A technique is specified for configuring an electronic control unit having intercommunicating applications which have been arranged in various partitions and to which differing safety integrity levels have been assigned. According to one method aspect, the communications behavior of the applications assigned to the differing partitions amongst themselves is analyzed, in order to identify data-writing and data-reading applications that are not located in the same partition. Subsequently, a shared memory area for the intercommunicating applications is configured, and a to communications data structure for the applications is generated. The communications data structure is at least partially arranged in the shared memory area.

The term 'embedded system' designates a combination including a processor and software executed thereon which have been integrated within a technical application context. In this connection, the processor undertakes, for example, monitoring functions, open-loop control functions or closed-loop control functions. In many cases the processor is responsible, in addition, for signal conditioning or data preparation. Modern embedded systems may also comprise several processors.
As an example of embedded systems, electronic control units (ECUs) may be mentioned. Electronic control units are electronic modules which are used in the automotive field, but also in machines and installations for control purposes, as well as for further tasks.
In motor vehicles, electronic control units are used, for example, in connection with electronic engine management. Electronic control units also come into operation for purposes such as the evaluation of signals of speed sensors, tank-level sensors or oil-pressure sensors and the corresponding drive of display instruments. In addition, electronic control units are integrated for use in automatic system interventions, for instance for the purpose of steering assistance (electronic power steering, EPS) or in connection with a driving-stability system (electronic stability program, ESP). With a view to reciprocal exchange of information, electronic control units may have been networked to one another via a system bus (e.g. in accordance with the CAN, LIN, MOST or FlexRay standard).
With the advent of electronic components into automotive engineering, the number of electronic control units integrated within a vehicle has increased greatly in recent years. Accordingly, the effort for the networking of the electronic control units has also risen. There have been similar developments also in mechanical engineering and plant engineering. For this reason it has been contemplated to pack various applications within a single electronic control unit. In this way, not only is it possible to reduce the number of built-in electronic control units, but the networking effort and the costs can also be lowered. On the other hand, new safety problems arise.
For instance, it has been recognised that problems may occur when different applications integrated within a single electronic control unit are accessing the same memory area. For example, the access of a tachometer application to a stored wheel-speed value might conflict with the access of an ESP application to this value, and this conflict might then result in a situation that is critical in terms of safety. For this reason, various memory-protection concepts for electronic control units having several applications have been proposed.
One memory-protection concept can be implemented via the software of an operating system of the electronic control unit. For this purpose the electronic control unit frequently includes a separate hardware component in the form of a memory-protection unit (MPU, or memory-management unit (MMU)). The memory-protection unit may, for example, have been integrated within a processor of the electronic control unit, or may alternatively constitute a component that is separate from the processor.
Memory protection ordinarily serves for the realisation of rights of access to memory areas, and thereby enables the distinct separation of application processes from one another and from the operating system (over and above that, a support of virtual addresses is often also possible). In particular, memory protection can selectively block individual memory areas, also called partitions, for a writing operation (inclusive of a consuming readout).
In electronic control units on which several applications are running, the write-protection functionality is employed in targeted manner for the purpose of prohibiting applications of lower priority from manipulating memory areas that are also being accessed by applications of higher priority (and, where appropriate, conversely). For the prioritising of applications, recourse may be had to IEC Standard 61508 and also to ISO Standard 26262, derived therefrom. In IEC Standard 61508, for example, four safety-requirement levels or safety integrity levels (SIL) have been defined, namely SIL1 to SIL4. Each level is a measure of the necessary or attained risk-reducing effectiveness of a (safety-critical) function realised by means of a given application.
In a priority-based memory-protection implementation the physical memory of an electronic control unit may be subdivided into various partitions, with a certain safety integrity level being allocated to each partition. Memory accesses of electronic-control-unit applications can then be controlled in such a manner that in a first step the safety integrity level assigned to the accessing application is determined. The memory access (in any case, as far as write operations are concerned) is then restricted to the partition with the ascertained safety integrity level.
In connection with the implementation of a priority-based memory-protection concept a separate partition for applications to which no safety integrity level has been allocated can generally be provided. Furthermore, a jointly utilised memory (shared memory) can be used for the communication between applications of different safety integrity levels amongst themselves.
In order to facilitate the communication of electronic-control-unit applications amongst themselves and also the exchange of applications on different electronic control units, the AUTOSAR development partnership was brought into being. The AUTOSAR project is a continuation of the work of the OSEK standardisation committee.
A significant aspect of the AUTOSAR specification is the logical splitting of the software into electronic-control-unit-specific system software and electronic-control-unit-independent application software. A virtual function bus (VFB) connects all the intercommunicating software applications (software components, SWC), also beyond various electronic control units. The centrepiece of the AUTOSAR architecture is its run-time environment (RTE). This run-time environment is a communications layer based on the VFB, and uses ports for transmitter/receiver-oriented communicating between various applications and between an application and the operating system (and remaining system software) of the electronic control unit.
FIG. 1 shows schematically the memory partitioning and memory-based communication for an electronic control unit in connection with the implementation of a priority-based memory-protection concept in the AUTOSAR environment. In the exemplary case the memory has been split up into three partitions, namely two 'non-privileged' partitions 10, 20 and one 'privileged' partition 30.
The two partitions 10, 20 each include the software code of an application SWC1 and SWC2, respectively, in which connection differing safety integrity levels have been allocated to the two applications SWC1, SWC2 (or to the two partitions 10, 20). Furthermore, each of the two partitions 10, 20 includes an area of private data 40, 50 assigned to the respective application SWC1, SWC2, and also the software code of a run-time environment 60, 70 assigned to the respective application. Read operations and write operations with respect to the areas of private data 40, 50 are undertaken in a non-privileged mode (also called user mode) of a processor on which the software code of the applications SWC1, SWC2 is running. On the processor, which is not represented in FIG. 1, the software code of the run-time environments 60, 70 and of the operating system is also executed.
The third partition 30 includes a shared memory 80 for communication between the two applications SWC1, SWC2. The shared memory 80 takes the form of a buffer or queue. Read operations and write operations with respect to the shared memory 80 are possible only in a privileged mode of the processor.
For the purpose of communication between the two applications SWC1, SWC2 via the shared memory 80, a system call of the respective run-time environment 60, 70 via a programming interface (application programming interface, API) to the operating system which is not represented in FIG. 1 is required. The operating system is, inter alia, responsible for configuring a memory-protection unit of the processor dynamically in accordance with the system call.
If, as illustrated in FIG. 1, application SWC1, for example, wishes to write data from the area of private data 40 into the shared memory 80, in a first step a write request to the run-time environment 60 is made. The run-time environment 60 thereupon makes a system call to the operating system. The operating system writes, in the privileged mode, the data from the area of private data 40 into the memory 80. From there, the data can then be read out by application SWC2.
If, in a next step, application SWC2 wishes to read the data written by application SWC1, for example into the area of private data 50, once more in a first step a read request from application SWC2 to the assigned run-time environment 70 is required. The run-time environment 70 then makes a system call to the operating system. The operating system thereupon checks whether data are present in the memory 80. It then reads out the data—if present—in the privileged mode and delivers them back, in order that they can be written to the area of private data 50. In case no data were to be present in the memory 80, an error message (as a rule, with an error code) is returned.
The communication, sketched in FIG. 1, taking place within an electronic control unit between the applications SWC1, SWC2 on the basis of the shared memory 80 is unsatisfactory from various viewpoints. On the one hand, system calls to the operating system and the associated copying of data or configuring of the memory-protection unit are computationally intensive from the perspective of the processor. On the other hand, for the run-time environments 60, 70 additional wrapper functions are ordinarily required which increase the flash-memory requirement.
Brief Outline
Accordingly, a technique for configuring an electronic control unit having intercommunicating applications is to be specified that avoids one or more of the disadvantages described above.
According to a first aspect, a method for configuring an electronic control unit for intercommunicating applications is made available, wherein a memory assigned to the electronic control unit has been split up or is split up into partitions, and wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, and at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition. The method comprises the steps of analysing a communications behaviour of the applications assigned to the differing partitions amongst themselves, in order to identify a data-writing application and at least one application reading the written data, said applications not being located in the same partition, and of configuring a shared memory area in the partition of the writing application, and of generating a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing application and the data-reading application, the communications data structure being provided for at least partial arrangement in the shared memory area.
The method according to the first aspect may come into operation, for example, when a writing application is confronted with one or more reading applications. This corresponds generally to a communications ratio of 1:n (n=1, 2, . . . ) between writing and reading applications.
