in thickness, with a consequent reduction of flow of water, intermittent operation of the slow sand filter of the present invention actually improves flow due to the slight starvation and size reduction of the biological layer.
One such intermittently operating slow sand filter uses the damming of water in a raised pipe to provide a constant maintenance level of water in a slow sand filter container. The container includes a water inlet and outlet, and is partially filled with sand or other filter material. A pipe from the water outlet in the slow sand filter is raised upward to the desired level of water over the sand before descending to a water reservoir. Water backs up in the pipe and the container to the desired level above the top of the sand, even when the flow of water is intermittent. The schmutzdeuke forms at the top of the filter medium. The water level in such a manually operated slow sand filter, using fine quartz sand as the filter medium, and at ambient temperatures (about 21.degree. C.) is maintained above about 1 cm above the top of the filter medium and below about 8 cm above the top of the slow sand filter.
In another such intermittently operating slow sand filter, the water level is maintained automatically when not being used at a desired maintenance level, and otherwise is kept in a desired range of levels above the top of the sand (or other filter material) in a partially filled container. Automatic control is provided by a control system that senses the water level in the slow sand filter. The supply of water may be from a pump or from a gravity flow controlled by a valve. During times when water is not being taken from the slow sand filter, the water level is maintained at a desired maintenance level, within a range such as specified above for the manually operated slow sand filter.
The water from an automatic intermittently operating slow sand filter is preferably supplied to a reservoir. Water level in the reservoir may also be controlled within a desired range using upper and lower level limit detectors and a valve on an outlet line from the container to the reservoir.

Slow sand filter for use with intermittently flowing water supply and method of use thereof

University Technologies International Inc.


In a situation where a plurality of virtual sound sources are fixedly located, a mixing system allows a listener to increase or decrease the sound volumes of the virtual sound sources with a simple operation. Directional angle difference detection means 24 detects a directional angle difference between a predetermined reference directional angle and an indicated directional angle which is determined by the listener by pointing with an operation unit 7 a certain direction in a virtual space where the virtual sound sources exist. Mixing means 5 mixes a plurality of audio signals supplied from a plurality of audio channels and outputs a mixed audio signal without adjustment, when the directional angle difference is zero degrees. When the directional angle difference is other than zero degrees, the mixing means 5 creates a situation where the plurality of virtual sound sources are fixedly located with respect to the reference directional angle, and mixed the plurality of audio signals so that the sound volumes of one or more sound sources arranged in a direction of the indicated directional angle may be larger than those of the one or more sound sources at the time that the directional angle difference is zero degrees.

