A self-propelled lawn mower including at least one cutting blade and at least first and second rear drive wheels. Hydro pumps are provided for controlling the drive wheels. Optionally, a grass collection system may be mounted on the mower, with much of the system being located laterally rearward of the rear drive wheels so that the center of gravity of the mower is shifted rearwardly. In order to compensate for such a center of gravity shift, the respective positions of the rear drive wheels are adjustable. In certain example embodiments of this invention, the lateral position of the rear drive wheels may be selectively adjusted as desired by the operator (e.g., to move the center of gravity of the mower forward relative to the rear drive wheels in order to compensate for the added rear-heavy weight of the grass collection system).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a known mower, typically referred to as a mid-mount Z type mower. The mid-mount Z mower of FIG. 1 includes a pair of rear drive wheels 43 each of which is driven by a hydro (hydrostatic or hydraulic) pump so that two pumps are provided, steering levers 15, 16, frame 17, cutter or mower deck assembly 12 below which the blades cut grass, operator seat 18 for a seated operator, gas tank 19, combustion engine 58 located behind the seat, and front caster wheels 37. The mower is a zero radius turning self-propelled power lawn mower, and includes first and second hydro pumps (not shown) for controlling first and second corresponding wheel motors (not shown), so that the first and second independently driven rear drive wheels 43 may be driven independently in order to conduct zero radius turns.
It is known to attach large grass collection systems to self-propelled lawn mowers. Some grass collection systems include a grass storage compartment located rearward of the seat and engine of the mower. Such grass collection systems can weigh as much as approximately two hundred pounds or more when holding grass. This significant added weight can be problematic, especially when the grass collection system is such that the grass is collected and/or stored rearwardly of the mower's rear drive wheels (e.g., the mower may "pop wheelies" during operation). In order to compensate for this added rearward weight, it is known in the art to add metal counterweights to the front of the mower so as to reduce the likelihood of the mower popping wheelies during normal mower operations.
Unfortunately, the use of such counterweights on the front of the mower to offset the grass collector weight is problematic in that it can shorten the useful life of the mower. In particular, the use of such counterweights can lead to premature failure of a mower's hydraulic system which is very expensive to repair. Mower hydraulic systems, including the hydro pumps which control the rear drive wheel motors, are made to operate in a satisfactory manner up to about 2,000 psi. However, when too much weight is placed on the front and rear of the mower, the psi level can reach up to about 3,000 to 5,000 psi during mowing operations; when this occurs the hydraulic system can start to leak internally and extreme heat can be generated. This causes the hydraulic oil to deteriorate and leads to a too low viscosity. These occurrences lead to premature failure of the hydraulic system and thus of the mower.
In view of the above, it will be apparent that there exists a need in the art for an improved way in which to compensate for significant amounts of weight which may be added to a rear portion of a mower such as via a grass collection system.

Lawn mower with adjustable rear drive wheels


A dispenser system for a canister. The system includes an actuator and a cover that can prevent inadvertent actuation. The actuator may include a button, a stem connector and an actuator housing. The stem connector may include wings with a protrusion to create a snap-fit with the actuator housing, thereby holding the stem connector in place during operation of the dispenser system.

Actuators are used to control the outflow of gas or fluid products from pressurized containers—such as aerosol cans. The actuator is designed to facilitate gas or fluid flow from the pressurized container to another location. The actuator may be designed to release the pressurized gas or fluid from an attached container when the actuator is depressed. When the actuator is released, the actuator stops the release of pressurized gas from the canister.


