The present application discloses an information processing method for use in a communication device, including: obtaining a side-ink control information SCI, where the SCI includes a first bit sequence; setting a bit in the specified field of the first bit sequence to be a preset value to generate a second bit sequence; obtaining a check sequence based on the second bit sequence. The embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device and a computer storage medium.

End-to-end communication refers to direct communication between two communication terminals without an intermediate network device. The end-to-end communication includes device to device (D2D) communication, and vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication. The V2X may further include: vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication, vehicle to person (V2P) communication, and a vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) communication.
In some communication scenarios, a physical side-link shared channel (PSSCH) is used in the case of an end-to-end communication. However, control information of the PSSCH is sent through a physical side-link control channel (PSCCH). The control information is referred to side-link control information (SCI).
In Rel-14 communication standards, a certain information format is predefined for the SCI; however, with the development of communication technologies, the SCI needs to indicate more information, which inevitably cause a change in information carrying of the SCI with respect to the original information format. This change may further cause a change and thus an abnormality to occur in a check sequence dependent on the information carrying of the SCI. Therefore, solving the abnormality caused by the change in the information carrying of the SCI is an urgent problem to be solved in the prior art.

Information processing method, communication device, and computer storage medium for ensuring correct generation of a check bit

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP. LTD.


A partial-length catheter, or an extendable tube or sleeve member of the catheter, is selectively movable within the prostatic urethra to open a urine drainage passageway through and obstructed portion of the prostatic urethra or to open the external urinary sphincter muscle and thereby discharge urine from the bladder. A control element is manipulated at a position exterior of the urinary canal to selectively move the catheter or the extendable tube or sleeve member, thereby selectively controlling urine discharge. The catheter may also be used to diagnose urinary retention problems caused by a weak bladder or a prostatic obstruction.

Prostate problems, such as benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and malignant prostate cancer, are common occurrences among older men. The effects of these diseases are generally accompanied by swelling or enlargement of the prostate gland. Apart from the life-threatening aspects of malignant prostate cancer, the everyday symptoms and effects of these diseases are usually troublesome. One such problem relates to the ability to control and achieve normal urine discharge. When the prostate gland enlarges to the extent that it obstructs the prostatic urethra through the prostate gland, considerable difficulties arise in discharging urine at will. Such difficulties are typically referred to as urinary tract retention. Urinary tract retention can be either acute or chronic.
Surgical treatments are available for relieving urinary tract retention caused by an obstruction of the prostatic urethra. One such treatment is a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). A TURP procedure involves surgically resecting tissue from the prostate gland to eliminate or reduce the obstruction or restriction. Surgical operations offer a high probability of an excellent clinical outcome, but they are associated with a high degree of morbidity. Alternative treatments with milder side-effects include transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT), radio frequency needle ablation (TUNA), interstitial laser and hot water induced thermotherapy (WIT). All of these alternative treatments involve heating the obstructive prostatic tissue until the tissue is destroyed or damaged. Thereafter, the destroyed or damaged tissue sloughs off, is absorbed in the body, and otherwise results in an enlargement of the urinary passageway through the prostate gland. The enlargement of the urinary passageway through the prostate gland eliminates or relieves the obstruction and permits better urine flow.
Another form of urinary tract retention results from a weak bladder. A weak bladder condition results when the muscle that surrounds the bladder does not contract and compress the bladder sufficiently to create enough fluid pressure on the urine within the bladder to dilate the orifice in the external urinary sphincter muscle in males and establish a substantial flow of urine into a urinary canal which leads to the exterior of the body. Males have two urinary sphincter muscles: an internal urinary sphincter muscle at the bladder neck or junction of the urethra with the bladder, and an external urinary sphincter muscle at the downstream point where the prostatic portion of the urethra exits from the prostate gland into the urinary canal through the penis.
Under normal conditions when urine is not discharged, both urinary sphincter muscles are constricted to close their orifices and prevent the flow of urine through the urethra. The muscle surrounding the bladder relaxes while the bladder is naturally filled with urine. To urinate, the muscle surrounding the bladder contracts automatically to create fluid pressure on the urine within the bladder. Pressure from the urine is applied to the constricted internal urinary sphincter muscle and is sensed by the brain. The orifice through the internal urinary sphincter muscle is voluntarily dilated to pass urine from the bladder into the prostatic urethra. However, if the muscle surrounding the bladder does not apply sufficient pressure on the urine, there is insufficient fluid pressure on the normally-constricted external urinary sphincter muscle to cause it to dilate or open. The external urinary sphincter muscle opens in response to the fluid pressure conducted through the prostatic urethra. Under circumstances of insufficient fluid pressure, the external urinary sphincter muscle will not dilate or will dilate only slightly, thereby restricting or preventing urine discharge. The inability to empty the bladder of urine can lead to serious health problems and death.
In those cases where the diseased prostate gland cannot be treated by a TURP or by a heat treatment, and in those cases where a weak bladder prevents or restricts urine flow, it is necessary for a mechanical fluid passageway to be established from the bladder. The most prevalent mechanical way to open the external urinary sphincter muscle is to insert a full-length catheter. The full-length urinary catheter extends from the exterior opening of the penis through the entire length of the urinary tract into the bladder. The full-length catheter forms a tubular stent which permanently holds the urinary sphincter muscle open, thereby preventing it from closing and restricting the flow of urine. In some cases, the patient is taught to insert a full-length catheter whenever urination is necessary. In other cases, where the patient cannot insert the full-length catheter himself, medical personnel insert an indwelling full-length catheter in the urinary tract where it must remain. In some cases, the full-length catheter must be used for the remainder of the individual's life.
TURP and the prostate heat treating techniques cause temporary side effects, for example inflammation and swelling of the prostate. The swelling may be so great as to obstruct the passage of urine through the surgically-treated prostate gland. Direct contact from urine can aggravate the inflammation and increase the risk of infection to the viable but nevertheless raw, tender and swollen tissue of the prostate gland after a TUMT or a heat treatment. These side effects of a TUMT or heat treatment usually require the patient to use an indwelling urine drainage catheter for a few days up to several weeks following the procedure to permit urination while the swelling subsides and the tissue of the prostate gland heals or stabilizes.
Because a full-length urinary drainage catheter provides a continuously open interior urine flow passageway between the bladder and the exterior opening of the penis, a clamp or other mechanical valve must be used at the exterior of the body to control the urine flow from the catheter. The clamp or valve is opened to drain the urine from the bladder and is closed to terminate urine flow from the bladder. Alternatively, a reservoir may be attached to the end of the catheter to collect the discharged urine, in which case the mechanical valve or clamp may not be used.
The extension of the catheter out of the exterior opening of the penis, the presence of the clamp or valve and the presence of the reservoir cause discomfort, are awkward to deal with and may be embarrassing. The full-length urinary catheter may create limitations from a social standpoint and almost always creates quality of life issues which must be confronted. Sexual activity is impossible. An increased risk of infection also results.
Because of the quality of life and social issues associated with full-length urinary catheters, partial-length indwelling catheters have been developed. Partial-length indwelling catheters typically extend from the bladder partially along the prostatic urethra, but not along the entire length of the urinary tract from the bladder to the exterior opening of the penis. The typical partial-length indwelling catheter extends from the bladder through the prostatic urethra to an upstream position adjacent to the external urinary sphincter muscle. The reduced length permits the external urinary sphincter muscle to control urine flow in a more natural manner, while still bypassing most of the urine flow around the swollen, obstructed or raw prostate gland.
Keeping a partial-length indwelling catheter in the proper position is essential. The short length may allow the catheter to move completely into the bladder or move out of the bladder into the urethra and the urinary canal. Either type of unintended movement may require serious medical intervention to correct.
A partial-length urinary catheter typically uses an inflatable balloon or other form of anchor at its end which is within the bladder. The balloon or anchor is expanded or enlarged within the bladder. The expanded or enlarged balloon or anchor contacts the bladder neck at the entrance to the urethra and prevents the partial-length catheter from moving out of the bladder and into the urethra. Another downstream anchor is typically attached to the partial-length of catheter to prevent the catheter from moving in the opposite direction into the bladder. The downstream anchor is positioned downstream from the external urinary sphincter muscle and is connected to the partial-length catheter with a short length of thread-like material. The thread-like material extends through the orifice of the external urinary sphincter muscle between the downstream anchor and the partial-length indwelling catheter. The catheter and the downstream anchor are therefore positioned on opposite sides of the external urinary sphincter muscle. The normal constricted state of the external urinary sphincter muscle restrains the downstream anchor and prevents the partial-length catheter from moving into the bladder.
The external urinary sphincter muscle is able to constrict around the thread-like material to stop urine flow and is able to dilate to permit the flow of urine. In this matter, the natural functions of the external urinary sphincter muscle control the discharge of urine. The clamps, valves and reservoirs used with a full length catheter, as well as the self-consciousness, embarrassment and social problems and difficulties caused by these devices, are avoided entirely by using a partial-length indwelling catheter.
Despite the advantages and benefits of a partial-length indwelling catheter, a partial-length indwelling catheter is not effective to overcome the urine discharge problems caused by a weak bladder. The partial-length indwelling catheter terminates upstream of the external urinary sphincter muscle. Although the fluid pressure within the bladder is communicated through the partial-length indwelling catheter to the external urinary sphincter muscle, the relatively low fluid pressure from the weak bladder is insufficient to cause the external urinary sphincter muscle to open. It is for this reason that a partial-length indwelling catheter is not effective in permitting control over urine drainage under weak bladder conditions. A full-length urinary drainage catheter is required for urine drainage under weak bladder conditions and under conditions caused by some neurogenic disorders.
A partial-length indwelling catheter may also be of limited prophylactic value after a TUMT or heat treatment. The downstream end of the partial-length indwelling catheter may not immediately adjoin the external urinary sphincter muscle, but instead, because of differences in physiological length of the prostatic urethra in different males, may terminate a short distance before the external urinary sphincter muscle. This small gap between the downstream end and the external urinary sphincter muscle may swell to the point where it restricts urine flow through the prostate gland after a TUMT or other heat treatment. Similarly, the enlargement of the prostate gland due to BPH or other disease may also extend into the gap between the downstream end of the partial-length indwelling catheter and the external urinary sphincter muscle. Under such obstructive circumstances, the partial-length indwelling catheter is not effective in permitting urine discharge, thereby requiring a full-length urinary drainage catheter to be used instead of the more desirable partial-length indwelling catheter.