A human being has the ability to know the location of a sound source based on a plurality of factors such as interaural intensity difference (IID), interaural time difference (ITD), and changes in frequency characteristics by using two ears. Generally, music recorded on a compact disc and so on has been mixed down using a music mixing system by adjusting the sound volumes and localization or panpots of a plurality of sound sources (musical instruments etc.) so that the respective sound sources are well separated for ready listening. Accordingly, when the mixed-down music is reproduced, the sound volumes and localization of the plurality of sound sources have already been fixed. It is impossible for users to adjust them even when they want to increase the sound volume of a specific sound source, for example, when users want to increase the sound volume of the first violin in a piece of classical music without changing the sound volume of the music piece itself.
If users could manipulate the music mixing system by hand while listening to the music, it would be possible to change the sound volume and localization or panpot of the specific sound source. Actually, however, manipulation of the music mixing system is too complicated for amateur users to operate intuitively. Incidentally, a mixing apparatus with a recording/reproducing function disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3633459 (refer to Patent Reference 1) is complicated in operation, and it is not easy for ordinary users (listeners) to increase the sound volume of a particular part they want to hear, or decrease the sound volume of a particular part they do not want to hear when listening to the music.
For example, it is difficult to quickly perform a series of adjusting operations to increase the sound volume of a violin, to set the panpot at the center of two speakers (setting the sound volume ratio of the violin output from the left/right speakers to 1/1), and adjusting the localization or panpots of the other musical instruments by slightly decreasing the sound volumes thereof when the violin solo part has started.
By a method of controlling a system for producing a realistic musical sensation disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-69600 (Patent Reference 2), it may be possible to arrange sound sources in a three-dimensional space and to change the locations of the sound sources and listeners. However, by this method, it is difficult to for a listener to arrange near the listener the a particular part of the music that the listener wants to hear and to increase the sound volume of that part, or to arrange apart from the listener a particular part that the listener does not want to hear and to decrease the sound volume of that part while the listener is listening to the music.
A conventional product equipped with a gyro-sensor (acceleration sensor) on the headphone is substantially different from the present invention in which mixing is performed by changing the sound volume and localization or panpot of each sound source using information acquired from sensors. This conventional product is intended to prevent a disorder of the sound field due to the listener's head movement (that is, when the listener moved his/her head in a certain direction, he/she feels like the sound source accordingly moving in the same direction) by finely adjusting the sound direction in accordance with the inclination of the listener's head. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-25900 (Patent Reference 3) discloses a technique to enhance a realistic musical sensation by mounting a vibration gyroscope onto a headphone a listener wears on the head so as to detect movements of the listener's head and to adjust the sound volume on either side of the headphone in accordance with the detected movements of the listener's head. In this manner, sound sources may be fixedly located within a space even when the listener's head moves, thus enhancing the realistic musical sensation. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-9490 (Patent Reference 4) discloses a technique to detect a turning angle of the listener's head by using a microphone mounted onto the headphone. Further, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-205700 (Patent Reference 5) discloses a technique to detect in which direction the listener's head equipped with the headphone is facing. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-237790 (Patent Reference 6) discloses a technique to detect information on not only a turn of a listener's head but also the facing direction and location of the listener.
With existing amplifiers which are capable of separately adjusting an amplification factor for either side speaker, and existing vocal canceling machines, namely, equipment capable of removing a sound localized at the center, it may be possible to partially change the sound volumes and panpots of respective parts of the mixed-down music, but such apparatuses are not practically usable in adjusting the sound volume or localization of a specific sound source.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent No. 3633459.    Patent Reference 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-69600    Patent Reference 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-25900    Patent Reference 4: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-9490    Patent Reference 5: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-205700    Patent Reference 6: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-237790


An apparatus assists in preventing the accumulation of debris in a flow path during the formation of a borehole. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a drill head including a drive shaft for driving a drilling element to form the borehole. Preferably, the drilling element includes a passage forming a flow path for debris from the borehole. A carrier positioned adjacent the flow path is connected to at least one agitator connected to the carrier for agitating debris in the flow path. A related method pertains to manufacturing a drill head including an agitator.

Most earth drilling systems employ some form of rotary or percussion powered drills. Typically, a drilling machine, such as for forming a hole for an explosive charge, or for anchoring a roof bolt, includes a drill socket for receiving a stem with a drill bit on the distal down hole section thereof. The stem/bit on a rotary drill machine is rotated by a shaft, sometimes called a spinner, mounted on a drill head to form the drill hole. The rotary driving motion of the spinner is usually hydraulically or pneumatically driven.
To increase the efficiency of drilling, cuttings and dust are often collected and removed from adjacent the drill bit. The removal of the cuttings and dust from adjacent the drill bit reduces airborne contamination, provides clean cutting edges at the bottom of the hole, and allows the most efficient contact with the rock, or other strata. Typically, a pneumatic or hydraulic cuttings/dust collection/suppression and removal system is employed. In one example, pressurized air, or a suitable hydraulic fluid such as water, or an air/water mixture, is forced into the borehole to bail or pick up the cuttings and dust for disposal. In one particular embodiment, this goal is achieved by applying a vacuum on a center passage of the drill steel to draw bailing fluid into the borehole around the periphery of the drill steel, whereupon the cuttings and the dust particles are entrained and removed through the center passage. In either system, this withdrawn debris is initially pneumatically or hydraulically conveyed away from the drill hole. A typical drilling arrangement and cuttings/dust collecting system is shown in the prior art; Howeth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,861, and Wilson, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,637,522 and 6,216,800, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
When using air, the cuttings and dust are then filtered out at a remote location and disposed of. In systems where water is used, either exclusively or in a mixture with other fluids, an option is to simply allow the dust to be suppressed and then deposited outside the drill hole.
Regardless of which system is employed, debris may accumulate in the center passage and areas surrounding the center passage, during the removal of the cuttings and dust. The debris tends to form a cake-like substance, especially when it is wet and especially when the flow path is not completely linear. This accumulation of debris inhibits flow and prevents the effective conveyance of the cuttings and dust away from the borehole. When this occurs, the drill bit becomes isolated from the distal cutting face of the hole by the debris, and effective drilling cannot continue. In addition, the cuttings and dust begin to create airborne contamination. Thus, drilling is often interrupted to remove the debris, resulting in drilling delays, inefficiencies, and expenses.
Accordingly, a need is identified for a manner in which to assist in preventing the accumulation of debris in a flow path during a drilling operation, such as when forming a borehole in a face of a mine passage in association with a roof bolting operation.