Blow-molded articles consisting of an aliphatic polyester having a melt viscosity of 3.0.times.10.sup.3 -2.0.times.10.sup.5 poises at a temperature of 190.degree. C. at a shear rate of 100 sec.sup.-1 and a melting point of 70.degree.-190.degree. C. The present invention provides blow-molded articles excellent in heat stability and mechanical strength as well as having biodegradability which can be used for containers of detergents, cosmetics and the like, and industrial parts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blow-molded articles having excellent heat stability and mechanical strength which are prepared by using aliphatic polyesters with biodegradability and sufficiently high molecular weights and specific melt properties for practical use.
2. Discussion of the Background
Recently, with the advancement of plastic blow molded containers for both industrial and domestic uses because of their productivity, variety, fashionability, chemical resistance and rust prevention, the resulting waste of a large amount of plastics used in the vessels can pollute rivers, oceans, soil and the like and has become serious community problem. To prevent such pollution the development of biodegradable plastics has been desired; for example, poly(3-hydroxybutylate) produced by fermentation methods using microorganisms, blends of general-purpose plastics and starch, a naturally occurring polymer, and the like are already known. The former polymer has a drawback in that it is poor in molding properties because the polymer has a heat decomposition temperature close to its melting point and a raw material efficiency is very bad because it is produced by microorganisms. On the other hand, since the naturally occurring polymer of the latter does not by itself have thermoplasticity, the polymer has defects in molding properties, and is greatly limited in its range of application.
On the other hand, although it is known that aliphatic polyesters are biodegradable, they have hardly been used because polymeric material sufficient enough to obtain practical molded product cannot be obtained. Recently, it has been found that a ring-opening polymerization of .epsilon.-caprolactone produces a higher molecular weight polymer, and proposed to use the polymer as a biodegradable resin. However, the resulting polymer is limited to only special applications because of a low melting point of 62.degree. C. and a high cost thereof. Further, although glycolic acid, lactic acid and the like are polymerized by a ring-opening polymerization of glycolide and lactide thereof to obtain polymers with higher molecular weights so as to be sometimes used as medical fibers and the like, the polymers are not used in great amounts as raw materials for blow-molded articles because their decomposition temperatures are close to their melting point and they have defects in their molding properties.
Although most of these are applied to plastic blow-molded vessels, it is no exaggeration to say that high molecular weight polyesters (referring to polyesters having number-average molecular weights of at least 10,000) generally used for the plastics are limited to polyethylene terephthalate, a condensate of terephthalic acid (including dimethyl terephthalate) and ethylene glycol. Although there are cases of 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid being used instead of terephthalic acid, there are no reports of trials which obtained polymers with biodegradability.
Therefore, it is safe to say that there has been no concept of trying to make the articles in practical use by blow molding using biodegradable aliphatic polyesters in which aliphatic dicarboxylic acid was used.
One of the reasons why this application concept has not been thought of is felt to be that in spite of the required special molding conditions and physical properties for the above blow-molded articles, most of the above-mentioned aliphatic polyesters have melting points of 100.degree. C. or lower even if they are crystalline, and have poor heat stability when melted above that. Of further importance is that the properties, particularly mechanical properties such as tensile strength, of these aliphatic polyesters show markedly poor values even when they are the same level of number-average molecular weight as the above-mentioned polyethylene terephthalate, so just conceiving that the molded articles having required strength and the like would be obtained was difficult.
Another reason seems to be that studies for improving the physical properties of the aliphatic polyesters by increasing their number-average molecular weights have not been sufficiently advanced because of their poor heat stability.
The object of the present invention is to provide blow-molded articles prepared by using the above-mentioned aliphatic polyesters as their components which have sufficient high molecular weights for practical use, and excellent mechanical properties represented by heat stability and tensile strength, and which can be decomposed by microorganisms and the like, i.e., are biodegradable as one means of waste disposal so that they may be easily disposed of after the use thereof.


An oscillating system for a mechanical timepiece includes an annular balance wheel arranged in a fixed manner coaxially in relation to a rotatably mounted balance staff. A helical spring encloses the balance staff and has its inner end fastened on the balance staff and its outer end fastened on a fastening device. The fastening device has a helical-spring connector with an inner clamping jaw and an outer clamping jaw, the inner clamping jaw being radially inside of the outer clamping jaw in relation to the axis of rotation of the balance staff. The outer end of the helical spring may be clamped firmly between a clamping surface of the inner clamping jaw and a clamping surface of the outer clamping jaw.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an oscillating system for a mechanical timepiece having an annular balance wheel which is arranged in a fixed manner coaxially on a rotatably mounted balance staff and a helical spring which encloses the balance staff, wherein an inner end of the helical spring is fastened on the balance staff and an outer end of the helical spring is fastened on a fastening device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In known oscillating systems with a regulator, the regulator is mounted in a rotatable manner about the axis of rotation of a balance staff. A balance wheel is rotatably mounted on the balance staff. The length of a helical spring connected between the balance staff and the balance wheel can be regulated by pivoting the regulator. The setting of the frequency, i.e. the daily rate of the timepiece, is performed by changing the direction moment of the helix, that is to say of the torque of the helix upon deflection through 57.296°, corresponding to one rad.
In oscillating systems without a regulator, it is known to set the frequency by changing the mass moment of inertia of the balance wheel. The balance wheel has regulating elements for this purpose. The setting range is small and can thus only be used for precision adjustment. Rough adjustment takes place by the helical springs and the balance wheels being measured on specific instruments and being assigned in relation to one another such that the daily rate of the oscillating system is less than 1 min/day.

Oscillating system for mechanical timepiece


An adjustable neck for a vent cap includes a housing having a mount and a cylindrical body, where the cylindrical body includes an inner surface. The adjustable neck also includes adjustable straps arranged to form an adjustable inner diametrical surface disposed radially inward from the cylindrical body of the housing, relative to a central axis of the adjustable neck. The adjustable inner diametrical surface is configured to engage an outer pipe surface. The adjustable straps are coupled to the inner surface of the cylindrical body. The adjustable neck also includes legs coupled to the adjustable straps and to the mount, where the cylindrical body is configured to be rotated relative to the mount and the legs to adjust a dimension of the adjustable inner diametrical surface to correspond to the outer pipe surface.