Partial-length indwelling urinary catheter and method permitting selective urine discharge


An opposed piston internal combustion engine comprises an output shaft, at least one cylinder, at least one pair of first and second opposed pistons slidable in said cylinder, a first cam connected to the output shaft and a first cam follower assembly connecting the first piston to the first can, a second cam connected to the output shaft and a second cam follower assembly connecting the second piston to the second cam, an intake valve comprising a slide valve obtained by first piston covering and uncovering an intake port provided in a sidewall of the cylinder at a first end of the cylinder, and an exhaust valve comprising a slide valve obtained by the second piston covering and uncovering an exhaust port provided in the sidewall of the cylinder at a second opposite end of the cylinder, the first and second cams cooperating to provide a cycle of relative movements between the pistons and of valve actions giving rise to five cycles of (i) intake, (ii) compression, (iii) expansion, (iv) exhaust, and (v) return, during which the opposed pistons travel towards a same end of the cylinder.

In the prior art opposed piston internal combustion engines, two pistons are slidable in a cylinder in an opposed fashion such that they share the same combustion chamber. Both pistons are connected via a connecting rod to a separate crankshaft in such a manner that the pistons reciprocate within the cylinder to vary the combustion chamber volume according to a predetermined cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,185 describes an opposed piston internal combustion engine having two separate cranks geared together with a 2:1 ratio. The cycle described synchronizes the power stroke of the two opposed pistons for very large expansion of the combustion gases. U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,221 describes an opposed piston engine having two pistons which are connected to separate crankshafts turning at the same speed and out of phase by 45.degree. with respect to one another, in which the pistons act as slide valves in a two-stroke engine configuration. The opposed piston engine is said to provide high torque output on the crankshafts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,611 describes an opposed piston engine wherein both pistons are connected to separate crankshafts and one piston turns at twice the rotational speed of the other. At the beginning of the compression cycle the two pistons are in phase, and the opposed piston motor allows for a maximum expansion and a complete exhaust of the combustion chamber.
Other patents of the prior art show the use of cams in replacement of the conventional connecting rod and crankshaft assembly, as can be found in French patents 707,677 and 846,990 with addition 51,826, United Kingdom patent 472,746, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,808,664, 1,796,453, 4,520,765 and 4,974,555.
Although the prior art opposed piston engines allow for a variable volume during the expansion or exhaust phases in such a way that efficiency of the engine can be improved, it is required in the case of a four-cycle engine according to the prior art to provide separate valve means for controlling the intake and exhaust valves. Crankshaft engines are required to work within the confines of the sinusoidal displacement of the opposed pistons. This is not the case with cam engines, but the gain in selectable displacement curves of the pistons are eclipsed by the extensive and expensive mechanics required.
In all motors having a given work output, the indicated power is directly proportional to the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Therefore, it is desirable that the intake valves be as large as possible. Furthermore, a large volumetric efficiency can reduce the losses associated with the intake cycle. It is also desirable to minimize the temperature in the tubing, orifices and intake valves in order to limit the heating of the air/fuel mixture. Unfortunately, in existing four-cycle motors the size of the intake valve is limited and the valve seats operate at temperatures great much larger than the cooling liquid. The exhaust valves also affect the volumetric efficiency. They are generally much smaller than the intake valves. The size of the exhaust valves can be reduced to 50% of that of the intake valves. Still, the choice involves a compromise since the work lost during the exhaust increases when the dimension of the exhaust valves is reduced. Therefore the valves always restrict the volumetric efficiency in addition to dynamically limiting the motor speeds due to their inertia. The only cam engine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,765) with a four-cycle operation having a large exhaust port in the cylinder wall requires a scavenging of the burnt gases, hence losing all the advantages of such a port.
It is also desirable to carry out the combustion cycle in a constant volume chamber and or at constant pressure to augment thermal efficiency.
The thermal losses during combustion and expansion also reduce the efficiency of the cycle. The greater part of these losses can be attributed to the loss of heat during combustion.
Losses due to friction also affect the efficiency of the engine and 60% of these losses are produced by the friction of the piston rings.
Also, the energy lost in the exhaust gases can be used to increase the thermal efficiency of this cycle. Furthermore, the construction of conventional engines and cam engines requires many stationary and moving parts. This increases the cost of manufacture and reduces reliability and durability of those engines.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome totally or in part the drawbacks of the prior art engines as mentioned above.

Internal combustion engine having opposed pistons


A mobile terminal including a broadcast receiving unit, a touchscreen including a broadcast picture area configured to display a broadcast picture received by the broadcast receiving unit, and a controller configured to display on the touchscreen a broadcast channel list including a list of broadcast channels in a first direction, and to display on the touchscreen a broadcast service list including a list of broadcast services corresponding to respective broadcast channels in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and corresponding method that facilitates the selection of a specific broadcast channel from a plurality of broadcast channels received by a mobile terminal.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Terminals now provide many additional services beside the basic call service. For example, user's can now access the Internet, play games, watch videos, listen to music, capture images and videos, record audio files, etc. Mobile terminals also now provide broadcasting programs such that user can watch television shows, sporting programs, videos etc.
Generally, terminals can be classified into mobile terminals and stationary terminals according to a presence or non-presence of mobility. Further, mobile terminals can be classified into handheld terminals and vehicle mounted terminals.
Recently, diverse broadcast programs are transmitted on more broadcast channels. However, it is often difficult for the user to easily view and select a channel among the plurality of provided channels.