At least the two steps of analysing and of configuring may be carried out offline—that is to say, in the approach to the run-time of the applications. For example, these steps may be undertaken in connection with the creating of a configuration file to be loaded into the electronic control unit. Moreover, a memory-protection unit of the electronic control unit can (e.g. during the run-time) be configured in such a manner that the reading application during its run-time is given only read access, but not write access, to the communications data structure. In this connection, a write access, for example, to the partition of the writing application (in which the shared memory area with the communications data structure is situated) can be prevented.
According to one implementation, the shared memory area has been configured as a buffer memory. Additionally or as an alternative, the communications data structure may have been designed as a queue for communication between the two applications. Generally, a first part of the communications data structure can be configured in the shared memory area in the partition of the writing application, and a second part of the communications data structure can be configured in another memory area outside the partition of the writing application. This other memory area may be formed in the partition of the reading application.
The first part of the communications data structure may be configured for storing at least the written data. The second part of the communications data structure may, on the other hand, have been configured for storing at least one read pointer.
According to one version, two or more of the applications reading the written data have been provided. In this case, for each reading application a separate communications data structure, for example configured as a queue, can be provided. The two or more applications reading the written data may have been assigned to differing partitions (and hence also to differing safety integrity levels).
According to a second aspect, a method for configuring an electronic control unit for intercommunicating applications is specified, wherein a memory assigned to the electronic control unit has been split up or is split up into partitions, and wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition, and at least one application with a third safety integrity level, different from the first and second safety integrity levels, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a third partition. The method comprises the steps of analysing a communications behaviour of the applications assigned to the differing partitions amongst themselves, in order to identify at least two data-writing applications and an application reading the written data, said applications not all being located in the same partition, and of configuring a shared memory area in the memory outside the first, second and third partitions, and also of generating a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing applications and the data-reading application, the communications data structure being provided for at least partial arrangement in the shared memory area.
The method according to the second aspect may come into operation, for example, when several writing applications are confronted with one reading application. This corresponds generally to a communications ratio of n:1 (n=2, 3, . . . ) between writing and reading applications.
As already described above in connection with the first method aspect, at least the analysing and the configuring can be carried out offline. A memory-protection unit of the protection appliance can (e.g. during the run-time) be configured in such a manner that the writing applications during their run-time are given write access, and the reading application during its run-time is given only read access, but not write access, to the communications data structure.
In the case of the second method aspect, the shared memory area can be established in a fourth partition.
The shared memory area may, according to each of the two process aspects, be an area of private data. The communications data structure may, for example, be a buffer memory (e.g. a ring buffer) and/or a queue. In the course of generating the communications data structure, a size and/or an address of the data structure can be defined.
Within the framework of the methods presented here, a run-time environment can be generated (e.g. in the form of source code or object code). The run-time environment may serve to decouple a function call of an application from an access to the communications data structure. In other words, the run-time environment can act as an interface between one of the applications and the communications data structure that has been assigned to the application.
Both method aspects may furthermore include the step of receiving information relating to the assignment between partitions and applications, and also relating to the communications behaviour of the applications. The step of analysing the communication paths may in this case be undertaken on the basis of the received information. The information may, for example, be received in the form of a file or as user input.
The configuring of the shared memory area and the generating of the communications data structure can generally be undertaken in connection with the creating of compilable configuration data (e.g. in the form of source code). The configuration data may have been split up in partition-specific manner (that is to say, for example, they may contain several files or data sets which have each been allocated to a certain partition).
Besides the configuration data, application data can also be compiled that contain the applications (e.g. in the form of source code). The application data may contain calls to the data to be read and written. Like the configuration data, the application data may also have been split up in partition-specific manner.
The compiled configuration data can be linked with the compiled application data (e.g. in the form of object code). The linking may be carried out on the basis of information that specifies which application data are to be mapped onto which partitions.
The configuration data alone or the linked data can be loaded (e.g. as a configuration file) into the electronic control unit. Subsequent to this, the electronic control unit has been configured for the communication of the applications amongst themselves.
The applications can generally communicate with one another in accordance with a predetermined specification. This communication may, for example, be undertaken on the basis of the AUTOSAR specification.
Furthermore, a computer-program product with program-code means is made available for implementing the method aspects presented here when the computer-program product is executed on one or more processors. The computer-program product may have been stored on a storage medium (for example, a flash memory). The storage medium may be part of an electronic control unit.
Likewise specified is an electronic control unit configured in accordance with the process presented here. The electronic control unit can be configured, for example, by loading of the aforementioned linked data into the electronic control unit.
According to a further aspect, an apparatus for configuring an electronic control unit for intercommunicating applications is made available, wherein a memory assigned to the electronic control unit has been split up or is split up into partitions, and wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, and at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition. The apparatus includes an analysis device which has been designed for analysing a communications behaviour of the applications assigned to the differing partitions amongst themselves, in order to identify a data-writing application and at least one application reading the written data, said applications not being located in the same partition. The apparatus further includes a configuration device which has been set up for configuring a shared memory area in the partition of the writing application and for generating a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing application and the data-reading application, the communications data structure having been provided for at least partial arrangement in the shared memory area.
Furthermore, an apparatus is made available for configuring an electronic control unit for intercommunicating applications, wherein a memory assigned to the electronic control unit has been split up or is split up into partitions, and wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition, and at least one application with a third safety integrity level, different from the first and second safety integrity levels, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a third partition. The apparatus includes an analysis apparatus which has been set up for analysing a communications behaviour of the applications assigned to the differing partitions amongst themselves, in order to identify at least two data-writing applications and an application reading the written data, said applications not all being located in the same partition. The apparatus further includes a configuration device which has been set up for configuring a shared memory area in the memory outside the first, second and third partitions and for generating a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing applications and the data-reading application, the communications data structure having been provided for at least partial arrangement in the shared memory area.
Further made available is an electronic control unit having intercommunicating applications. The electronic control unit includes a memory which has been split up into partitions, wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, and at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition, wherein a data-writing application and at least one application reading the written data have been stored in the memory, said applications not being located in the same partition, and wherein the memory includes a shared memory area in the partition of the writing application and a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing application and the data-reading application, the communications data structure having been arranged at least partially in the shared memory area. The electronic control unit further includes a memory-protection device which has been configured in such a manner that the reading application during its run-time has only read access, but not write access, to the communications data structure.
According to another aspect, a further electronic control unit having intercommunicating applications is specified. The electronic control unit includes a memory which has been split up into partitions, wherein at least one application with a first safety integrity level has been assigned to a first partition, at least one application with a second safety integrity level, different from the first safety integrity level, has been assigned to a second partition, and at least one application with a third safety integrity level, different from the first and second safety integrity levels, or with no safety integrity level, has been assigned to a third partition, wherein at least two data-writing applications and an application reading the written data have been stored in the memory, said applications not all being located in the same partition, and wherein the memory includes a shared memory area outside the first, second and third partitions and a communications data structure for a communication between the data-writing applications and the data-reading application, the communications data structure having been arranged at least partially in the shared memory area. The electronic control unit further includes a memory-protection unit which has been configured in such a manner that the writing applications during their run-time have write access, and the reading application during its run-time has only read access, but not write access, to the communications data structure.
The memory-protection unit of the respective electronic control unit can be configured appropriately when the operating system switches from one processing thread to another thread.
The electronic control unit may generally have been networked with other electronic control units via a system bus. The electronic control unit may furthermore generally have been designed for evaluating a sensor signal. Accordingly, the electronic control unit may include at least one input for a sensor signal to be processed.
The electronic control unit proposed here in each instance may be an electronic control unit of a motor vehicle.