The present disclosure relates generally to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and, more particularly, to vent caps of HVAC systems.
A wide range of applications exists for HVAC systems. For example, residential, light commercial, commercial, and industrial systems are used to control temperatures and air quality in residences and buildings. In certain HVAC systems or components thereof, such as a furnace, hot combustion gases may be generated by combusting an air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber or burner of the furnace. The hot combustion gases may be passed through a heat exchange coil, and a fan or blower may urge an air flow over the heat exchange coil. The air flow may extract heat from the hot combustion gases passing through the heat exchange coil, and the heated air flow may be utilized to heat a space.
A vent pipe of the HVAC system may route the used combustion gases to an environment external to the building or residence. Unfortunately, traditional vent caps configured to protect the HVAC system by blocking moisture, such as rain, from entering the vent pipe are difficult to install, expensive, and often incompatible with certain pipes. Accordingly, improved vent caps for vent pipes of HVAC systems are desired.


Inter-carrier interference (ICI) in a kth sub-carrier of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal received at time t is reduced, wherein the received OFDM signal comprises a plurality of sub-carriers. This is achieved by generating a self-interference term, ICIk−L,k−L, for a signal received on sub-carrier k−L, wherein L ∈ [ . . . , −3,−2,−1,1,2,3, . . . ], and wherein the self-interference term is an estimate of the data received at time t on the sub-carrier k−L, weighted by a rate of change of the channel through which sub-carrier k−L passes at time t. An ICI cancellation coefficient, GL is obtained, and an estimated ICI term is generated by adjusting the self-interference term, ICIk−L,k−L, by an amount based on the ICI cancellation coefficient, GL. The estimated ICI term is then subtracted from a term representing a signal received on the kth sub-carrier at time t.

The present invention relates to digital communication where Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is employed, and more particularly to cancellation of inter-carrier interference between OFDM sub-carriers.
In an OFDM system, a signal comprises a number of sub-carriers that are independently modulated, each by its own data. The modulation can be in accordance with a number of well-known techniques, such as Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) or n-ary Phase Shift Keying (n-PSK). The baseband signal in an OFDM system is then the sum of these modulated sub-carriers. The baseband signal is then used to modulate a main radio frequency (RF) signal. An important aspect of demodulating such a signal (thereby retrieving the underlying baseband signal) involves processing it by a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). An advantage to communicating by means of OFDM is that it allows for communication over highly time-dispersive channels (i.e., due to multi-path propagation of a transmitted signal) using reasonable complexity at the receiver side.
The way to handle large delay spreads for a system based on OFDM is to make use of a guard interval, often referred to in the literature as a "cyclic prefix", ("CP"). The CP is simply a copy of the last part of an OFDM symbol that is sent before the actual symbol. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, which shows a number of symbols. An exemplary one of the symbols 101 includes a last portion 103 that is transmitted as a preceding cyclic prefix 105 (time flows from left to right in the figure). Other cyclic prefixes are similarly formed from end portions of their immediately succeeding symbols.
It is well-known that for a system based on OFDM the effect of the time-dispersive channel, known as inter-symbol interference (ISI), can be avoided provided that the length (i.e., duration) of the CP is at least as long as the (maximum) duration of the impulse response of the channel. Because of the ability of an OFDM system to handle large delay spreads, it is very suitable for so-called Single Frequency Networks (SFN), which might be used for broadcasting. (In a single frequency network, geographically spaced transmitters operate on a same frequency, and are time synchronized with one another.) OFDM is also becoming the choice for other types of wireless communications systems. It is used for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Broadband Access (Wi-Max), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), and it has been proposed for the fourth generation (4G) of mobile communications equipment.
A major technical problem facing OFDM systems is their susceptibility to frequency offsets, phase noise, and Doppler effects when the channel is rapidly changing. These problems cause inter-carrier interference (ICI) between the OFDM sub-carriers, resulting in high bit error rates.
More particularly, ICI is caused by lack of orthogonality between the signals received on different sub-carriers. Since the orthogonality is in frequency, things like frequency error, phase noise, and Doppler spread will all cause a loss of orthogonality. The effect of frequency error and phase noise can in theory, and also often in practice, be made small enough by proper design. However, ICI caused by Doppler spread will be present even in an ideal receiver because it is caused by channel variations.
For a text-book OFDM system, the power of the ICI, PICI, caused by Doppler spread when Jakes' Spectrum is assumed is given by
            P      ICI        =                            π          2                6                                    (                                    f              D                                      Δ                                                                                f                                )                2              ,where fD=fcv/c is the maximum Doppler frequency, and Δf is the carrier spacing between the sub-carriers. Here, fc is the carrier frequency, v is the relative speed between receiver and transmitter and c=3×108 m/s is the speed of light. When designing an OFDM system, this understanding of ICI can be used to ensure that ICI caused by Doppler effects will not be a problem by making Δf sufficiently large in relation to the expected Doppler shift.
To date most OFDM applications have been for fixed or low mobility applications (low Doppler). More recently, however, high mobility services have been targeted, (e.g., DAB, DVB-H, and 4G.) Such systems require improved performance when the experienced Doppler effects are high.
For example, Doppler shifting is an issue for DVB-H systems because DVB-H is designed to be backward compatible with the older DVB-T system, rather than being designed from scratch. The DVB-T system was originally designed for receivers with low mobility; in most cases, the receiving antenna is placed on the roof-top of a building, and therefore completely stationary. Since DVB-H is targeting highly mobile devices, one can say that the system is not properly designed. To a certain extent, the 4k mode introduced in DVB-H (in which the size of the FFT is 4k compared to the 8k FFT that is normally used in DVB-T systems) is an attempt to improve Doppler tolerance for the system.
For the DVB-H system in the United States, Doppler shifts are even more of an issue. The reason for this is twofold: First, the carrier frequency is 1.67 GHz, which is roughly twice the highest frequency under consideration elsewhere for DVB-H. Second, the bandwidth of the U.S. system is only 5 MHz. The former means that fD will be at least twice as high for the same vehicle speed, whereas the latter means that the carrier spacing Δf is reduced by a factor of ⅝ compared to the 8 MHz system.
OFDM performance in Doppler or with frequency offset is improved by using fewer sub-channels. Reducing the number (N) of sub-channels permits a corresponding decrease in the symbol duration. However, this leads to a drop in transmission efficiency because the length of the cyclic prefix cannot be reduced accordingly due to channel delay spread considerations. The cyclic prefix length is designed to cover the longest delay spread expected on the channel. As such, in normal operation, this is generally wasteful since the longest delay spread hardly ever occurs.
One method for improving OFDM Doppler performance is using more robust modulation (e.g., as in DAB). Another is adding an additional layer of coding (e.g., as in DVB-H). Yet another is introducing a special code for minimum degradation due to ICI, such as repetition coding (transmitting the same data on adjacent sub-channels). All of these schemes suffer from reduced throughput due to the smaller modulation alphabet or the increased coding overhead.
Other methods include performing ICI cancellation in the receiver. A matrix of coefficients is formed describing the ICI coupling into adjacent channels. The received signal is then multiplied by the inverse of this matrix to remove the ICI effects. The scheme is complex because many sub-carriers contribute to the ICI, especially when the signal to noise requirement is high as it is for high data rate systems using high level modulations, such as 64 QAM.
There is therefore a need for techniques for improving the performance of OFDM-based systems for use in environments in which the experienced Doppler effects are high.