Terminal, controlling method thereof and recordable medium for the same


Disclosed is a method for quantitatively determining an antibody, contained in a biological sample, having the ability to inhibit the activity of a reverse transcriptase derived from an HIV, comprising: reacting a hybridization product, immobilized on a solid phase, of a primer consisting essentially of oligodeoxythymine nucleotide and an RNA template consisting essentially of adenine ribopolynucleotide with a reverse transcriptase derived from HIV, to thereby bind the reverse transcriptase to the hybridization product; conducting a synthesis of a DNA complementary to the RNA template from a deoxymononucleotide triphosphate in the presence of the reverse transcriptase activity-inhibiting antibody; and measuring the amount of the synthesized DNA and quantitatively determining the above-mentioned antibody, based on the measured amount of the synthesized DNA. The method of the present invention can be performed with ease and with high reproducibility in classifying and quantitatively determining the antibodies against the epitopes of a viral reverse transcriptase. By the method of the present invention, not only the virus having mutated during a latent period thereof, and the properties which the virulis exhibits as a result of the mutation, but also a virus having acquired drug resistance as a result of the administration of the drugs to the host, can be studied by quantitatively determining the antibodies. Further, it has also become possible to accurately and promptly determine the changes in the infected host, such as the change in the ability to produce antibodies, which occur in accordance with the progression of illness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for quantitatively determining an antibody, contained in a biological sample, having the ability to inhibit the activity of a reverse transcriptase derived from a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a method for quantitatively determining an antibody, contained in a biological sample, having the ability to inhibit the activity of a reverse transcriptase derived from an HIV, which comprises the steps of: reacting a hybridization product (immobilized on a solid phase) of a primer consisting essentially of oligodeoxythymine nucleotide and an RNA template consisting essentially of adenine ribopolynucleotide with a reverse transcriptase derived from HIV in an aqueous reaction system, to bind the reverse transcriptase to the hybridization product, thereby obtaining a hybridization product-bound reverse transcriptase; conducting a synthesis of a complementary deoxyribonucleic acid to the RNA template from a deoxymononucleotide triphosphate added to the aqueous reaction system under the action of the hybridization product-bound reverse transcriptase in the presence of the antibody having the ability to inhibit the activity of the reverse transcriptase; and measuring the amount of the synthesized complementary deoxyribonucleic acid and quantitatively determining the antibody having the ability to inhibit the activity of the reverse transcriptase, based on the measured amount of the synthesized complementary deoxyribonucleic acid. More particularly, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for quantitatively determining an antibody, contained in a biological sample, having the ability to inhibit the activity of a reverse transcriptase derived from an HIV, in the above-mentioned steps, wherein the reverse transcriptase is reacted with the antibody present in the aqueous reaction system, and wherein the reaction of the reverse transcriptase with the antibody is conducted after the binding of the reverse transcriptase to the hybridization product and before the addition of the deoxymononucleotide triphosphate; or before the binding of the reverse transcriptase to the hybridization product and before the addition of the deoxymononucleotide triphosphate; or after the binding of the reverse transcriptase to the hybridization product and simultaneously with the addition of the deoxymononucleotide triphosphate and antibody.
Conventionally, it has been difficult to classify the antibodies against the viral antigens into groups according to the types of the epitopes which the antibodies recognize, and quantitatively determine each of the groups of antibodies. However, the present invention provides an easy and highly reproducible method for classifying and quantitatively determining the antibodies against the epitopes of a viral reverse transcriptase. Using the method of the present invention, not only the virus which has mutated during a latent period thereof, and the properties which the virus exhibits as a result of the mutation, but also a virus which has acquired drug resistance as a result of the administration of the drugs to the host, can be studied by quantitatively determining the antibodies. Further, by the method of the present invention, it has also become possible to accurately and promptly determine the changes in the infected host, such as the change in the ability to produce antibodies, which occur in accordance with the progression of illness. In addition, the above-mentioned method is advantageous in that the biological samples used are easily available, and that cumbersome procedures, such as culturing of the virus, are not required. Therefore, the method of the present invention is effective for the diagnosis and the like of HIV which necessarily include testings for an extremely large number of test items. Further, the method of the present invention can be advantageously used for the study of HIV infection because an antibody is more stable than a viral antigen and a high biosafety can be achieved by the treatment of the biological samples with a surfactant.

Method for quantitatively determining an antibody having the ability to inhibit the activity of a reverse transcriptase


A line of sight detection apparatus includes: a line of sight detection device which detects the line of sight of an occupant; an operation detection device which detects the operation of on-board equipment by the occupant; and a calibration device which calibrates a detection value of the line of sight detection device based on the operation of the on-board equipment by the occupant which is detected by the operation detection device and position data of the on-board equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a line of sight detection apparatus.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-085905, filed Mar. 27, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, an apparatus which detects the line of sight of a vehicle driver based on, for example, a retinal reflection image, a corneal reaction image, and a pictorial image of the face of the vehicle driver is known (e.g., refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H08-297019).
In the abovementioned apparatus according to one example of the prior art, some calibration methods to calibrate the detected line of sight are known. For example, the calibration is operated by detecting the line of sight in a state of a driver gazes at a predetermined designated position, or by using calibration value which is statistically calculated beforehand from a plurality of physiques.
However, particular input operations or movements of the line of sight only for calibration are necessary for each new driver in order to calibrate a line of sight detection apparatus by the driver's gazing at the designated position. Therefore, when a plurality of drivers alternate, complicated procedures would be required since the calibration operation is needed for each alternation.
Furthermore, errors which occur in every driver cannot be reduced when calibrating by the calibration value which is statistically calculated.


A deep-lip wheel cover apparatus that attaches with a steel wheel includes a wheel cover, a center cap, and a hub ring. The hub ring is centrally connected with the steel wheel so that the wheel cover and the center cap can be attached to the hub ring. The wheel cover also attaches with the steel wheel through a plurality of fastening systems, where the plurality of fastening system provide additional connection points in between the wheel cover and the steel wheel. When the wheel cover and the center cap are installed within the steel wheel, the wheel cover and the center cap completely cover the steel wheel creating a deep-lip appearance within the steel wheel.

Efforts have been made in the past to improve the appearance of original equipment automotive steel or aluminum wheels. Such attempts have included colorizing or coating the wheel, physically augmenting the wheel, affixing a hub cap or wheel cover on the wheel, adding trim to the wheel, and replacing the wheel itself. Conventional OEM wheels or aluminum wheels can be painted or plated to enhance their appearance. These methods require considerable effort and have a limited result in enhancing the overall appearance of such wheels. Other efforts to improve the appearance of a conventional wheel have led to the attachment of an exterior plate or a series of plates by mounting them with the lugs; however, such plates are intended to increase the width of the wheel making it appear more massive and bulky. Further efforts to camouflage the appearance of a rudimentary automobile wheel have leg to the incorporation of the caps or covers, where the caps or covers can be plastic, metal, or wire spokes. The plastic caps are typically formed by injection molding, and the metal caps are formed by casting or blanking and drawing operation. Such caps or covers often suffer the shortcoming that they present little more than surface decoration providing little in the way of optical illusion persuasive of a faithful reproduction of a cast wheel. With reference to the adding trim to the wheel, the wheel trim is often employed in an effort to make the hub cap or the wheel appear wider and can be configured to obscure from view the junction between the tire and the wheel. Often times, consumers are driven to replace the entire wheel in a quest for stylish transport. Previous solutions in the nature of augmenting the wheel sometimes presented a flimsy and visually unappealing wheel design. Thus, various forms of decorative automobile wheels themselves have been proposed. Aftermarket automobile wheels are typically cast aluminum or stamped and rolled wheels. For the cast aluminum wheel, the surface to be exposed to the view is chrome plated or machined with a lathe cutting tool to remove rough edges and provide a smooth texture and luster. The lathing process leaves spiral marking indicative of the process. A machined cast wheel has a unique appearance that is valued by consumers, but the decorative chrome plated or machine wheels are expensive to manufacture and finish. The cast of making even the least expensive decorative machined cast wheel can be four times that for steel wheel augmented by other methods of appearance augmentation, such as wheel covers or wheel caps. Decorative automobile wheels are also bulky, heavy, and cumbersome to package and transport to retail outlets, thus, consumers are faced with the choice of an expensive machined cast wheels or inexpensive and less attractive devices. These inexpensive and less attractive devices do not have the improved appearance of the machined cast wheels. They also lack the high quality appearance that normally associates with a high-end machined cast wheels. Ordinary wheel covers have not achieved a resemblance to quality chrome plated or machined wheels that would give a consumer an inexpensive alternative to the expensive chrome plated or machined cast wheels. Such wheel covers lack the depth and features required to satisfactorily replicate the visual, dimensional appeal of an expensive alloy wheel.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an interchangeable and decorative wheel cover that creates the illusion of a deep lip within the conventional wheel. The present invention also provides multiple attachment methods so that the interchangeable and decorative wheel cover can be efficiently and firmly secured with the conventional wheel. The present invention completely covers the conventional wheel while creating expensive machined cast wheel appearance within the conventional wheel.


A compound of formula CF2═CFCF2OSF5 and polymers comprising recurring units deriving from CF2═CFCF2OSF5 are disclosed as well as processes for their preparation.

The use of fluorinated unsaturated compounds comprising side groups, e.g. fluorinated vinyl ethers, as monomers in the preparation of fluorinated polymers has been extensively described; see for instance CARLSON, Peter, et al. Organic Fluoropolymers; Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2005.
So far the use of fluorinated unsaturated compounds comprising the —OSF5 moiety has not been described. It has now been found that pentafluorosulfanyl fluoroallylether, CF2═CFCF2OSF5, can be prepared from readily available starting materials and that it can polymerize providing polymers comprising —OSF5 groups.