Configuration technique for an electronic control unit with intercommunicating applications


An image ordering rule is selected from among multiple image ordering rules that use mutually different types of image characteristic values to determine the order of arrangement of images. The image characteristic value used by the selected image ordering rule is obtained for each of a plurality of images. The order of arrangement of a plurality of images is determined based on the selected image ordering rule and the image characteristic values for a plurality of images. The number of images to be placed on each page is determined based on the maximum number of images that can be included in each page of the electronic album. An electronic album in which a plurality of images are laid out on multiple pages in sequential order is created in accordance with the order of arrangement of a plurality of images and the number of images to be placed on each page.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for arranging a plurality of images in an electronic album in a preferred sequential order.
2. Description of the Related Art
The widespread use of digital cameras and camera-equipped cellular telephones in recent years has sparked rapid development in the field of digital photography. This has given rise to a trend toward the use of an 'electronic album' comprising a photo album composed of digital photographs stored on a computer.
In a conventional electronic album, the order of photographs is fixed according to the order of photo-taking or the like. Furthermore, in order to change the image order to a preferred order, the user must manually instruct the movement of images that extend across pages, which may be inconvenient. Moreover, a sufficiently innovative approach has not been taken with regard to the number of images allocated to each page.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A fixture for manipulating a door with a walking appliance of a disabled person. The walking appliance door fixture comprises a new receptacle having a cavity formed therein, an outer wall, and an appliance opening in the outer wall communicating with the cavity for passing the walking appliance therethrough and into the cavity. The outer wall has a ledge extending into the cavity and at least partially about the appliance opening of the fixture for engaging the walking appliance with the ledge when the walking appliance is positioned through the appliance opening and in the cavity. The outer wall includes a U-shaped front portion with the ledge positioned above the top thereof. The outer wall also includes a V-shaped bottom portion and a partial conically-shaped bottom portion extending between the U-shaped and V-shaped portions. A mounting flange extends from the rear of the fixture from the U-shaped and V-shaped outer wall portions for mounting the fixture to a door. The rear portion of the outer wall has a mold opening formed therein that is formed during injection molding the door fixture. The method of using the door fixture includes mounting the fixture on a door and inserting the tip of a walking aid such as a crutch or cane through the appliance opening and into the cavity of the fixture. The cane or crutch is used to push the door open or closed or to pull the door open or closed while engaging the tip of the crutch against the ledge positioned about the appliance opening of the fixture.

A disabled person utilizing a walking appliance such as a cane, walker, or a pair of crutches often experiences difficulty opening and closing doors, particularly an exterior door where a gust of wind can easily catch the door and slam it against the outside wall. Hydraulic or spring-loaded door closers are a poor solution to the problem. These door closers make it extremely difficult for a disabled person with a walking appliance to open a door and keep it open while attempting to go through the door opening. The door closer continually presses the door against the person or the walking appliance, making entry difficult and frustrating. Furthermore, the door closer can easily unbalance the disabled person, which may result in injury.
Automatic door openers completely alleviate the problem by sensing the presence of a person and maintaining the door in an open position until the person has passed through the door opening. These automatic door openers are commonly found on commercial establishments. However, the cost of these automatic door openers is absolutely prohibitive for the disabled person in a personal residence, and a much more cost effective door device for opening and closing a door by a disabled person is clearly needed.

Walking appliance door fixture and method of use


A cylindrical honeycomb structure formed by spirally winding a strip metal flat sheet and a strip metal corrugated sheet overlapped thereon. The metal flat sheet is welded, at each turn, to the metal corrugated sheet at a plurality of axially arranged welding positions on each portion where the metal flat sheet contacts the metal corrugated sheet. Letting L be the axial length of the honeycomb structure and D be the diameter of the honeycomb structure, the maximum value L1 of distances between adjacent welding positions satisfies at least one of relationships given by L1xe2x89xa6/D/2 and L1xe2x89xa6/L/2, or the distance L2 between the outermost welding positions in the axial direction of the honeycomb structure and the outer end face of the honeycomb structure satisfies at least one of relationship given by L2xe2x89xa6/D/20 and L2xe2x89xa6/L/10.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal support for exhaust gas purifying catalyst, which is configured such that a honeycomb structure is mounted in a cylindrical casing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In related art honeycomb structures of a type in which a metal flat sheet and a metal corrugated sheet overlapped thereon are spirally wound, the metal flat sheet is joined to the metal corrugated sheet using a binder composed of a Ni-based brazing filler metal. Also a method of joining a metal flat sheet to a metal corrugated sheet using a stopper in place of the binder is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-228376, and a method of joining the end portion of a metal flat sheet to the end portion of a metal corrugated sheet by welding is described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-35271.
Incidentally, the joining of a metal flat sheet to a metal corrugated sheet using a binder is allowed to ensure a sufficient joining area, which is effective to increase a mechanical strength; however, it has the following problem: namely, if a metal support composed of a cylindrical casing containing a honeycomb structure in which a metal flat sheet is joined to a metal corrugated sheet using the binder is repeatedly heated and cooled in a real service environment, then there may occur breakage of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet and/or peeling of the joining portion, finally leading to looseness of the honeycomb structure from the cylindrical casing.
A honeycomb structure in which a metal flat sheet is joined to a metal corrugated sheet using the stopper described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-228376, mentioned above, exhibits a good durability against repeated heating and cooling; however, it has a problem in terms of durability against vibration because the metal flat sheet is not joined to the metal corrugated sheet, which tends to cause breakage of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet. Even if the end portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet are joined to the stopper by welding or the like in order to avoid the above problem, there occurs another problem in terms of the increased ventilation resistance due to the stopper.
A metal support composed of a cylindrical casing containing a honeycomb structure in which the end portion of a metal flat sheet is welded to the end portion of a metal corrugated sheet as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-35271, mentioned above, is poor in durability against vibration because only the end portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet are welded to each other, with a result that there may occur breakage of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet and/or peeling of the joining portion, finally leading to falling of the honeycomb structure from the cylindrical casing.
To solve the above-described problems, there may be considered a honeycomb structure in which a metal flat sheet is welded to a metal corrugated sheet at a plurality of welding positions arranged on each of mutual contact portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a honeycomb structure, which is capable of improving a durability against thermal stress of the honeycomb structure and a durability against mechanical vibration of the honeycomb structure by specifying welding positions at the time when a metal flat sheet is welded to a metal corrugated sheet.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect and feature of this invention, there is provided a metal support for exhaust gas purifying catalyst, which is configured such that a cylindrical honeycomb structure is formed by spirally winding a strip metal flat sheet and a strip metal corrugated sheet overlapped thereon while welding, for each turn, the metal flat sheet to the metal corrugated sheet at a plurality of welding positions axially arranged on each of mutual contact portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet; and the honeycomb structure, on the surface of which exhaust gas purifying catalyst is supported, is mounted in a cylindrical casing, characterized in that the maximum value L1 of distances each between adjacent ones of the plurality of welding positions satisfies at least one of relationships given by
L1xe2x89xa6D/2 and L1xe2x89xa6L/2
where L is the axial length of the honeycomb structure and D is the diameter of the honeycomb structure.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent occurrence of breakage of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet and peeling of weld portions, and hence to improve a durability against thermal stress of the honeycomb structure and a durability against mechanical strength of the honeycomb structure.
According to a second aspect and feature of this invention, there is provided a metal support for exhaust gas purifying catalyst, which is configured such that a cylindrical honeycomb structure is formed by spirally winding a strip metal flat sheet and a strip metal corrugated sheet overlapped thereon while welding, for each turn, the metal flat sheet to the metal corrugated sheet at a plurality of welding positions axially arranged on each of mutual contact portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet; and the honeycomb structure, on the surface of which exhaust gas purifying catalyst is supported, is mounted in a cylindrical casing, characterized in that the distance L2 between the outermost one of the plurality of the welding positions in the axial direction of the honeycomb structure and the outer end surface of the honeycomb structure satisfies at least one of relationships given by
L2xe2x89xa6D/20 and L2xe2x89xa6L/10
where L is the axial length of the honeycomb structure and D is the diameter of the honeycomb structure.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent occurrence of breakage of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet and peeling of weld portions, and hence to improve a durability against thermal stress of the honeycomb structure and a durability against mechanical strength of the honeycomb structure.
According to a third aspect and feature of this invention, there is provided a metal support for exhaust gas purifying catalyst, which is configured such that a cylindrical honeycomb structure is formed by spirally winding a strip metal flat sheet and a strip metal corrugated sheet overlapped thereon while laser welding using a laser beam, for each turn, the metal flat sheet to the metal corrugated sheet at a plurality of welding positions axially arranged on each of mutual contact portions of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet; and the honeycomb structure, on the surface of which exhaust gas purifying catalyst is supported, is mounted in a cylindrical casing, characterized in that the laser welding, at the outermost one of the plurality of welding positions in the axial direction of the honeycomb structure, is performed by irradiating the outer end surfaces of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet with the laser beam; and the laser welding, at each of the remaining positions, is performed by irradiating the circumferential surfaces of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet with the laser beam.
With this configuration, it is possible to certainly weld the metal flat sheet to the metal corrugated sheet while avoiding burning-through of the outer end surfaces of the metal flat sheet and the metal corrugated sheet.
Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Metal support for exhaust gas purifying catalyst