Low complexity inter-carrier interference cancellation


It is disclosed that the properties of a ceramic mullite-kaolinite based passivating coating composition applied as a collar to metal oxide varistor valve block cylindrical surfaces are improved by including in the coating composition from 0.03 to 15% by weight of the coating composition one or more of the following additive compounds: TiO.sub.2 ; Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 ; ZrO.sub.2 ; ZnO; Boroflux (2ZNO.sup.. 3B.sub.2 O.sub.3.sup.. 7H.sub.2 O; or 3ZnO.sup.. 2B.sub.2 O.sub.3.sup.. 5H.sub.2 O); or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. The coating composition comprises by dry weight a mixture of 55-85% mullite and 15-45% kaolinite, one or a mixture of the above additive compounds, and sufficient water to form a sprayable slurry. The inclusion of the additive compound results in enhanced contact adhesion between the collar and the metal oxide varistor peripheral surface.

This invention relates to an improvement in a passivating coating or collar applied to metal oxide varistors (MOVs) which are primarily zinc oxide and which are useful in a valve block of a surge arrester.
Surge arresters are used to protect electrical equipment against insulation damage resulting from voltage surges which exceed the normal operating voltage of the equipment. Typically, an arrester includes a valve section and a gap section in series inside a cylindrical insulating housing. The valve section is made up of one or more metal oxide, primarily zinc oxide, varistor disks stacked face-to-face. Each of the disks of the arrester is generally provided with a passivating coating material about the periphery, or collar, to improve its stability via preventing flashover, surface conduction, corona effect, tracking, etc. under high electrical surges (e.g., switching transients, lightning, etc.) and temporary overvoltages. The passivating material is generally a ceramic material coated on the peripheral surface of the disk to provide a ceramic collar material. The ceramic based collar material must provide:
1. isolation of the MOV surfaces from the immediate environment and prevention of gas or particle diffusion;
2. high mechanical strength and/or elastic properties;
3. higher resistivity than the MOV valve block at maximum continuous operating voltage;
4. similar dielectric constant to that of zinc oxide (i.e., .apprxeq.8.5 for MOV at extremely high electrical stress in the upturn region of the current voltage characteristic);
5. identical thermal properties with zinc oxide (i.e., thermal/heat conductivity, thermal expansion, heat diffusivity, specific heat, etc.); and
6. compact adhesion and nearly no variation in the physical gap between the collar and the MOV surfaces at any stress level.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,847 discloses the production of metal oxide varistors which may be incorporated into an over-voltage surge arrester either alone or as one of a number of arrester valve disks. A ceramic slurry may be coated on the peripheral surface of the disk prior to one of the reheating cycles used during the sintering process so that it will set in the course of reheating to form a flashover preventive collar. This patent discloses that a suitable slurry for this purpose is a water-based one containing a dry weight ingredient unit of filler-clay mix, of which 80% is mullite and 20% is Florida kaolin. The filler-clay mix is combined with 10% dry weight of an inorganic binder consisting of equal weights of monoaluminum phosphate and concentrated phosphoric acid. The combination is slurried with about 60% dry weight of water as a vehicle. The slurry is applied by spraying the disk to a thickness of about 1/4 millimeter. The slurry will cure or set to form a ceramic collar at anywhere above 250.degree. C., depending upon the time at that temperature. The disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,543, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a sintered zinc oxide, non-linear resistance surge arrester disk provided with a glass anti-flashover collar having a relatively low fusing temperature and a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion. The glass comprises the following constituents in proportion to one another by weight: about 44.5% lead oxide; about 24.5% zinc oxide; about 20.5% boric oxide; about 4.5% silicon oxide; and about 6.0% cupric oxide. In making the disk, the zinc oxide composition in powdered form is pressed into a disk shape with a diameter of about 3.4 inches and a thickness of somewhat over 1 inch to form a blank. This blank is then sintered by firing in air at a temperature of about 1200.degree. C. for about five hours. Thereafter, it is cooled at about 100.degree. C. per hour, and a slurry of finely divided glass particles, having the composition as described above and mixed with ball clay to hold the glass in suspension, is applied to the outside surface of the perimeter of the disk. The disk with the applied slurry is then fired again in air at a temperature of between 640.degree. C. and 650.degree. C. for about 30 minutes to cause the glass particles in the slurry to fuse to one another and to the disk to form a collar.