Fluorinated unsaturated compound and polymers obtainable therefrom


A document reading apparatus reduces processing time and affords excellent ease of use when reading a slip document to acquire both magnetically read data and image data. Transportation unit 19, 20 convey slips through a transportation path. Magnetic reading unit 21, 22 output magnetically read data acquired by reading the printed magnetic ink characters from the slip as the slip passes through the transportation path, and optical reading unit 23, 24 output image data captured by optically imaging the same slip during the same pass through the transportation path. A control unit 11 interprets control commands and controls slip transportation, the magnetic reading process, and the optical reading process accordingly. A single-pass multiple-reading command controls executing a single-pass multiple-reading process for applying both the magnetic reading and optical reading of specified slip during a single pass through the transportation path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document reading apparatus, hybrid processing apparatus, document reading processing system, and document reading processing method for reading small pieces of paper (i.e. slips) on which magnetic ink characters and image data are printed. "Image data" as referred to herein generally unit text, graphics and images that are printed on paper by laser, ink-jet, dot-matrix, etc. printing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Slips such as checks have conventionally had essential information such as the bank, account number, and even check amount information printed on the front of the check in magnetic ink. Whether or not a check is valid and can be used is typically determined by reading the magnetic ink information with a document reader that can read the magnetic ink characters while conveying the check or other slip through a document transportation path. In addition to reading magnetic ink characters, demand has also grown for document readers that can optically scan the surface of the entire check and store the scanned check image as image data. This demand has led to the development of document reading apparatuses (hybrid processing apparatuses) that execute both magnetic reading and optical reading processes. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. 2003-6713.
In general, a slip reading apparatus such as described above is connected to and communicates with a host device over a network, a serial communication bus, or USB communication channel, for example, to form a document reading processing system for processing checks and other slips. The operation of the document reading apparatus is controlled by specific control commands received from the host device. When a desired slip is read with this document reading apparatus, the host device controls operation by, for example, first sending a control command to read the magnetic ink characters and receive the resulting magnetic ink character data, and then sending a control command to optically read the image on the slip and receive the resulting image data.
To control document reading apparatus operation from the host device as described above, however, the slip must first be loaded and transported in order to read the magnetic ink characters, and then must be loaded again and transported a second time for optical reading. The host device must therefore wait to sequentially acquire the necessary magnetic ink character data and image data. This operation is complicated and inefficient and ease of use is thus poor. The host device also cannot determine the operating condition of the document reading apparatus, and unnecessary reading operations may therefore also be run.
The present invention is therefore directed to solving the foregoing problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a document reading apparatus, method, and document reading processing system whereby both magnetic ink character data and image data can be read and captured from a slip document during a single pass through the transportation path, thus making complicated operation unnecessary, shortening the time required for document reading, and thereby providing excellent convenience and ease of use.

Single-pass magnetic reading and optical reading apparatus and method


A system including a bill or note validator of a gaming machine, a host computer, and a game credit meter. The bill or note validator is adapted to receive and recognize at least a first currency and a second currency, each issued by a different jurisdiction, and is further adapted to encode a monetary denomination of the second currency. The host computer is adapted to receive the encoded monetary denomination of the secondary currency, to decode the encoded monetary denomination and to determine an amount of game credit to be credited to the player. The game credit meter is adapted to store a total amount of game credit purchased by the player of the gaming machine including game credit purchased by the player in response to the player inserting one or more bills or notes of either or both currencies into the gaming machine.

Example embodiments pertain to gaming machine systems and processes, and, more particularly, to gaming machine systems and methods for enabling players to deposit one or more types of paper currency to wager and for monitoring associated gaming machine activity and for providing related gaming machine accounting data.
Traditionally, slot machines and other types of conventional gambling machines accepted and dispensed only coins. For these machines, the game monitoring and accounting are straightforward. Coin input by a player always becomes part of game activity, i.e., the player risks all of the coins he or she inserts into the machine. Therefore, game activity is monitored simply by tracking coin inflows and outflows for the machine. In addition, the change in the level of coins in a coin payout hopper, which is impractical to measure directly, can be inferred quite easily by subtracting the sum of the total game outflow and the total number of coins diverted to the game's drop bucket from the total number of coins inserted into the machine. Similarly, the calculation of game win percentage is given by the ratio of coin outflow to coin inflow.
Today, the increased sophistication of gaming machine technology has greatly increased player options. For example, gaming machines have been devised which can accept wagers in forms other than coins. For example, a gaming machine that is equipped with a bill acceptor or "validator" for accepting paper currency is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,990. Additionally, gaming machine technology has advanced to such a stage that it is now possible for gaming machines to accept items of monetary value in forms other than cash. As examples, cashless gaming machines available today include machines that accept bar coded coupons and video lottery machines that offer many games, often of various types, within a single cabinet and which pay winnings in the form of printed vouchers issued by the machine.
Most gambling casinos and other gaming locations contain a large number of gaming machines which typically accept as wagers one or more denominations of a paper currency issued by a given jurisdiction, such as U.S. dollars, and dispense winnings in the form of a printed voucher or, alternatively, from a coin payout hopper. Because there is an inflow of paper currency into such machines, it is important to check the authenticity of the currency and keep careful and accurate records of the value of any currency used to purchase credits for wagering, the wagers placed at the machine based on those credits, and game activity such as the total payout. Moreover, gambling regulatory commissions in many jurisdictions require casino operators to maintain very specific accounting data with regard to their gaming machines.
The new forms of wagering and payout instruments have complicated the machine accounting problem. For example, it is now possible for a player to insert U.S. dollar bills, for example, into a gaming machine and cash out immediately without placing any wager. In this case, the game credit purchased and cashed in by the player never becomes part of game activity. Consequently, because not all credits dispensed by the gaming machine are the result of game winnings, monitoring game activity is no longer a simple matter of tracing coin outflows and coin inflows which applied to coin slot machines in the past. Accordingly, the calculation of game win percentage must take into account "vended credits," i.e., credits purchased but not risked.
The failure to account for vended credits means that game-win percentage calculations can be compromised when, for example, a bill acceptor is added to a coin gaming machine. In many such retrofit installations, when the gaming machine accepts paper currency in addition to coins from a player, a meter which counts coin inflows is incremented. Similarly, when the player cashes out, a meter which counts coin outflows is incremented. However, because the player can now collect the credits purchased without risking any of the credits in a wager, the coin outflow meter does not reflect actual game activity. Therefore, the traditional calculation of game win percentage based on the ratio of coin outflow to coin inflow is improperly inflated.
To further complicate the accounting problem, rules established by many gaming regulatory commissions require that all casinos and gaming locations account separately for all of the different forms of monetary value that can be accepted by modern gaming machines. Specifically, most regulatory commissions require a complete audit of all wagers found in the coin and paper currency cash boxes. In machines equipped with coupon readers, the paper currency box may contain bar coded coupons of varying amounts in addition to cash. Yet the gaming establishment's accounting system must provide an audit trail for each of these wagering instruments. In addition, the rules require a separate accounting of the different forms of machine payouts. For example, where machine payouts are in the form of printed vouchers, the vouchers are redeemed and stored at the redemption locations. Because the vouchers are susceptible to being forged or duplicated, the accounting system must also provide a record of these vouchers against which payment may be made. Accounting system methodologies such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,079 provide a relatively convenient and unified mechanism for auditing wagering activity in all of these different forms.
However, the problem is exacerbated by the fact that global tourism has resulted in players from different jurisdictions having different types of paper currency frequenting casinos and gaming locations around the world. It would be convenient to enable such players to wager using the currency which is possessed by them without exchanging that currency for the currency of the jurisdiction in which the casino or gaming location is located and also to permit them to wager the type of currency with which they are familiar and thus make them more comfortable with the amount being wagered.
Therefore, there is a need for a more fully generalized game currency acceptance and monitoring and accounting system that maintains audit trails of gaming activity independent of the type of gaming machine and the forms of monetary value accommodated by the gaming machine and keeps accurate game accounting data. More specifically, there is a need for a game currency acceptance and monitoring and accounting system that can accept paper currencies issued by various jurisdictions and can accurately calculate the payout and game win percentage based on accounting data for all varieties of gaming machines which accept such currencies issued by various jurisdictions.

Gaming machine systems and methods for accepting various currencies


Disclosed is a method for delivering buffer status information to a target base station, to which a mobile station has decided to hand over, by a serving base station in a communication system. The method includes the steps of constructing buffer status information containing a first parameter indicating the number of a smallest packet among packets within a predetermined section stored in a buffer, a second parameter indicating the number of a packet to be transmitted at a next point of time, a third parameter indicating the number of a first packet, the lifetime of which has not yet expired, and a fourth parameter indicating whether or not an instruction to initialize the buffer status information has been transmitted to the mobile station; and transmitting a message containing the constructed buffer status information to the target base station.