A method of communications over a network is specially adapted for improved transmission performance with reduced bandwidth requirements in communications networks which are low quality or have widely varied physical channel performance, for example, wireless networks. The method includes steps of packetizing a payload into a series of data packets, inserting header packets at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of the series, transmitting the series, together with the header packets, receiving at least some of the data packets of the series and at least one of the header packets, and sending an acknowledgement. The acknowledgement is either that all data packets and at least one header packet were received; that not all data packets were received and at least one header packet was received; or that some data packets were received, but no header packet was received. Re-transmissions of data packets and the header packet, when such packets are not received, is minimized in order to limit the number of communications necessary to deliver an entire data payload.

The present invention is related generally to digital data transmission protocols in communications networks and, more particularly, is related to efficient, reliable packetized digital data transmission protocols for improved transmission performance with reduced bandwidth requirements in networks which are low quality or have widely varying physical channel performance, such as, for example, wireless network environments.
In a typical Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model network protocol, several layers are defined and dictate the protocol stack. A particular OSI model protocol that is commonly used for communications networks, including the Internet, is the Internet Protocol (IP), and particularly the supplement IP known as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP/IP). In all OSI model protocols, including IP and TCP/IP, a higher level layer, e.g., a transport protocol layer, communicates packetized data to an underlying level layer, e.g., an Internet protocol layer. Subsequently, the underlying level layer, e.g., the Internet protocol layer, eventually relays the data to a data link layer, which in turn relays the data to a physical layer, which then directs the physical transmission of the data.
For example, in such communications, first, data meant for transport by a network device is formatted according to the OSI model data protocol, containing several defined layers, such as physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, and so forth. An illustration of such an OSI model protocol is given in FIG. 1. In the model of FIG. 1, data for transmission by the device is first processed by a transport layer; this transport layer can be overlain by an application layer, specific to the particular application. Typically in the transport layer, the transport mechanisms are defined such that the data is partitioned into data packets for later physical transport.
The data from the transport layer is then processed by an interconnected network layer. An example of this network layer is the conventional Internet Protocol (IP) layer, as widely implemented today in TCP/IP networks, such as the Internet. The interconnected network layer prepares the packets from the transport protocol layer for transport across interconnected networks.
Next, the data link layer prepares the data for physical transport across a defined network physical channel, such as an Ethernet link or other type of local area network.
Finally, a physical layer performs the actual transmission of the processed data to and across the network operating under the particular OSI model implementation.
Presently, one of the most common implementations of the OSI model in network communications is TCP/IP. For example, Internet communications are typically conducted according to TCP/IP, and this is considered the standard for the Internet. In TCP/IP, the physical layer remains a constant and is independent of the devices or network, so long as the devices and network are capable of using the OSI model layers in accordance with TCP/IP.
In TCP/IP, the network layer is IP and the transport layer is TCP. IP and TCP are each well known and defined as standards. Under the standards, the IP portion of the protocol takes care of routing data packets to the intended destination. The TCP part performs integrity checks on the data and enhances reconstruction of the packets into the original message or file at the destination end.
Although TCP is presently widely used in data communications, including over the Internet, the protocol was designed primarily for use over reliable and non-variable channels and bandwidth, i.e., primarily wired connections. The shift in direction of communications to mobile and wireless devices and communications, thus, was not a premise on which the TCP protocol was defined. The premises and assumptions on which TCP was designed no longer have the same application in the wireless world and as other and newer lower quality and variable channel networks evolve.
There is, therefore, a need for improved protocols and methods that account for the characteristics of wireless and other newer physical channels and applications. A number of protocols and methods have been designed to account for and operate in particular applications, for example, voice-over IP, multimedia transport, satellite protocols, multicast protocols, and others. Although these various designs may provide certain advantages in particular applications, there continues a need for improved protocols and methods that account for wireless and similar networks that exhibit variable bandwidth and channel performance characteristics.
Particularly with wireless communications, conventional systems and methods, such as TCP/IP protocols, have several disadvantages. These disadvantages include high round trip times (RTT) of communications, variance in measurements in RTT because of channel characteristic variation, substantial packet loss, high bit error rates, false assumption that data loss because of congestion versus slow rate of sending, multichannel possibilities not anticipated, and ARQ techniques are often prohibitively expensive. Moreover, certain recent advances in technology, such as computer speeds and error correction techniques, can provide improvements, however, these advances have not previously been exploited to their potential.
In sum, there is a need for improvement in the art and technology of communications over low bandwidth, poor quality channels, such as wireless networks.
An embodiment of the invention is a method of communications over a network. The method includes the steps of packetizing a payload into a series of data packets, inserting header packets at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of the series, transmitting the series, together with the header packets, receiving at least some of the data packets of the series and at least one of the header packets, and sending an acknowledgement selected from the group consisting of: all data packets and at least one header packet received; not all data packets received and at least one header packet received; and some data packets received, but no header packet received.
In a further aspect, the method further includes the step of terminating the method if the acknowledgement is that all data packets and at least one header packet are received.
In another aspect, the method further includes the step of identifying the data packets not received if at least one header packet is received but not all data packets received. The acknowledgement of the step of sending includes identifiers of the data packets not received. The method also includes the step of re-transmitting only the data packets not received.
In a further aspect, the method includes the step of identifying that some data packets, but not any header packet, is received. The acknowledgement of the step of sending includes identifiers of the data packets received. The method also includes the steps of determining which data packets were not received, based on the identifiers in the acknowledgement and re-transmitting only the header packet and the data packets not received.


Systems and methods are disclosed related to generating an interactive user interface that enables a user to move, rotate or otherwise edit 3D point cloud data in virtual 3D space to align or match point clouds captured from LiDAR scans prior to generation of a high definition map. A system may obtain point cloud data for two or more point clouds, render the point clouds for display in a user interface, then receive a user selection of one of the point clouds and commands from the user to move and/or rotate the selected point cloud. The system may adjust the displayed position of the selected point cloud relative to the other simultaneously displayed point cloud(s) in real time in response to the user commands, and store the adjusted point cloud position data for use in generating a new high definition map.