Passivating coating for metal oxide varistors


A multilayer coil component is formed such that ceramic green sheets having coil conductors and via hole conductors are laminated. The multilayer coil component includes therein a spiral coil in which the coil conductors are connected in series through the via hole conductors. In plan view in a lamination direction, the via hole conductors are located in positions spaced toward the outer side of the spiral coil, the positions being located near end surfaces in a long side direction of a multilayer body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multilayer coil components, and more particularly to a multilayer coil component having a multilayer body made of a plurality of ceramic layers and a spiral coil provided in the multilayer body.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a configuration disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-176725 is a known multilayer coil component. As shown in FIG. 7A, a multilayer coil component 71 is formed such that ceramic sheets 72a to 72f having coil conductors 73a to 73f and via hole conductors 76a to 76e are laminated in the order from the sheet 72a to the sheet 72f, and then protection ceramic green sheets (not shown) are laminated on the upper and lower sides of the laminated sheets 72a to 72f. The coil conductors 73a to 73f are connected in series through the via hole conductors 76a to 76e, to define a spiral coil 73. Reference numerals 74a to 74j denote pads provided at end portions of the coil conductors 73a to 73f. FIG. 7B is a perspective plan view showing the multilayer coil component 71.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are an exploded plan view and a perspective plan view each showing a multilayer coil component 81 in which the inner periphery of the coil conductors 73a to 73f has a curved profile. Like components are denoted by like numerals as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.
Unfortunately, in the multilayer coil components 71 and 81, the pads 74a to 74j and the via hole conductors 76a to 76e are located in positions spaced toward the inner side of the spiral coil 73 in plan view in a lamination direction. This is for done to reliably provide side gaps. Accordingly, the inside diameter of the spiral coil 73 becomes small, resulting in reduction in inductance. Also, in plan view, since the pads 74a to 74j and the via hole conductors 76a to 76e are superposed on the coil conductors 73a to 73f, a large pressure may be applied to the pads 74a to 74j and the via hole conductors 76a to 76e during a contact bonding procedure after the lamination. Accordingly, the pads 74a to 74j and the via hole conductors 76a to 76e may be flattened, and thus the inside diameter of the coil 73 may become further small. In addition, a stress may be concentrated at the pads 74a to 74j and the via hole conductors 76a to 76e, and thus the inductance may be reduced.


A hanger for suspending a chainsaw in a display is provided. The display may include a bar assembly that includes two parallel bars that project substantially parallel to each other. The hanger may include a first interface portion disposed at a first end of the body, and the first interface portion may include a first aperture and a second aperture. The hanger may additionally include a second interface portion disposed proximate to a second end, and a portion of the first face of the body may extend along a guide bar of the chainsaw. The second interface portion may align with a receiving orifice formed in the guide bar to enable a releasable fastener to operably couple the guide bar to the hanger. The first and second apertures may be configured to slidingly engage with the bars of the bar assembly to suspend the chainsaw from the bar assembly.

In a retail or commercial store or setting, customers often wish to visually inspect merchandise when shopping. In this regard, merchandise in a retail store may be displayed from a peg, hook, or other display apparatus in a manner that is easily accessible by the user. When merchandise is displayed in this manner, a customer may easily grab, visually inspect, or compare the merchandise to other similar products during the shopping experience. To facilitate the customer engaging with and exploring the displayed merchandise, retailers often desire the merchandise to be packaged in a manner that allows for the merchandise to be easily displayed while also highlighting the notable features of the merchandise. With respect to handheld power tools, such as chainsaws, however, manufacturers and retailers often find it difficult to effectively display or store handheld power tools in a manner that lets a customer visually inspect, grab, or compare the tool to other similar products.