Generally, handovers in communication systems are important research topics. When a mobile station decides to conduct a handover, the mobile station transmits a handover request message to the serving base station. In response to the handover request, the base station transmits a handover acknowledgement (ACK) message to the mobile station. After receiving the handover ACK message, the mobile station determines a target base station, to which a handover is to be conducted, and transmits a handover indication message, which contains information regarding the determined target base station, to the serving base station.
A handover procedure in a communication system will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a handover procedure in a communication system according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile station (MS) 100 receives a MOB_NBR-ADV (mobile neighbor advertisement) message from the serving base station 120, from which the MS 100 is currently receiving a service. After receiving the MOB_NBR-ADV message, the MS 100 conducts a scanning operation for measuring the signal intensity with regard to the serving base station 120 and target base stations 140 and 160 (step 103). After completing the scanning operation, the MS 100 transmits a MOB_MSHO-REQ (mobile mobile station handover request) message to the serving base station 120 (step 105).
The serving base station 120 transmits HO_notification (handover notification) messages to the first and second target base stations 140 and 160 to inform that the MS 100 may hand over (steps 107 and 109).
The first and second target base stations 140 and 160 transmit messages containing responses to the HO_notification messages to the serving base station 120 (steps 111 and 113).
The serving base station 120 transmits a MOB_BSHO-RSP (mobile base station handover response) message, which contains information regarding services the target base stations 140 and 160 can provide, to the MS 100 (step 115).
The MS 100 transmits a MOB_HO-IND (mobile handover indication) message to the serving base station 120 to inform that the MS 100 will hand over to the second target base station 160 (step 117).
After receiving the MOB_HO-IND message, the serving base station 120 transmits a HO_confirm (handover confirmation) message to the second target base station 160 to inform that the MS 100 will hand over to the second target base station 160 (step 119).
After receiving the MOB_HO-IND message, the serving base station 120 stops transmitting packets to the MS 100. In addition, the serving base station 120 adds information regarding the session of the MS 100 to the HO_confirm message and transmits it so that the MS 100 is continuously provided with the service from the second target base station 160 after completing the handover.
In some cases in which the MS can not transmit MOB_MSHO-REQ or MOB_HO-IND to the serving base station, the MS may proceed with network reattachment process at the target base station without any pre-notification. In this case, the target base station shall retrieve MS status information from the serving base station via backhaul communication.
Meanwhile, ARQ (Automatic Repeat Request) refers to a scheme for detecting the loss of frames in MAC (Medium Access Control) layers and retransmitting packets accordingly. Lost frames can be detected from polling or acknowledgements received from the retransmission timer or receiving side. The ARQ scheme can quickly restore lost frames and efficiently guarantee the reliability of radio links.
When the communication system adopts the ARQ scheme, the second target base station 160 must retransmit a packet (i.e., ARQ block) if the serving base station 120 fails to receive an acknowledgement in connection with the packet. In this case, the serving base station 120 must transmit ARQ status information regarding the packet transmission status and the ARG block stored in the buffer to the second target base station 160 so that the second target base station 160 can retransmit necessary ARQ blocks.
One of the easy methods for transmitting the ARQ status information is to transmit status information consisting of every detailed transmission status of each packet to the second target base station 160 by the serving base station 120. In this case, the information regarding the status of each packet may be of MAP type, including paired values of packet sequence numbers and transmission status variables. However, this method has a problem in that the size of the status information increases rapidly in proportion to the number of packets in the buffer and the number of flows. In addition, the fact that the second target base station 160 must conduct 1-to-1 remapping between the transmitted status information and each packet requires a long period of time to restore the status information.

Method and system for delivering and constructing status information in communication system


Incapability of printing as a result of prohibition of authentication due to a difference between functions of authentication processing in printing apparatuses is prevented, by acquiring a function of authentication processing of a concerned printing apparatus. It is determined whether or not inputted identification information can be processed by authentication processing of the printing apparatus, based on the acquired function. If the result of the determination is negative, a data format of the inputted identification information is converted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that includes an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer or the like, and an output apparatus, such as a printer or the like, and to a printing management method or an authentication method executed in the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional printing systems utilize a technique called department management in which an ID is provided for each department that uses a printer, a user is authenticated using the ID, and it is allowed, for example, to count the number of obtained printed copies for each department. In a first stage, only numerals have been used for an ID used in the above-described department management, for example, because of limitations in user interfaces. However, this approach is not widely used because its identification capability is inferior and the users cannot easily memorize the numerals. Recently, as a result of technical improvements, it is possible to utilize characters other than numerals, such as alphabet letters, or the like, for an ID by performing a function expansion using a card reader or the like.
Conventionally, if there arises a difference between functions depending on the presence/absence of a function expansion, it is necessary to exactly know whether or not the concerned printer is able to perform a function expansion, and perform a setting corresponding to the current situation before starting printing. If such processing is not performed, expected results cannot be obtained. Particularly, in authentication processing utilizing a department management technique, authentication is prohibited, and printing cannot be performed, thereby causing more problems than in other cases.

Printing management system and method, program product used in printing management, and authentication method


A comb shaped actuator having off centered electrodes to the fixed electrode and the movable electrode comprise a plurality of electrode finger units containing two fixed electrode fingers next to each other and the movable electrode finger interposed between the two fixed electrode fingers, at least two of the electrode finger units comprising off-centered electrode finger units having the movable electrode finger being off-centered with respect to a central position between the two fixed electrode fingers, the off-centered electrode finger units being located on both sides of a central line dividing the fixed electrode and the movable electrode along the opening into two parts, and directions of off-centering of the both sides being inverse to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a comb-shaped actuator used for such as an optical control element.
2. Description of Related Art
A mirror or a filter reflecting or permeating partially a light is used for optical resonators, photo-switches and optical attenuators in the optical fiber communication. Though the diameter of a light beam impinging into or outgoing from an optical fiber is as small as 1 mm or less, a mirror per se or a mechanism attached thereto for turning or shifting the mirror makes a device large compared to the light beam. Therefore, miniaturizing the above components is required.
As a structure for miniaturization, a comb-shaped actuator has been developed. That is, the actuator comprises a movable electrode having comb-shaped electrode fingers movable by an electrostatic attracting force at the periphery of a micro mirror and a fixed electrode having comb-shaped electrode fingers as well, both the electrodes being interdigitated together, and drives the movable electrode with an electrostatic force generated by a voltage applied between both the electrodes.
FIG. 13 explains a comb-shaped actuator in which a rectangular movable electrode 101 having movable electrode fingers 102a, 102b in the shape of teeth of a comb are arranged on two opposite sides thereof and a pair of fixed electrodes 110, 111 are provided facing the movable electrodes. Fixed electrode fingers 113a, 113b in the shape of teeth of a comb are provided on the sides of the fixed electrode facing the movable electrode, and the electrode fingers of both electrodes are combined together in an interdigital arrangement. Fixed portions 121, 122, which are located apart from the movable electrode and to act as connecting terminals of the movable electrode, are placed facing the other opposite sides 104, 105 of the movable electrode 101. Suspensions 106, 107 suspending the movable electrode 101 and connecting it with the fixed portions 121, 122 are provided at each center of the opposite sides 104, 105.
As shown in FIG. 14, the movable electrode fingers 102 of the movable electrode 101 and the fixed electrode fingers 113 of the fixed electrodes 110 (111) are located together in an interdigital arrangement. The movable electrode finger 102 intervening between a pair of neighboring fixed electrode fingers 1131, 1132 is located apart therefrom with gap regions 1311, 1312 of equal distance g0 respectively. When each electrode finger has the length l, the height h (h1, h2), and the width w shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, each electrode finger receives an upward attracting force F generated by an electrostatic force E upon a voltage applied between both the electrodes if the movable electrode finger 102 is located below the upper fixed electrode fingers 1131, 1132 as shown in FIG. 15(A). When both the electrode fingers 102, 1131, 1132 are arranged on the same surface as shown in FIG. 15(B), an attracting force F in the direction of the height is generated subject to each electrode finger having different heights, e.g. the height of the fixed electrode finger being h1, and the height of the movable electrode finger being h2. As shown in FIG. 13, the movable electrode 101 turns around the suspension supporting members 106, 107 as shown by the mark 108.
However, if the electrostatic force generated in the gap region between the fixed electrode fingers 1131, 1132 and the movable electrode finger 102 shown in FIG. 14 does not act equally for the left and the right, a strong attracting force against the movable electrode finger acts on one of the fixed electrode fingers e.g. the electrode finger 1131. Even if manufacturing error of the electrode is minute, the electrostatic force is prone to be uneven. An uneven electrostatic force thus generated causes a rotating electrostatic force or an uneven electrostatic force toward one side in the movable electrode surface such as the mark 109a or 109b of FIG. 13 over whole electrode finger group. As a result, the fixed electrode and the movable electrode come into contact with each other and never separate from each other, thereby preventing predetermined turning control.

Comb-shaped actuator with off centered electrodes


A sheet handling system comprising a sheet registration system having sheet registration nips and a receiving system for a sheet including a capturing point for engaging said sheet. Auxiliary nips are positioned between the sheet registration nips and the receiving station. The auxiliary nips are moveable between an open and closed position. A controller receives a signal indicative of the length of the sheet and sends a signal to the auxiliary nips to be in a sheet engaging position when the length of the sheet is less than the distance between the sheet feeding nips and the capturing point of the receiving station and be in an open position if the length of the sheet is greater than the distance between the sheet registration nips and the capturing point of the receiving station. In another embodiment, the auxiliary nips are maintained in their open position until the trailing edge of a sheet is about to leave the sheet registration nips, at which point the auxiliary nips are closed.