Vehicles—such as vehicles used for ride-sharing purposes, vehicles that provide driver-assist functionality, and/or automated or autonomous vehicles (AVs)—may obtain and process sensor data using an on-board data processing system to perform a variety of functions. For example, functions can include determining and/or displaying navigational routes, identifying road signs, detecting objects and/or road obstructions, controlling vehicle operation, and/or the like. Providing an autonomous vehicle with accurate and precise high definition maps is one of the most fundamental and important prerequisites to enabling fully autonomous driving. For the sake of safety, autonomous vehicles require access to maps containing considerably more detailed information and true-ground-absolute accuracy than those found in typical existing map resources that were not designed for the purpose of autonomous driving.

Beijing Didi Infinity Technology and Development Co., Ltd.


A workpiece is measured by a contact detector. The contact detector is moved relatively towards a workpiece. A characteristic of the contact detector that changes as the contact detector contacts the workpiece is measured at a plurality of times. A projected time when the characteristic of the contact detector will meet a predetermined threshold is extrapolated from the characteristic measured the plurality of times and using a processor of a computer. A trigger is set to measure coordinates of the workpiece at the projected time. Coordinates of the workpiece are measured at the projected time based on the set trigger.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to the field of contact detection for measurement sensors. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to identifying when, based on contact detection, measurement of a workpiece should be taken by a measurement sensor.
2. Background Information
Currently, coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are used to measure the coordinates of a workpiece. A set of workpiece coordinates in a 2 or 3 dimensional space can be used to model the workpiece. A probe and workpiece are moved relatively towards each other, and a contact detector detects when the probe contacts the workpiece. Contact detectors are used to control the timing of when measurement sensors take measure of the coordinates of the probe, and may detect contact characteristics such as deflection of the probe, as the probe contacts and pushes into or against the workpiece. The probe may probe the workpiece from many different angles and at many different positions, so that the coordinates are taken many times. For consistency between measurements of the coordinates, characteristic thresholds may be used so as to consistently know when to take the coordinates. For example, a threshold amount of deflection in one or more dimensions may be used to determine when to measure the coordinates.
Additionally, the contact detection characteristics may be measured at a rapid pace, such as 1000 or 2000 times per second, as the probe is engaged in a single probing motion to probe the workpiece. Ultimately, for a single probing motion against a single point of the workpiece, only a single coordinate measurement may be desired, such as when contact deflection characteristics of the probe is at or closest to a predetermined threshold amount. By knowing the exact coordinates of the probe at times when the same threshold amount of deflection occurs, the shape of the workpiece can be accurately determined and modeled.

High speed contact detector for measurement sensors


A method of forming a battery electrode by forming, on a first substrate, a polymer template comprising interconnected polymer fibers, forming, on the polymer template, a carbon coating to form a carbon-coated polymer template, removing the carbon-coated polymer template from the first substrate, subsequent to removing the carbon-coated polymer template from the first substrate, removing the polymer template from the carbon coating, and disposing the carbon coating on a second substrate. A solid electrolyte interphase layer (SEI) comprising the carbon coating produced via the method, a battery electrode comprising such an SEI layer, and a battery comprising such a battery electrode are also provided.

Lithium metal batteries employ lithium for the anode and may have higher charge density and therefore a longer lifespan than other types of batteries. Lithium metal batteries are employed in a wide variety of devices, including various portable electronic devices such as computing devices and peripheral devices, as well as medical devices including medical implants and in subsea applications.
Secondary Li-metal batteries have serious safety concerns. For example, mossy Li dendrites form during discharge/charge cycling. Such Li dendrites can pierce through the separator and cause short circuits. Another side effect of this uneven Li deposition/dissolution process may be the concurrent low Coulombic efficiency (CE), resulting in high internal cell resistance with a short service life. The challenges facing Li metal batteries lie in the fact that the spontaneously formed solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer cannot accommodate the large volume change of Li metal anodes upon cycling. During repeated Li plating/stripping, the rigid SEI layer on Li metals keeps breaking and repairing, combined with continuous electrolyte consumption and Li corrosion. As a result, the batteries end up drying up or even run into short circuits.
Maintaining the integrity of the SEI layer may improve Coulombic efficiencies by protecting Li anodes from electrolyte corrosion and consequently inhibiting the formation of Li dendrites. Accordingly, a need exists improved systems and methods for maintaining the integrity of an SEI layer.

Semi-tubular carbon film for stable lithium metal anodes and methods of manufacture thereof


In a rostrum, comprising a rostrum support structure comprising a plurality of frame units; the frame units comprising at least a first frame unit, a second frame unit which is retractable in a retraction direction from an extended position into the first frame unit, and a third frame unit, which is retractable in the retraction direction from an extended position into the second frame unit, a latching mechanism is provided which is configured so that the third frame unit cannot be retracted from the extended position into the second frame unit until the second frame unit has been retracted from the extended position into the first frame unit. A respective deck is engaged with each respective frame unit.

Such rostra typically include a latching mechanism for locking frame units with respect to one another in the extended position. A latching mechanism is described in WO 2011/042709 which comprises a movable blade which is engageable with a latch surface. Each frame unit has a respective movable blade and latch surface and is configured so that, during retraction, the smallest frame unit is first of all unlatched and moved into the next largest frame unit, unlatching it in the process. As a result, the frame units are unlatched and retracted one by one from the smallest to the second largest.
The present inventor has realised that this system, though very widely used, has a practical problem. In particular, in order to ensure that the frame units are snugly and safely received within one another, they have to be guided carefully during retraction. There can be a tendency to misalign slightly. During retraction, operators have to be careful to guide the rostra and correct any misalignments.
The present inventors have realised that a latching mechanism as described in WO 2011/042709 has the disadvantage that, as retraction proceeds, the number of frame units which require guiding increases. This means that the total mass which requires guiding increases, so that, at the end of the retraction process it can be very difficult and requires a lot of effort to ensure that the frame units are stacked smoothly one inside another.
The present inventors have set out to overcome this problem.


Techniques and methods for identifying parking zones. For instance, a vehicle may identify a parking zone located near a destination location for the vehicle. The vehicle may then generate one or more lines representing the parking zone. Additionally, the vehicle may generate polygons representing objects located proximate to the parking zone. The vehicle may then determine whether the one or more lines intersect with one or more of the polygons. If the vehicle determines that the one or more lines intersect with one or more of the polygons, then the vehicle may identify one or more first portions of the parking zone that are occupied by one or more objects and as such, unavailable. Using the one or more first portions, the vehicle may identify one or more second portions of the parking zone that are not occupied by objects and as such, available.

An autonomous vehicle may navigate along designated routes or between waypoints. For example, when a control system receives a request from a user device to pick up the user at a location and provide transport to a destination location, the autonomous vehicle may receive, from the control system, instructions to navigate from the pickup location to the destination location. In some circumstances, the autonomous vehicle may be required to park in order to pick the user up at the pickup location or drop the user off at the destination location.


A sea water desalination installation that employs an evaporation-condensation system which operates continuously at a low temperature and which enables the recovery of energy released. The installation includes a cylindrical evaporator having a large evaporation surface and a concentric condenser with a large surface area. Sea water is used to cool the condenser and said water is subsequently sent to the evaporator. A static high-pressure ventilator is used to: (i) drive the vapor/air in a closed circuit between the evaporator and the condenser and (ii), using a calibrated nozzle, create a pressure gradient that is equivalent to the pressure of the saturated vapor at working temperature between said two zones. The aforementioned evaporator and condenser are thermally insulated in relation to one another and to the external environment.