Display or storage assembly for handheld power tool


An asynchronous medical image processing system is described that includes a real-time controller connectable to a medical imaging device, a graphics processing unit (GPU) connectable to a display device, and a central processing unit (CPU) that executes an operating system and related application(s). The real-time controller is directly connected to a memory of the GPU and performs respective operations asynchronously with respect to the CPU. The real-time controller additionally obtains medical imaging data, generates instructions for the medical imaging-data and transmits the medical imaging data and the instructions to the memory of the GPU. The GPU additionally receives and processes the medical imaging data based on the instructions from the real-time controller and instructions sent independently from the CPU.

In the field of real-time image display, there have been some attempts to devise systems that allow images to be directly injected (direct memory access (DMA) delivered) into a graphics card memory over Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe). However, no system is able to perform both display and real-time processing under the same operating system. For example, one system entitled "Sango" directly injects images into the graphic card's memory and allows an external PCIe card to trigger presentation of the next image within the graphics card based on the next Vsync signal. This allows images to be updated without involving the operating system (OS) of the host machine. Vsync stands for Vertical Synchronization and allows graphics processing units (GPUs) and display devices to synchronize the display of new images. The name originated from use of a vertical refresh of cathode-ray-tube-based displays.
In view of the above-described exemplary prior-art attempts, the field of real-time imaging still needs an improved method and device for tracking a probe position during examination sessions.

Asynchronous method and apparatus to support real-time processing and data movement


A head-mounted device may include a display that generates content and an optical system through which the content is viewable. The head-mounted device may include a lighting system that illuminates a periphery of the optical system. When the user places the device on his or her head in a brightly lit environment, control circuitry may operate the lighting system to provide bright illumination to the user's peripheral vision. The lighting system may gradually decrease in brightness until the user transitions from a bright-adapted state to a dark-adapted state. When the user is partially or fully dark-adapted, the lighting system may be turned off and the display may be turned on. In some arrangements, an ambient light sensor may measure ambient light conditions outside of the electronic device and the control circuitry may control the lighting system based on the ambient lighting conditions.

This relates generally to displays and, more particularly, to displays for head-mounted devices.
Head-mounted devices such as virtual reality glasses and augmented reality glasses use displays to generate images for a user.
If care is not taken, a head-mounted device may be cumbersome and tiring to wear. The images on the display may appear too dark and washed out when the user first puts the head-mounted device on his or her head. The user may experience dazzle or discomfort when transitioning out of a virtual reality viewing experience. The dynamic range of a head-mounted display may be perceived as insufficient depending on the adaptation state of the user's eyes.

Electronic device with adaptive lighting system


Embodiments disclosed herein propose a precision spray pumping system including a positive displacement pump in fluid communication with at least one spray nozzle. The positive displacement pump includes a displaceable member, and displacement of the displaceable member corresponds to a pumping cycle of the positive displacement pump. A controller is in communication with the positive displacement pump. The controller is operable to apply an actuation parameter to direct a displacement of the displaceable member and is also operable to receive an indication of an actual position of the displaceable member. The controller is further operable to compare a predetermined actuation parameter associated with an expected displacement of the displaceable member to a measured actuation parameter associated with the actual position of the displaceable member.

Booth spray systems for the application of skin lotions and cosmetics dispense a selectable variety of skin treatments including moisturizer and tanning treatments. Salon spray booths for spray tanning and skin treatments offer multiple spray sessions with selections from a wide variety of skin lotions and tanning products. Many of the booth systems have moving gantries that apply the spray evenly over the full body or can be user-programmed to apply only to the face or legs. Some booths are outfitted with booth pre-heaters and full body drying systems.
Automated booth spray systems used in salons consist basically of a booth structure that is either fully or partially enclosed with single or multiple spray nozzles positioned inside the booth. Reference is made to the following references generally directed to booth-type spray systems, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,557 to Laughlin filed on Apr. 19, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 7,004,407 to Cooper filed on Dec. 4, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,684 to Cooper et al. filed on Apr. 28, 2006; U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,288 to Thomason et al. filed on Aug. 24, 2009; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0266776 by Cooper et al. filed on Apr. 20, 2010; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0133004 by Thomason et al. filed on Oct. 22, 2010.
The spray session is activated by the person receiving the spray treatment within the enclosure. An exhaust fan may be used to prevent overspray inside the booth or drifting spray escaping from the booth. Other booth features may include lights, voice prompts in different languages, heaters, skin drying systems, and interior washing and rinsing systems.
The electrical and mechanical components in the rinse, drain, spray, gantry, heat and exhaust systems of these automated spray booths are operated in a sequence during a spray session by a microprocessor based or other sequential controller with a manual input device such as a keypad or button panel. Spray session parameters such as liquid flow, duration of spray, heater temperature, and the like are set and adjusted by input to the controller. Salon personnel and/or consumers using the spray system may manually enter certain operation parameters for each spray session.
The spray solution used for spray tanning is generally a water-based mixture of DHA (dihydroxyacetone) and/or erythrulose and various other skin care ingredients such as aloe vera. Often a cosmetic bronzer is added along with pleasant scents and other ingredients to enhance the tanning results and experience, such as formulations to balance skin pH. For best results, the spraying of the solution utilizes a finely atomized spray (mist), as opposed to using a spray stream or large spray droplets, because the mist of solution provides even coverage and reduces the risk of streaking or running of the spray deposit.
The spray systems of these booth-type skin treatment sprayers generally include single or multiple containers or tanks containing liquid spray solution which is fed to the spray nozzles by single or multiple pumps or other methods, such as gravity or Venturi. Flow is generally controlled by solenoid valves and a mechanical pump for which flow rate can be varied by varying motor speed or pressure. Multiple nozzles may be stationary and positioned along the interior walls of the booth, or they may be mounted to a moving gantry. A spray system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,684 to Cooper et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, utilizes a single dose cartridge tank system. This system is configured with a single nozzle that oscillates while moving on a gantry. In addition, sprayers can be operated without a mechanical pump, relying on gravity or Venturi feed to the nozzle.
Multiple batch tank systems on skin care booth sprayers allow approximately 30 to more than 100 sessions between changing or re-filling the tanks Booths with multiple tanks have the advantage of allowing a sequence of spray sessions with a choice of various lotions applied one after the other; for instance a moisturizer treatment may be applied after a tanning treatment, or a skin pH balancing spray may be applied before a tanning spray. Some booth models use refillable multiple tank systems with 2, 3 or 4 tanks. Many booth spray systems accommodate a more convenient bag-in-box system where multiple refillable and/or replaceable containers are received in a bay drawer of the unit as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,288 to Thomason et al. filed on Aug. 24, 2009, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The liquid flow system of a booth-type spray system may clog resulting in less efficient pumping and possible under application of the skin treatment solution. Initially, the clog may not be significant enough to be immediately recognized. Thus, the spray system may continue to be operable but may provide incorrect flow rates and result in an inferior tanning experience. If the clog worsens, it may cause the pumping system to become inoperable and disable the spray booth during a spray tanning session of a paying customer.