Office equipment such as printers and copiers, which place images based on digital data onto sheets, such as sheets of paper are well known. In such equipment it is important that the sheet that is to receive the image is properly aligned with the edge of the feed path as well as not skewed so that the image is properly positioned on the sheet. Various types of registration systems to correct for skew and provide for positioning of the side edge of the sheet are know in the art.
One type of lateral registration system involves the use of a two nip differentially driven deskewing system. Such a system can provide lateral registration of the sheet by deskewing (differentially driving the two nips to remove any sensed initial sheet skew) and then deliberately inducing a fixed amount of sheet skew (rotation) with further differential driving, and driving the sheet forward while so skewed, thereby feeding the sheet sideways as well as forwardly, and then removing that induced skew after providing the desired amount of sheet side-shift providing the desired lateral registration position of the sheet edge.
One such system involving lateral registration using two nips includes a single motor driving spaced apart nips. A differential drive system is used for inducing the skew rotation of the sheet. The single motor is operatively connected to at least one of the nips through the differential drive system. The differential drive system provides relative differential angular movement to the spaced apart nips to achieve the desired amount of sheet deskewing movement.
Another type of system is a translating electronic registration (TELER) system. Such a system generally includes three optical sensors, a pair of coaxial independently driven drive rolls, a carriage with a linear drive on which paper drive rolls are mounted, and a microprocessor controller. A blank copy sheet is driven into the nip rolls and moved through the paper path for placement and fusing of an image thereon. The speed of both nip rolls can be controlled to effect skew alignment and longitudinal registration. The nip rollers are mounted on a carriage movable transversely with respect to the feed path. A sensor system controls positioning of the carriage to achieve the desired top edge or a lateral positioning of the sheet. Independent control of nip roll drive and carriage translation provides simultaneous alignment in lateral and longitudinal directions.
Examples of these systems may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,304 to Lofthus; U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,150 to Wenthe, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,159 to Malahowski et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,624 to Kamprath et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,176 to Milillo; U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,989 to Quesnel; U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,153 to Richards et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,268 to Williams et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,260 to Lloyd et al. The disclosure of each of these patents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,168,153 to Richards et al, 6,173,952 to Richards et al and 6,817,609 to Halvonik et al, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, there is disclosed a sheet registration system in which the sheet is fed into the nips of a pre-transfer nip assembly unit. That unit feeds the sheet into the downstream receiving device (an image transfer station). Once the sheet has been fed far enough into the image transfer station to the position of the maximum tack point of electrostatic adhesion to the photoreceptor within the image transfer station, the nips of the pre-transfer nip assembly are automatically opened so the photoreceptor will control the sheet at that point. However, there is no relationship shown between the pre-transfer nip assembly unit and the sheet registration system.
The lateral registration systems shown in the above mentioned patents receive a sheet at its input or upstream end which may be misregistered and deliver it registered to a downstream receiving device for further processing. In moving through the registration system from input to output, the registration system typically moves the sheet in 2 or 3 degrees of freedom, (x, y, and theta, also known as process, lateral and skew) to achieve registration before the sheet lead edge is captured by the downstream receiving device.
A typical registration system must be capable of handling sheets of various lengths. An obvious constraint is that the distance between the output or hand-off location of the registration system and the point of capture of the sheet in the receiving device must be less than the length of the shortest sheet that is to be accommodated by the system. This unnecessarily constrains the length of the registration movement for long heavy-weight sheets that require the largest nip forces and tail wag (lateral swing of the tail edge of the sheet) to correct a given amount of input error as the sheet may become engaged by the receiving device before the registration is complete. This may place some limitations on the range of sheet sizes with which the system may be used.

Sheet registration system with auxiliary nips


An improved lip extension and control assembly is provided for use in a dock leveler. The dock leveler has a ramp pivotally connected to a stationary frame in a conventional manner for pivoting between a pendant, stored position and an extended preparatory position. The lip is pivotally connected to the front edge of the ramp. The assembly has an extension assembly operatively connected to the lip for extending the lip in response to the rotation of the ramp to the extended position. A pivot controlling assembly operatively connected to the lip controls the rotation of the lip in a programmed manner such that upon walking the deck down, the descent of the lip progressively increases from the extended position to the pendant position.

Dock levelers are utilized to compensate for height differences between the dock platform and the bed of a parked vehicle to permit forklift trucks and personnel to readily move on and off the vehicle during loading and unloading operations. A typical dock leveler has a dockboard or deck pivotally hinged at its back edge for varying the height of the dock leveler in order to compensate for the height differences. An extension plate or lip is typically hinged to the front edge of the deck for spanning the distance between the rear end of the vehicle bed and the outer front edge of the deck. The lip is adapted to move relative to the deck front edge between a pendant stored position, an extended preparatory position, and a lowered operative position. In its operative position, the lip extends from the deck front edge and may be substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the deck. The lip rests upon and is supported by the upper surface of the bed of the parked vehicle. Thus the extended lip spans the gap which is formed between the rear edge of the vehicle bed and the front edge of the deck.
To move the lip from the pendant stored position to an extended operative position, the deck is normally pivoted upwardly a sufficient amount whereby the lip can swing outwardly to the extended preparatory position without obstruction from the parked vehicle. Once the lip has cleared the parked vehicle, the deck and extended lip are pivoted downwardly as a unit until the extended lip rests upon the vehicle bed in the operative position. After loading or unloading of the parked vehicle has been completed, the vehicle is moved away from the dock permitting the lip to be cycled to assume its pendant stored position.
In some conventional dock leveler assemblies, heretofore, a safety hazard may be created when the dock leveler was activated without a vehicle in position or when the vehicle moved away from the dock after completion of the loading or unloading operation because the lip of the assembly remained in an extended outwardly projecting position with respect to the dock platform. In such a situation, if the operator failed to take the necessary steps to return the dock leveler and lip to their stored position, the extended outwardly projecting lip was very susceptible to being struck or damaged by the next vehicle backing towards the dock for loading or unloading. Thus, to avoid such a situation, it required a conscious action on the part of the dock personnel as well as alertness on the part of the vehicle driver.
Attempts to provide a lip which would automatically assume the pendant stored position without conscious action by the dock personnel have not been fully satisfactory. Many conventional dock levelers have required a relatively large deck lift spring biasing force to extend the lip thus requiring a large force to walk down the ramp to the truck bed. Some of the typical dock leveler assemblies which have utilized gravity to move the lip from the extended position to the fully pendant position have been unable to move the lip the necessary amount after the lip has pivoted through the first portion of its downward travel due to insufficient gravitational force. Other difficulties have resulted from the premature pivotal movement of the lip from its extended position before it is brought into supporting engagement with the bed of the parked vehicle. Other devices have been highly susceptible to malfunction or are difficult and awkward to install and maintain in proper working order.