Coastal regions are experiencing a constant increase in population due not only to tourism but also to an aging population from wealthier countries who are able to enjoy retirement in places far from, and more agreeable than, the industrial and commercial towns and cities where they have spent their working life. However, their demand for all the modern comforts they are accustomed to has resulted in coastal resorts having to meet an ever-rising need for a water supply suited to every type of domestic use. This is occurring in every country where tourism, retirement and coastal resorts coincide. Paradoxically, it is where there is an abundance of sea-water that there is also a scarcity of fresh water. Many different methods have been adopted in the search to provide an adequate domestic water-supply, ranging from the modification of river-basins to the construction of devices designed to remove salt from the readily accessible sea water.
There are basically three different methods employed by desalination plants each of which gives rise to various sub-processes.
The method mostly frequently found is that known as "inverse osmosis". It is based on the use of semi-permeable membranes which allow water, but not salt, to pass through. High-pressurization techniques are required in this process to overcome the osmotic pressure whose natural action is the contrary of that desired in desalination. This system treats part of the water drawn from the sea, returning the remainder, with a corresponding increase in salinity, to the sea. A counter-pressure effect is needed to cleanse the filters. These plants are costly; there are few enterprises producing membranes; maintenance requires much skill and attention. Energy consumption is low.
Another method, namely that of freezing sea-water to obtain salt-free water is based on the displacement of salt ions that occurs when water containing them is frozen. This freezing process must be carried out in layers of geometric progression to allow displacement of the non-frozen water, and at a speed which allows the salt ions to move while the water is still liquid. These plants consume the energy necessary to change sea-water from liquid to solid. Various procedures have been devised to help lower consumption and recycle energy.
Because of its simplicity, the vaporization-condensation method is more commonly used than the freezing process. However, it has the drawback of an unfortunately high consumption of energy since the heat necessary for changing liquid to steam must always be provided. Various systems for reducing this energy consumption have been devised such as lowering pressure so that the liquid boils at a temperature lower than the 100° C. necessary at atmospheric pressure: waterfall vaporization: use of solar energy, etc., but in every case heat has to be provided to convert the material from one state to another. Therefore, the most appropriate way of reducing energy consumption is by recovering heat generated. The chief drawback in systems for recovering energy lies in the manner of carrying out the recovery.
The invention presented here avoids this pitfall by a simple system in which sea-water is used in the condenser's cooling circuit and this consignment of water is then sent to the vaporizer where, as less than 10% of the water evaporates, the volume of water in the cooler can be adjusted for the transference of heat.
Bearing in mind just how abundant sea-water is, the invention is designed to desalinate only a portion of the water it takes from the sea, returning the rest to its source. It is calculated that the system proposed here will allow desalination of 5-7% of the volume of water drawn from the sea; the remainder being returned corresponding increase in salinity. Accordingly, the invention provides a desalination plant using the vaporization-condensation system, at low temperatures, in continuous session, and recycling the heat generated during condensation.
In the present invention, water drawn from the sea and preheated up to 40° C. is used for evaporation (A temperature of 60° C. is considered the upper limit.) Two phenomena occur during evaporation: first, the cooling of the water to 20° C., secondly, the heat difference in the water is instrumental in evaporating a small part of it. The evaporated water is sent to a cooling unit whose mission is to condense it to be free of salt. A static high-pressure fan is responsible for sending the steam from the vaporization area to the condensation area; The invention makes use of the fan's characteristics to create a difference in pressure (equal in magnitude to the pressure of steam at vaporization temperature) between the condensation and the vaporization zones. The process is carried out in the presence of an air-current which acts as the vehicle for transporting the steam. The air is recycled within a closed circuit. The condenser-cooler is refrigerated with sea-water and the outlet of the refrigeration circuit is connected with the entrance to the vaporizer.

Installation used to obtain salt-free sea water at a low temperature with continuous operation and enthalpy recovery


Ovarian cancer is treated with conjugates of an anticancer agent and an Angiopep-2 polypeptide analog (i.e. a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 80% identical to Seq. ID NO:97). Such treatment includes utility in treating metastatic ovarian cancer and in treating patients who have previously exhibited resistance to standard chemotherapeutic agents. Preferred anticancer agents include taxanes while the preferred conjugate is ANG1005, a conjugate comprising three molecules of paclitaxel conjugated to the peptide Angiopep-2.

The invention relates to methods for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is a serious health problem; deaths from ovarian cancer in 2008 in the United States were estimated by the National Cancer Institute to be over 15,000, with over 21,000 new cases annually. It is the leading cause of deaths from gynecologic cancers and the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in women. Based on these numbers, it is estimated that women have a lifetime risk of 1.39% of developing ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose early, as the early symptoms are often non-specific for the disease. Thus, only 19% of ovarian cancers are diagnosed before the cancer has spread from the ovaries; indeed, ⅔ of diagnoses occur only occur after the cancer has metastasized to distant locations in the body. Once the cancer has metastasized, the five-year relative survival rate (as compared to the population as a whole) is only 30.6%.
For these reasons, more effective treatments for ovarian cancer, especially those who have metastatic cancer, are needed.

Treatment of ovarian cancer using an anticancer agent conjugated to an angiopep-2 analog


Composite material sheets containing conductive fibers are laminated, and release films are interposed between the sheets so as to extend from one end to the center of the sheets. The sheets are heated under pressure to shape a composite material. Discrete conductive wires through which a measurement current is passed are connected to end surfaces of the respective layers in the composite material on the side on which the release films are interposed. A common conductive wire through which the measurement current is passed is connected to a surface of one of an uppermost layer and a lowermost layer at an end of the composite material opposite to the side on which the release films are interposed. A current is passed between the common conductive wire and the discrete conductive wires. Currents in the respective layers are sequentially or simultaneously measured using an ammeter.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a specimen used to measure a current flowing through a composite material containing conductive fibers and a current measuring method for the specimen.
2. Related Art
In recent years, the application of composite materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to structures has been spreading widely. For example, such composite materials have been applied in a variety of fields, for example, to fuselages of airplanes, frameworks of automobiles, and blades of windmills. On the other hand, the composite material contains conductive fibers such as carbon fibers, and may thus serve as an unintended current path in connection with the design of the structure when a short circuit or lightning strike occurs. For example, in airplanes, fuel may be ignited by a possible spark caused by a lightning stroke. Accordingly, clarifying the current distribution in the fuselage during lightning is important.
However, the composite material, particularly a composite material containing conductive fibers such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), contains carbon fibers, which are electrically conductive, and a resin, which is an insulator, and is thus easily affected by a fiber arrangement direction. Thus, the composite material involves a more complicated current path than metallic materials. A particularly complicated current path is involved in a carbon fiber laminate in which a plurality of layers with different fiber directions is laminated. This leads to the need for a technique that allows more accurate measurement of a current flowing through the composite material.
For example, conventional inventions that allow measurement of the behavior or magnitude of a current flowing through the composite material are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2013-050306 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2013-053858. The invention disclosed in JP-A No. 2013-050306 enables visualization of local discharge when a current is passed through a composite material with a fastener. Furthermore, the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 2013-053858 enables measurement of a current in a carbon fiber laminate in which a plurality of layers of fibers in different directions is laminated.
The invention disclosed in JP-A No. 2013-050306 enables visualization of local discharge. Furthermore, the current measurement in the invention disclosed in JP-A No. 2013-053858 enables the distribution of currents in an in-plane direction in the composite material to be determined. However, in these inventions, it is not possible to measure a current in an out-of-plane direction that crosses the surface of in a laminate composite material. Additionally, a propagation mechanism for a current in an out-of-plane direction in the laminate composite material has not been theoretically clarified.
Moreover, both JP-A No. 2013-050306 and JP-A No. 2013-053858 disclose an example of current measurement in a specimen with a fastener. However, both JP-A No. 2013-050306 and JP-A No. 2013-053858 involve a specimen that is a single laminate composite material and fail to disclose an example of current measurement intended to clarify a propagation mechanism for a current in a specimen of two laminate composite materials coupled together with a fastener or conditions for a preferred coupling area.
Measures allowing smooth flow of a lightening current resulting from a lightning stroke and charge of static electricity are taken for an airplane structure to which a laminate composite material (composite material) is applied. This prevents thermal destruction of the structure resulting from application of a current to the structure and ignition in a fuel tank caused by discharge. In particular, for a lightning resistance measure, the fastener between the composite materials is desirably a bolt that offers reduced contact resistance to a base material to allow electricity to flow smoothly. However, conventionally available fasteners are special products and expensive, resulting in having an impact on fuselage manufacturing costs.
On the other hand, less expensive fasteners are also available, but when such fasteners are used without any modification, the fasteners may cause discharge because these fasteners offer large contact resistance to the composite material. Thus, the fasteners need a separate discharge measure. The large contact resistance is assumed to be ascribed to a difference in diameter between the bolt and a machined hole, a difference in fastener configuration, or a difference in a state of contact between the fastener and the machined hole resulting from different machining conditions.