Precision pumping system for spray treatment cycles


A multilayer ceramic capacitor that is highly resistant to insulation degradation under high-temperature load includes an inner ceramic layer that has a composition mainly composed of a perovskite-type compound containing Ba and Ti, at least one of Nb and Ta, contains Mn and Al, and optionally contains Mg and a rare-earth element that is at least one of Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er, with a content of Ti being 100 parts by mole, and (a) a total of Nb and Ta is from about 0.2 to about 1.5 part by mole, (b) Mg is not more than about 0.2 part by mole including 0 part by mole, (c) Mn is from about 1.0 to about 3.5 parts by mole, (d) Al is from about 1.0 to about 4.0 parts by mole, and (e) the rare-earth element is not more than about 0.05 part by mole including 0 part by mole. Furthermore, an average number of particles per one layer of the inner ceramic layer is not more than 3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer ceramic capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of dielectric ceramic compositions composed mainly of BaTiO3, for example, have already conventionally been proposed as dielectric materials for a multilayer capacitor which do not become semiconducting even after firing under a low partial pressure of oxygen and which have flat temperature characteristics of a capacitance.
With development of electronic technology in recent years, electronic devices have increasingly become highly sophisticated in function and highly integrated, and conditions for use of a multilayer ceramic capacitor have increasingly become severe.
In particular, with higher integration of electronic devices, an ambient temperature of a multilayer ceramic capacitor mounted in the vicinity of a heat generating element such as a CPU operating at a high frequency has become increasingly higher than in a conventional example, and influence on reliability has been a concern.
On the other hand, in order to meet the demand for a small size and a larger capacitance of a multilayer ceramic capacitor as described previously, there is also a need for a decrease in thickness of a dielectric ceramic layer and for an increase in a number of dielectric ceramic layers.
Under such circumstances, both of a smaller size and a larger capacitance and improvement in dielectric strength have been demanded for a multilayer ceramic capacitor. Therefore, a dielectric ceramic composition having a high dielectric constant, flat temperature characteristics of a relative permittivity, and that is excellent in dielectric strength and reliability in spite of a decrease in thickness of a dielectric ceramic layer has been required as a dielectric ceramic composition to be used for this multilayer ceramic capacitor.
For example, in order to meet the demand described above, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-132645 proposes a dielectric ceramic composition expressed by a composition formula: 100(Ba1-xCax)mTiO3+aMnO+bNb2O5+cSiO2+dRe2O3, where Re represents at least one metal element selected from among Y, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb, and a, b, c, and d represents a molar ratio, and conditions of 0.01≦a≦5, 0.05≦b≦2, 0.4≦c≦8, 0.05≦d≦2.5, 0.01≦x≦0.20, and 0.99≦m≦1.03 are satisfied.
The multilayer ceramic capacitor containing the dielectric ceramic composition in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-132645, however, has disadvantageously been great in changes over time in insulation resistance under high-temperature load and also has been insufficient in reliability.


The present invention is directed toward a self-decontaminating surface coating, which when cured has a partially hydrophobic surface. The coating comprises a polymeric coating resin which, when cured, is hydrophilic. The coating also comprises a biocide, a germinating agent, and a hydrophobic micro/nano particulate material. The coating is suitable for application to ceramics, metals, and polymer substrates. Articles coated with the coating of the present invention are resistant to spores.