Lip extension and control device for dock levelers


A hydraulic-pressure control system for a four-wheel drive vehicle with a hydraulic-pressure operated transfer clutch, which is responsive to a controlled clutch pressure applied thereto to distribute a driving torque passing from a transmission between main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels, comprises a pilot-operated directional control valve connected to the transfer clutch for cutting off a supply of hydraulic fluid of the controlled clutch pressure to the transfer clutch and for directing hydraulic fluid of the controlled clutch pressure to the transfer clutch. The system includes a clutch pressure control valve provided upstream of the directional control valve, which pressure control valve is responsive to an external pilot pressure for producing the controlled clutch pressure, and a duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve for decreasingly adjusting the external pilot pressure to be output to the pressure-reduction valve in accordance with an increase in a duty ratio. A controller is provided for forcibly outputting a duty-cycle controlled exciting current of a predetermined high duty ratio such as 100% to the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve to reduce the controlled clutch pressure to a low pressure level (preferably a minimum clutch pressure) when the directional control valve is maintained at the cut-off position in case of 4L range wherein the transmission is loaded heavier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic-pressure control system for a four-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a hydraulic-pressure operated transfer clutch, and specifically to techniques for controlling a hydraulic pressure supplied to a transfer clutch for the purpose of optimally adjusting a driving-torque distribution between front and rear drive wheels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, there have been proposed and developed various driving-torque distribution control system for four-wheel drive vehicles in which a part of driving torque can be delivered from primary or main drive wheels, such as rear drive wheels to secondary or auxiliary drive wheels, such as front drive wheels by means of a transfer, depending on the difference of revolution speeds between front and rear drive wheels. One such driving-torque distribution control system has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication (Tokkai Heisei) No. 2-270641. In the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2-270641, the driving-torque control system is exemplified in case of a four-wheel drive vehicle in which rear drive wheels serve as primary drive wheels whereas front drive wheels serve as secondary drive wheels. In the above-noted prior art system, the greater the difference of revolution speeds between rear and front drive wheels, (i.e., the greater the slip ratio of the rear drive wheels), the greater the engaging force of the transfer clutch, so as to increase the driving-torque distribution ratio of the front drive wheels to the rear drive wheels, thus effectively and rapidly suppressing wheel slip (often called acceleration slip) at the rear drive wheels (the primary drive wheels). The prior art driving-torque control system utilizes a hydraulic circuit as shown in FIG. 11, for controlling the engaging force of the transfer clutch.
Referring now to FIG. 11, working fluid (hydraulic oil) in an oil reservoir 1 is pressurized by way of a hydraulic pump 2. The pressurized working fluid is supplied a supply line of the hydraulic circuit as a line pressure PL. The line pressure PL is decreasingly regulated at a predetermined pressure level by means of a line-pressure regulation valve 3, and fed to a clutch-pressure control valve 4. The clutch-pressure control valve 4 is hydraulically connected to a duty-ratio controlled electromagnetic solenoid valve 5, for decreasingly adjusting the incoming line pressure PL in response to a controlled pressure output from the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 and based on a duty ratio imparted to the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5, and for outputting a controlled clutch pressure PC. The controlled clutch pressure PC is supplied via a pilot-operated directional control valve 6 to the transfer clutch 7. The pilot-operated directional control valve 6 is hydraulically connected to an electromagnetic directional control valve 8, such that the valve position of the valve 6 is selectively switched between two positions depending on the presence or absence of the external pilot pressure from the electromagnetic directional control valve 8, so as to enable or disable the supply of the clutch-pressure to the transfer clutch 7. If the valve 8 is de-energized, in the absence of the external pilot pressure from the valve 8, the fluid communication between the inlet port of the valve 6 and the inlet port of the transfer clutch 7 is blocked and also the inlet port of the valve 6 is communicated with a drain port connected to the reservoir, and as a result the transfer clutch 7 is released and thus the vehicle is operated at the two-wheel drive mode (the rear-wheel drive mode). If the electromagnetic directional control valve 8 is energized, and thus the external pilot pressure is output from the valve 8 to the valve 6, a full fluid communication between the inlet port of the valve 6 and the inlet port of the transfer clutch 7 is established. In this case, the higher the clutch pressure PC, the greater the engaging force of the transfer clutch 7, and thereby increase the driving-torque distribution ratio of the secondary drive wheels (the front drive wheels) with respect to the primary drive wheels (the rear drive wheels). On the other hand, the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 is associated with the clutch-pressure control valve 4, so that the clutch pressure PC is decreasingly adjusted in accordance with the increase in the duty ratio applied to the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5. For instance, with the duty ratio held at 0%, the clutch-pressure control valve 4 is maintained at its full-open position, thus permitting the incoming line pressure PL to be output from the clutch-pressure control valve 4 as a maximum secondary pressure (the maximum clutch pressure). In case of selection of a two-wheel drive range or mode, the electromagnetic directional control valve 8 and the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 are maintained at their de-energized positions, thus shutting off the flow of working fluid of the maximum clutch pressure from the clutch-pressure control valve 4 to the transfer clutch 7 by means of the pilot-operated directional control valve 6. In the prior art system as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2-270641, the clutch pressure PC in the outlet port of the clutch pressure control valve 4 can be maintained at a high pressure level in the case of the two-wheel drive mode, and thus the prior art system can quickly switch from the two-wheel drive mode to the four-wheel drive mode with a high response. Also, the conventional system can provide such a fail-safe function that the clutch pressure PC can be reliably fed from the clutch pressure control valve 4 to the pilot-operated directional control valve 6, even in case of breaking of a signal line through which a duty-cycle controlled exciting current is supplied to the solenoid of the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5. Also in case of a four-wheel drive vehicle which can operate at a selected one of three modes, namely a four-wheel-drive low-speed range (4L) in which the vehicle is held forcibly at a four-wheel drive state by way of a mechanical locking means, a four-wheel-drive high-speed range (4H) in which engine power is properly distributed between front and rear drive wheels via a transfer clutch, and a two-wheel-drive high-speed range (2H) as previously explained, when the four-wheel-drive low-speed range is selected, the electromagnetic directional control valve 8 and the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 are both de-energized, and thus the supply of the clutch pressure PC is stopped in the same manner as the two-wheel-drive range. In this case, the switching operation from the two-wheel-drive range 2H or the four-wheel-drive low-speed range 4L to the four-wheel-drive high-speed range 4H can be quickly achieved.
Each of the above-noted pilot-operated directional control valve 6 and the clutch-pressure control valve 4 traditionally comprises a spool valve that slidably accommodates a spool in a cylindrical valve housing. The spool is biased in a normal position by way of a return spring. The position of the spool is controlled by a controlled pressure acting on a pressure receiving surface of the spool in the opposite direction to the direction of action of the spring bias, so as to produce a properly regulated secondary pressure. The prior art system suffers from the drawback, undesirable oil leakage via an annular aperture defined between the cylindrical sliding surface of a land of the spool and the inner wall surface of the valve housing, in presence of a great pressure difference between oil passages upstream of and downstream of the annular aperture. For example, in case of the pilot-pressure operated directional control valve 6, in the event that the electromagnetic directional control valve 8 is de-activated, the spool of the valve 6 is maintained at the spring-biased position (corresponding to the normal position) as seen in FIG. 12. In FIGS. 12 and 13, the broken lines indicate a return spring. In FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, X denotes a drain port. Under this condition, even though the inlet port of the valve 6 is shut off by way of the right-hand side land (viewing FIG. 12), a part of working fluid of a high clutch pressure PC may be leaked via a slight annular aperture defined between the outer peripheral surface of the right-hand side land and the inner wall surface of the valve housing. As can be appreciated, the higher clutch pressure PC supplied into the inlet port of the valve 6, the greater the oil leakage to the drain port. In case of the clutch pressure control valve 4, when the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 is de-energized, the maximum increased external pilot pressure is supplied from the valve 5 to the pilot port of the clutch-pressure control valve 4. As appreciated from FIGS. 11 and 13, the external pilot pressure acts on the right-hand side land (viewing FIG. 13) in the same direction as the direction of spring bias and thus the spool of the valve 4 is maintained at its leftmost position, thereby reducing a throttling rate of the line-pressure inlet port of the valve 4 at the minimum by means of the left-hand side land. Therefore, with the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5 de-activated, the working fluid of a pressure level essentially equal to the incoming line pressure is output from the outlet port of the valve 4 as a clutch pressure PC. As appreciated, when the clutch pressure PC is adjusted toward the maximum clutch pressure in accordance with the increase in the external pilot pressure produced by the duty-ratio controlled solenoid valve 5, a greatly increased pressure difference takes place between oil passages upstream of and downstream of the annular aperture defined between the outer peripheral surface of the right-hand side land (shutting off the drain port) and the inner wall surface of the valve housing. Undesired oil leakage via the annular aperture to the drain port may result from the above-noted great pressure difference. As is generally known, in modern four-wheel drive automobiles with a driving-torque control system as discussed previously, a hydraulic circuit for a transfer clutch is often communicated with a hydraulic circuit used for lubricating an automatic transmission, so as to effectively deliver a portion of superfluous working fluid to the lubricating system of the transmission. For example, as a result of regulation of the line pressure, superfluous working fluid is traditionally delivered to the lubricating system for use in the transmission. The previously-noted increase in oil leakage in the hydraulic circuit for the transfer clutch may result in a short supply of lubricating oil to be supplied to the lubricating system. Particularly in case of the four-wheel-drive low-speed range 4L, there is a tendency for the transmission to be loaded heavier in comparison with the two-wheel-drive high-speed range 2H. Therefore, when the four-wheel-drive low-speed range 4L is selected and thus the supply of the clutch pressure PC is stopped, the problem lacking lubricating oil is not negligible.

Hydraulic-pressure control system for four-wheel drive vehicle with hydraulic-pressure operated transfer clutch


A side window roller blind is provided. The roller blind includes a support rod having a free end connected to a tension bar. In order to prevent rattling noises, the ends of the tension bar are provided with rollers that contact the window pane such that the support rod is elastically bent during extension of the blind. In addition, the window blind is provided with aligning aids that prevent the tension bar from hitting on the slot edges during retraction of the blind, and from blocking additional retraction, due to vibrations about the longitudinal axis of the tension bar.

Modern side window roller blinds for motor vehicles attempt to conceal the guide elements for guiding the blind whenever possible. This means that conventional guide rails that extend beside the rectangular part of the window need to be replaced with guide or support rods. As their name implies, the support rods support the tension bar arranged on the free edge of the blind when the blind is extended. This means that the support rods have two functions, namely guiding the tension bar such that it remains on the window and generating the required thrust for unwinding the blind from the winding shaft and maintaining the blind in the stretched state.
In this respect, the tension bar fixed to the free upper end of the support rod(s) should uniformly distribute the force exerted by the support rods over the blind such that it is held taut, without creases, in all areas. Any diagonal creases in the blind are perceived to be particularly unattractive. These creases can occur if the angle of the connection between the support rod and the tension bar is offset relative to the angle that the blind assumes due to its shape when it is unwound from the winding shaft.
A conical winding shaft can also raise problems with known arrangements. Until now, these winding shafts were only used in connection with manually actuated roller blinds. Other problems with side window roller blinds having support rods involve eliminating rattling noises and getting the tension bar to run properly into the extraction slot at the lower edge of the window.

Side window roller blind with insertion aid


A planer board includes a generally flat rectangular body member having front and rear faces, leading and trailing ends and top and bottom edges and having a structure for keeping the member afloat in water, and wherein the leading end is tapered from the front face to the rear face to define at least one ramp to bias the body member to one side as the body member is pulled through the water; a weight connected to the bottom edge of the plate; a line-gripping assembly rigidly extending from the front face of the body member for releasably gripping a fishing line; and, a line guidance assembly at the trailing end of the body member for encircling the fishing line and allowing for manual transverse release of the line when desired.