A disc player reproduces information recorded on a disc which has a disc type. Type identification circuitry determines the disc type of the disc. Reproduction circuitry reproduces the information stored on the disc. Disc ejection circuitry generates a disc ejecting signal when an externally-generated command is received. Control circuitry stops the reproduction circuitry in response to the disc ejecting signal. Reset circuitry initializes the disc reproduction circuitry when the disc ejecting signal is asserted and the type identification circuitry determines that the disc type is a first predetermined type, and inhibits the initialization of the disc reproduction circuitry when the disc ejecting signal is asserted and the type identification circuitry determines that the disc type is a second predetermined type. The disc type determined by the type identification circuitry can be stored in a memory. Set-up disc mode circuitry causes a set-up disc type to be stored in the memory regardless of the disc type of the disc. Reset mode circuitry causes the disc reproducing circuitry to begin reproduction without initializing the disc reproducing circuitry. A switch provides a method for selecting between the type identification circuitry. The set-up mode circuitry, and the reset mode circuitry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disc player and, in particular, to a CD player that automatically initializes the player in response to the type of disc being ejected.
2. Description of the Related Art
With conventional compact discs (CD), one type of disc which is adapted to record video data in addition to audio data is known as a CD-I disc.
Specifically, video data, text data, program data, and audio data can be recorded on the CD-I disc and accordingly, by reproducing the video data and the audio data in interactive style, a CD-I player can be used in many fields, such as the educational and amusement fields.
Generally, a disc player which plays CD-I discs is reset to an initial state when a power switch is turned on, and thereafter executes sequentially the processing steps according to the subject of the CD-I disc and thus the video data and audio data, etc. will be processed according to the prescribed step.
Furthermore, when the CD-I disc is removed during the reproducing process, the last displayed image remains and the sound is jammed. A reset switch is typically used to manually reset the CD-I player to the initial state so that the processing steps can be again sequentially executed according to the contents of the new CD-I disc.
However, if the manual operation of the reset switch can be omitted, the operation of the reset switch can be simplified, thereby making the operation of the CD-I player more convenient.

Disc player with an automatic initialization function


A method of executing a software application. A storage device stores connection data, an identifier of the software application, a context selector, and an application launcher. An execution device connects, using the connection data, to a server. The storage device transfers the context selector to the execution device, which executes it to generate a first context for the execution device. The identifier and the first context are sent to the server from which the storage device receives the software application, which is stored with the first context. The application launcher is transferred to the execution device for execution. A second context of the execution device is generated and the storage device checks if it matches the first context. If so, the storage device transfers the software application to the execution device where it is executed.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present invention that are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
There are of course many existing ways of distributing software, usually based on having the user select the desired version (depending on the operating system) and then either downloading the software or installing it from a DVD, a USB key or the like. A first variant is to download an exact software image onto the target computer, but this causes problems if there is the slightest difference between the configuration of the target computer and the configuration for which the software image is intended. A second variant is to run an installation program that either requests the user to enter manually the configuration of the target computer or to have the installation program do this automatically. This second variant results in a software image that is an exact match for the target computer.
Various bells and whistles to the basic schemes are provided in for example US 2008/0046708, WO 2008/154426, US 2006/0218549, US 2006/075486 and US 2008/250476 without changing the essentials thereof.
A drawback with these solutions is that they are fairly inflexible. It can therefore be appreciated that there is a need for a more flexible solution for software installation. This invention provides such a solution.

Method, system and device for execution of a software application


A method of machining cooling holes in a component includes the steps of inserting an electro discharge machining guide that houses an electrode into an internal cavity of a component, and machining a cooling hole into a wall of the component with the electrode. A gas turbine engine component includes first and second spaced apart walls providing an internal cavity. The first wall has outer and inner surfaces. The inner surface faces the internal cavity. A cooling hole extends through the first wall from the inner surface to the outer surface. The cooling hole includes entry and exit openings respectively provided in the inner and outer surfaces. The exit opening includes a cross-sectional area that is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the entry opening.

This disclosure relates to components for a gas turbine engine, such as airfoils. More particularly, the disclosure relates airfoils that are electro discharge machined.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustor section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
Turbine vanes used in the turbine section are manufactured as either single vanes, vane doublets, or multiple vanes combining quantities of more than two vanes. Multiple combined vanes such as this may have cooling holes that are not in a location that provides gun barrel line of sight from the machine tool to the hole location. Without line of sight access one way to machine these cooling holes is to use complicated tooling and programming to gain access to the intended location on the external airfoil. The obstructed hole is machined externally.
Turbine airfoil cooling hole position is typically inspected at the external hole breakout to gain some level of confidence that the hole is breaking into the intended internal cavity. However on multiple combined vanes the feature location cannot be inspected since the hole cannot be viewed from the gun barrel axis of the hole. Since the location of the holes cannot be accurately measured from the external surface, there exists some risk that the hole may not be drilled into the intended cavity.
The two manufacturing methods typically utilized for the machining of cooling holes in turbine airfoils are electro discharge machining (EDM) and laser. Many turbine airfoils have a thermal barrier coating applied to the airfoil surfaces and sometimes this is done prior to the installation of cooling holes. The thermal barrier coating is non-conductive so this prevents the use of the EDM process when machining the cooling holes from the external part surface. In these instances the only option is laser hole drilling, which does not have as much dimensional control when compared to EDM and also is not capable of non-line of sight machining.

Non-line of sight electro discharge machined part


A relatively fast, inexpensive, and non-destructive method for separation and isolation of biologically active nanoparticles is described. Methods include the use of solid phase separation medis such as channeled fibers in a hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) protocol to isolate biologically active nanoparticles from other components of a mixture. Biologically active nanoparticles can include natural nanoparticles (e.g., exosomes, lysosomes, virus particles) as well as synthetic nanoparticles (liposomes, genetically modified virus particles, etc.)