Agitator for a drill and related methods


The present invention provides a system for solvent extraction utilizing a first electrode with a raised area formed on its surface, which defines a portion of a microfluidic channel; a second electrode with a flat surface, defining another portion of the microfluidic channel that opposes the raised area of the first electrode; a reversibly deformable substrate disposed between the first electrode and second electrode, adapted to accommodate the raised area of the first electrode and having a portion that extends beyond the raised area of the first electrode, that portion defining the remaining portions of the microfluidic channel; and an electrolyte of at least two immiscible liquids that flows through the microfluidic channel. Also provided is a system for performing multiple solvent extractions utilizing several microfluidic chips or unit operations connected in series.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to extracting moieties from a process stream, and more specifically, this invention relates to a system of solvent extraction using a combination of an electrochemical cell and a microfluidic chip to isolate a particular element or compound from a mixture of elements or compounds.
2. Background of the Invention
Waste streams and process streams need to be monitored regularly to determine system efficiencies and to assure environmental safety. Some process streams are more difficult than others to monitor. Nuclear process streams are the difficult ones, particularly if these streams are to be monitored in real time. For example, on-line and real time monitoring of process streams containing complex mixtures of lanthanides and actinides is difficult given that these mixtures often produce interfering signals prior to analysis. Rare earth element processing plants and nuclear material treatment facilities pose significant challenges.
Liquid-liquid extraction, or solvent extraction, may be used to separate moieties in process scale applications. Solvent extraction involves the use of two different immiscible liquids where extraction occurs as the desired substance moves from one liquid phase to another liquid phase. This process is expensive given that large volumes of extraction fluids are used and that the samples must be sent to a laboratory for processing. Also, process scale fluid volumes prevent the use of microscale equipment inasmuch as the processing of large fluid volumes are associated with relatively large Reynolds numbers (i.e., chaotic fluid flows and other instabilities) which are not tolerated by the smaller reaction chambers defined by microscale equipment. As such, real time determination of target moiety concentrations are not possible with state of the art macro-scale processing.
A need in the art exists for a low-cost system for determining moiety concentrations in process streams that is capable of being performed at the microliter scale. The system should enable real-time process control of refining plants as well as the inexpensive production of small volumes (between 5 microliters (μl) and 20 μl) of slip stream aliquots) of high purity substances from slip stream aliquots derived from nuclear and rare earth process streams.

Microfluidic process monitor for industrial solvent extraction system


An IHS (Information Handling System) may support a variety of types of peripheral devices that may each be customized for operation by a specific user. Embodiments provide management of peripherals devices based on the context of the use of the IHS by the specific user. Upon detecting a login by a user, a plurality of peripheral device settings associated with that user are retrieved from a remote management service. A context of use of the IHS is determined based in part on the physical configuration of the IHS, applications that are currently in use, and other indicators of a mode of operation of the IHS. Based on the context of use and the peripherals coupled to the IHS, settings are selected from the user's retrieved peripheral device settings. The peripheral devices are configured based on the selected settings.

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, enterprise data storage, global communications, etc. 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.
A wide variety of peripheral devices may be coupled to an IHS using wired and wireless communication technologies through a range of communication interfaces supported by the IHS. The operation of any certain peripheral devices may be configured for use by a particular user via settings that may be manually specified by the user or that may be automatically specified, such as through machine learning. In some scenarios, a user may switch between different IHSs throughout each day, such as using one IHS for business use and another IHS for personal use. In enterprise settings, users may be assigned a new IHS as a temporary or permanent replacement for a malfunctioning IHS.

Management of user context for operation of IHS peripherals