In the art of fishing, it is common to troll from a boat or fish from the shore of a stream. To avoid fishing in the roiled water in the wake of the boat from which fish are generally driven, and to avoid the dragging of a fishing line toward a stream bank by the stream current, devices known as planer boards have been developed which act to pull the fishing line to one side of the boat wake or out toward the middle of the stream. Generally, such devices consist of a block having a wedge-like leading end with the devices being connected in various ways to the fishing line. U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,068 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,840 are representative of such devices. The block acts as a type of rudder: as the fishing line pulls the block forward, the water acts against the wedge-like leading end to force the block and fishing line away from the line of travel of the boat or the stream bank. In some devices, the fishing line is connected to the block at one or more places. In other devices, two separate lines are used, one running between the boat or fishing pole and the block and one running between the block and the bait and hook.
Several methods of connecting the fishing line to the block have been used in such devices. U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,068 depicts the line tied through a hole in an arm affixed to the block. U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,689 discloses a retaining member which pinches the line to hold it. U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,538 shows a block with an eccentric rotatable member with a vertical tab that pinches the line between the vertical tab and a vertical post mounted to the block.
Numerous disadvantages in these types of devices have been recognized. In those devices which use spring-biased clamps to pinch the line, the available pinching force of the clamp, and therefore the force required to operative the clamp varies greatly with factors such as whether the clamp or fishing line are wet, the strength and size of the type of fish being sought and the line weight. Some devices are therefore provided with a tightening screw to vary the spring-clamping force. The resulting pinching or crushing action, as well as the frictional effect acting on the fishing line positioned in the clamp and rubbing against the clamp's set screw weakens or damages the line, frequently causing breaks. Particularly vulnerable are the smaller and slipperier types of fishing line.
Another disadvantage found in prior art devices is the difficulty in attaching the device to the fishing line and then detaching it from the line after a strike by a fish. Both the device and line must be held while the line is properly configured and tied or attached to the holding elements of the device. Some devices use a clamp of such force that two hands are required to operate it. Such manipulation is made even more challenging by wet or cold equipment and hands as well as the rocking motion of a boat.
Correspondingly, when a strike has occurred, the fisherman must reel in and fight the fish while at the same time attempting to remove the device from the line. Some devices' clamping mechanisms operate to automatically release the fishing line when a strike has occurred, either leaving the device in the water or allowing it to slide down the line toward the fish by means of a clip or eyelet through which the line runs.
Yet another disadvantage is the lack of easy adjustment to allow quick accommodation to changing fishing conditions. For example, large waves, heavier lines or weights, or varying lures may cause some devices to dive or ride too low in the water. Some devices are provided with a fixed weight along their bottom to provide horizontal stability and guidance as the device is pulled through the water. However, larger waves or increasing the weight on the line to cause the bait to run deeper will cause the planer board to ride lower than desired. Rough water also reduces the effectiveness of the device. One solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,028,840 which shows a device with several compartments, each of which can be weighted, preferably with water.
What is needed is a planer board, useful in a variety of fishing conditions for a variety of species, which reduces the stress on attached fishing line, which is easy to attach, release, and adjust and which exhibits improved stability during use.


A vapor recovery nozzle having a turbine located in the nozzle portion which is driven by the flow of fuel. The turbine rotates an impeller also located in the nozzle which draws in the vapor during pump. The nozzle also has a hydraulic system which automatically shuts off the nozzle when fluid is displaced in an accumulator cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved means and method of recovering fuel vapor in a fuel dispensing nozzle.
2. Background Art
Ever since the harmful environmental effects of gasoline vapor have been known, devices have been developed to reduce fuel vapors escaping into the atmosphere. A great amount of fuel vapors are released into the atmosphere when gasoline is pumped into an automobile from an underground storage tank at a service station. Such vapors escape into the atmosphere as gasoline is discharged from the spout of the nozzle. On a world wide scale, millions of pounds of hazardous fuel vapors escape into the atmosphere each year from this single source. The danger of these pollutants is considered serious. Environmental Protection Agency inspectors levy large fines to service station owners who do not have or do not properly maintain vapor recovery systems.
Vapor recovery systems were first introduced in 1974. The systems are intended to recover escaping fuel vapors comprising hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds. While improvements over the years has been significant, excessive equipment malfunctions and user dissatisfaction persist. In particular, the present problems associated with vapor recovery systems include difficulty in handling the systems, loss in effectiveness from cuts in the rubber or plastic bellow used to cover the spout of the nozzle and filler neck of the automobile gas tank, and frequent and costly maintenance.
Presently, the two major vapor recovery systems in use are the balanced system and the vacuum assist system. The balanced system is more popular because it is less expensive and more easily maintained by the automobile service station owner. However, in the balanced system it is more difficult for the average user to handle the nozzle to maintain the proper seal between the nozzle and the filler neck.
The balanced system comprises a bellow having crimped edges which essential extends from a fender guard the length of the nozzle spout. The combination of the pleats of the bellow and a spring contained therein permit it to compress as the spout is inserted into the filler neck of the automobile tank. The substantially cone-shaped bellow engages and encapsulates the automobile tank filler neck forming a seal to prevent vapor from escaping during pumping. The system uses the positive pressure generated in the automobile fuel tank by the incoming fuel to force the vapor back toward the nozzle where the vapor is returned to the service station storage tank.
Besides the cuts and kinks common to systems using bellows, the balanced system is also ineffective. Motorists do not take the necessary time to make certain that the bellow forms a proper seal over the mouth of the filler neck. Some do not understand the purpose of the bellow, while others cannot position the bellow properly. The rubber or hard plastic bellow is highly resilient for durability reasons which resist the motorist's attempts to keep the spout in the filler neck. Motorists also become tired from holding the nozzle tightly against the filler neck. Often, they relax, which results in premature shut-off due to the loss of the proper seal.
The vacuum assist system uses a vacuum generating device located in the dispenser or storage tank which aspirates vapor in the automobile fuel tank. Sometimes a bellow is also secured to the nozzle, but it is not as essential as in the balance system. The vacuum assist system relies primarily on the vacuum to suck the vapor back through the nozzle. One of such arrangements is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,291 which employs a positive displacement vacuum pump, installed in a dispenser area. The pump's initial high cost and the inherent high wear and maintenance cost make it an unattractive choice for service station owners.
If the vacuum assist system is used in conjunction with bellows, the bellows have the same problems mentioned above. In addition, the vacuum assist system has some of its own problems. For example, when the vacuum generating mechanism for several pumps is located in a common storage tank, the number of pumps in use has an impact on the amount of suction generated. If one pump is in use, the vacuum may be too strong which results in the recirculation of fuel or suction of additional air which results in vapor growth. If the fuel is recirculated, the motorist may be charged for gasoline already dispensed and registered on the totalizer.
On the other hand, if all the station pumps are used at the same time, there may be too little suction. This allows too much of the vapor to escape into the atmosphere making the system ineffective. Additionally, suction may be reduced to unacceptable levels if the flexible hose is too long.
Finally, overall maintenance of the vacuum assist system is very expensive. Repairs in a pump or storage tank causes serious delays and substantial financial hardships. The cost of installation is also significant.


The present invention adapts, diagnoses, optimizes, and prescribes a network-based application between a client and a host system. Some or all components of the network-based application, including configuration information may be installed on the client. The components and configuration information may be installed as the network-based application is executed. Alternatively, the components and configuration information may be installed in advance of the network-based application. To launch the network-based application, a user via the client sends an application request to the host system. The host system sends program code to the client. Upon executing the program code, the client attempts to establish a session with the host system and determines configuration information for the network-based application. Upon establishing the session and determining the configuration information, the client then launches the network-based application.

Recently, network-based applications over a network, such as the Internet, to communicate and share data have become popular. Network-based applications allow users to connect to each other over a network, such as the Internet. For example, network-based applications such as online conferencing, and application sharing, have become popular with businesses and organizations.
However, such network-based applications, in general, are not fully installed on a user's computer. The user must often download and configure some or all of the components for a network-based application. Unfortunately, downloading and configuring a network-based application can be a difficult process. For example, the hardware configuration, and operating system of a user's computer can affect the performance of a network-based application. The web browser, its settings, the network path between the client and one or more servers and security devices such as firewalls may also affect the execution of a network-based application. Therefore, due to the numerous factors involved, optimizing a network application can be difficult and complex.
Unfortunately, due to the complexity and difficulty, performance of the network-based application can be degraded, for example, slow response times. In addition, problems in a network-based application can be difficult to diagnose and fix. Therefore, there is a need for methods and systems for adapting, diagnosing, optimizing, and prescribing network-based applications.

Methods and systems for adaptation, diagnosis, optimization, and prescription technology for network-based applications