Biologically active structures on the nanometer scale, i.e., nanoparticles, both natural and synthetic, have been proposed for a myriad of uses including disease diagnosis, drug delivery, tissue regeneration, gene therapy, and cancer therapies, among others. Natural biologically active particles include, for example, bacteria, virus particles, whole cells, prions, and cellular components such as individual organelles, DNA, RNA,vacuoles, exosomes and lysosomes. Synthetic biologically active nanoparticles include, for example, delivery materials such as liposomes and genetically modified virus particles and bacteria for use in plasmid delivery.
There are many types of bio-nanoparticles that may be isolated and manipulated for various purposes. For instance, isolation of exosomes is just one of many examples of bio-nanoparticles of interest for characterization as well as possible utilization. Exosomes are lipid membrane-derived vesicles, approximately 30-100 nm in size, that are secreted by most cell types. As exosomes are released by many cell types, they can be found in most body fluids, including urine, saliva, amniotic fluid, semen, breast milk, plasma, mucus, and blood. They hold a great deal of promise in disease diagnostics and drug delivery, among other uses, as they have been shown to display the same protein biomarkers as their originating cell. These biomarkers can serve as protein "fingerprints" that can harold the presence of diseased cells within the body (e.g., cancer cells, etc.), potentially long before disease symptoms arise. As the basic understanding of exosomes is still in its early stages, many of these potential applications are yet to be realized.
In order for many nanoparticle-based uses to become a reality, efficient and reliable methods for isolating and concentrating the nanoparticles are required. Unfortunately, most of the current isolation techniques require long processing times or expensive equipment. For example differential centrifugation (DC), a widely used particle isolation technique, is generally considered the gold standard for isolation of exosomes as well as other biological nanoparticles. DC requires the use of a high speed centrifuge, which can be cost prohibitive to many clinics. In addition, the process takes several hours to complete and has been shown to not only sediment the desired particles, but can also alter the integrity of the lipid bilayer membrane of natural particles (e.g., exosomes, encapsulated virus, whole cells, etc.) during resuspension, making many uses (e.g., miRNA readings) unreliable. Furthermore, the high speed centrifugation process often causes the particles to form self-aggregates and to aggregate and co-sediment with large amounts of protein and other cellular components.
Other nanoparticle isolation techniques include density gradient centrifugation, size exclusion chromatography, ultrafiltration, polymer-based precipitation, immunological separation, and microfluidics isolation techniques. Some of these methods are generic with respect to the specific types of nanoparticles which can be isolated, while others solely capture vesicles originating from specific cell types. Unfortunately, none of the current nanoparticle isolation techniques are sufficient for use in clinical diagnostics or for isolation of larger lots from cell culture media as would be required for, e.g., drug delivery applications.
Capillary-channeled polymer fibers have been extensively studied for separations such as bio-macromolecule (e.g., proteins) separations. Such fibers are generally manufactured by melt-extruding a polymeric composition with the desired channeled morphology including multiple capillary channels extending the entire length of the fiber. The morphology of the channeled fibers gives the fibers a much greater surface area as compared to circular cross-sectional fibers with the same diameters. When packed in columns, capillary-channeled fibers can self-align and can yield a monolith-like structure with open, parallel channels. These channels provide excellent fluid transportation properties and low mass transfer resistance in the columns. It is believed that the high column permeability, low mass transfer resistance and the low cost of the channeled fiber chromatography columns make them promising choices for fast separations at various scales.
What are needed in the art are methods and materials for use in isolating and concentrating biologically active nanoparticles.

Channeled fibers in separation of biologically active nanoparticles


Disclosed are colored cosmetic compositions that, when applied to a person's skin (e.g., the lips or cheeks), hair or nails, exhibit exceptional brilliance and clarity of color, and a method of using those compositions to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the skin, hair or nails. The compositions comprise (a) a pigment formed by incorporating a solvated dye into a resin, and (b) a cosmetic carrier having admixed therein the pigment in an amount effective to provide an attractive cosmetic effect to the composition when it is applied to a person's skin, hair, or nails. The methods of this invention comprise applying an effective amount of the foregoing composition to a person's skin (e.g., lips or cheeks), hair or nails.

The use of cosmetics is widespread in modern society. Cosmetics typically are intended to provide an attractive appearance through the use of color, e.g., by highlighting certain features of the face and/or accentuating natural colors. Colored cosmetics are used, for example, to accentuate lines of separation (eye liners and lip liners), to provide sensuous color to portions of the skin (lipsticks and glosses) and to provide a "healthy glow" to the cheeks (blushes and rouges). Cosmetics may also be used to hide imperfections of the skin and to protect the skin (e.g., by blocking the skin from harmful ultraviolet light).
A variety of coloring agents can be used to color cosmetics, including inorganic and organic dyes or pigments. Generally, to be useful as cosmetic colorants, soluble dyes must be converted into insoluble forms. For the purposes of this application, any soluble dye that is in solution, will be referred to as a "solvated dye". A solvated dye composed of a water-soluble dye in an aqueous solution will be referred to as an "aqueous dye". A "pigment" is any soluble dye, whether in a dry, powder form, or in solution, that has been converted into an insoluble form. There are a variety of methods currently used in the cosmetic industry to insolubilize soluble dyes. The most common method used to insolubilize water-soluble dyes is called "laking". "Lake" colorants are the metallic complexes of organic coloring matter obtained by precipitating an organic dyestuff onto an inorganic substrate. See generally U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,687. Water-soluble dyes have also been insolubilized by salifying the dyes with copolymers. See generally U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,140.
Applicants have discovered that cosmetics containing pigments formed by incorporating a solvated dye into a resin, exhibit superior brilliance and clarity of color, as compared to cosmetics containing pigments formed through conventional processes, such as, e.g., "laking". Thus, the pigments used in the . compositions of this invention typically are made by incorporating a solvated dye into a resin to obtain a colored resin, which then may be ground into a powdered pigment suitable for cosmetic applications.
Any soluble dye can be used to manufacture the pigments used in the compositions of this invention. The preferred dyes used to manufacture the pigments used in the compositions of this invention are water-soluble dyes. For example, several different methods for the manufacture of these pigments using daylight fluorescent dyes are described generally in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,938,873 and 2,498,592.
To the best of our knowledge, to date the pigments used in the compositions of this invention have not been utilized in cosmetic compositions. Neither, to the best of our knowledge, have these pigments been applied to the skin (e.g., the lips or cheeks), hair, or nails to enhance their appearance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide cosmetic compositions that are characterized by their exceptional brilliance and clarity of color.
A further object of this invention is to provide attractive colored cosmetic compositions that are stable and safe for application to the human skin, hair, or nails.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method of providing an attractive appearance to the skin, hair, or nails.


For providing a compact, light, and cheap image pickup apparatus capable of attaining both a stereoscopic image and a high-definition plane image by itself, a changeover optical unit is provided with both a function to attain a stereoscopic image by guiding beams captured through objective lenses to respective CCDs and a function to attain a plane image by splitting the beam captured through the objective lens into two beams and guiding the two beams to the CCDs whereby the stereoscopic image and the high-definition plane image can be attained by proper changeover between these functions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for attaining a high-definition plane image, and an image pickup apparatus capable of attaining both a stereoscopic image and a high-definition plane image by itself.
2. Related Background Art
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-344422 discloses the image pickup apparatus for obtaining the high-definition plane image in such a manner that a multi-eye image pickup system with left and right pickup systems is used to obtain two image information sets; a correlation arithmetic is carried out for the two image information sets obtained, to attain position information of an object; an angle between the optical axes of the both pickup systems, which is an angle of vergence, is controlled based on the position information; and pixels composing one of the two images are superimposed with a shift of the half pitch on those composing the other, thereby obtaining the high-definition plane image. This image pickup apparatus can operate as a stereoscopic camera well known, by changing over the operation of processing circuits and separately taking image signals of the two pickup systems out.
The multi-eye image pickup apparatus as described in the above Japanese application, however, required accurate control of the vergence angle in order to attain high-definition plane images for objects at various distances, which resulted in needing a high-accuracy positioning mechanism, disadvantegeously causing an increase in the size, weight, and cost of the whole image pickup apparatus.
The above multi-eye image pickup apparatus also had the problems of high cost and high dissipation power because a correlation arithmetic circuit for the two image information sets obtained from the multi-eye pickup system is complex and because throughput of this circuit is enormous The same problems were also caused by an image synthesizing circuit used for superposition of images.
The above multi-eye image pickup apparatus needed to use expensive lenses with little aberration and with little production error with regard to focal length, because high-accuracy image synthesis could not be expected if the left and right pickup systems in the multi-eye image pickup system had different aberration characteristics or different focal lengths.