Spores are known to form from aerobic Bacilli, anaerobic Clostridia, selected sarcinae and few actinomycetes. Spores resemble certain plant seeds in that they do not carry out any metabolic reactions. In this regard, they are especially suited to withstand severe environmental stress and are known to survive prolonged exposures to heat, drying, radiation and toxic chemicals. These properties make spores especially difficult to kill in environments, like living tissue or objects which come in contact with living tissue, which would be adversely effected by extreme conditions.
Pathogenic spore-forming bacterial like Bacillus anthracis, Clostridium botulinum, C difficile, C. perfringens and C. tetani form spores which survive in harsh environmental conditions for extended periods. The spore nucleoid structure is surrounded by protective layers composed of peptidoglycan and proteins with unusual amino acid contents. This structure provides unique resistance properties acting as a permeability barrier to prevent access to the underlying spore protoplast. Spores are able to survive exposure to chlorinated solvents, detergents, mechanical disruption, extreme temperatures, UV and ionizing radiation. Hence, there is a need to develop a means to prevent the spread of spores once they have contacted a surface.
Most conventional liquid sporicidal agents fall into three broad categories: halide releasing compounds (hypochlorites and idodophores), reactive oxygen releasing agents (peroxides and peracetic acid) or aldehydes (formaline and glutaraldehyde). Activity of all of these agents depends on destruction of fundamental metabolic processes and organic structures making them extremely hazardous to humans. Furthermore, many of these agents rely on the generation of very reactive chemical species, making them inherently unstable. Most commercial sterilants require activation immediately prior to use and loose effectiveness within hours after application. The efficacy of some agents such as hypochlorites is rapidly attenuated by the presence of organic matter. Aldehydes are effective sporicides only at relatively high concentrations (2-10%) as liquids and require high relative humidity for effectiveness as a vapor. Building decontamination has utilized extremely toxic gases such as ethylene oxide, chlorine dioxide and methylene bromide. As with the aldehydes, sporicidal efficacy of these gasses requires high relative humidity and extreme caution must be exercised during use. The ability to determine the successful removal of spores from a surface using one of the aforementioned processes is difficult.
One method for decontaminating biological spore contamination has involved the use of a spore germination composition, over a sufficient time period, to cause germination of the biological spores. With the spores germinated within a contaminated area, select disinfectants show increased effectiveness against the spores. Upon germinating, the spore cortex breaks down, losing heat and chemical resistance, which results in increased susceptibility to being killed by the decontaminant. This method fails to eliminate the problem of successfully removing spores from the surface. Rather, it requires the spores to become part of the surface and to undergo germination prior to removal.
Giletto et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,353 describe a formulation for decontamination which includes a sorbent material or gel, a peroxide source, a peroxide activator, and a compound containing a mixture of KHSO3, KHSO4, and K2SO4. The formulation is self-decontaminating and once dried can easily be wiped from the surface being decontaminated. This formulation, although useful for an already decontaminated surface, is ineffective as a preventative means for keeping a surface free of contamination.
DiMarzio et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,351 propose a method for producing a self-decontaminating surface. The method includes exposing a surface to be treated to ultraviolet light and then applying a coating of nanoparticles of a transition metal oxide to the surface. The nanoparticles are heated to 750° C. and sprayed onto the surface to form a nanoparticle coating. The treated surface is exposed to ultraviolet light and water moisture to catalytically form free hydroxyl radicals that thereafter react with contaminants to render them generally harmless. Such a method is cumbersome and not feasible for surfaces that cannot withstand having 750° C. nanoparticles applied thereon.
Buhr et al. in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0191206A1 describe a decontaminating method for biological spore populations which uses the application of an acidic environment to the biological spores with an additional step of moderately heating the biological spores in the acidic environment to decontaminate the spores. As in other methods, this method is only useful for treating surfaces after exposure to biological spores and is not suitable as a preventative measure against spores.
An object of the present invention is to provide a self-decontaminating surface coating or treatment process which, when applied to an article, makes the coated surface of the article hostile towards spores.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-decontaminating surface coating or treatment process that facilitates easy removal of spore clusters and elimination of any spore fragments that may penetrate the surface of the coating.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing an article that is resistant to spores.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Self-decontaminating surface coatings and articles prepared therefrom

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A lighting control system (1) comprises: a communication bus (2); at least one extension movement detector (30) issuing detection pulses (DOS) over said communication bus in response to detecting a movement, at first time intervals (T1) determined by a sensor timer (34); one master luminaire (10) comprising a lamp (11) and a master controller (13) issuing master command signals (MCS) over said bus in response to detection pulses (DOS) received over said bus; and at least one slave luminaire (20) comprising a lamp (21) and a slave controller (23) being responsive to the master control signals (MCS) received over said bus to switch the corresponding lamp ON and OFF. Whenever the master controller receives a detection pulse, it starts a master timer (15) and switches the lamps ON. If the master timer times out (T2) without the master controller receiving any detection pulses, the master controller switches the lamps OFF.

Conventionally, for illuminating a room or the like, a lamp is connected to the electric mains through a switch, to be operated by a user. When a user enters a room, he switches on the light, and when he leaves the room, he switches off the light. If a room has multiple lights, the room typically has multiple switches, each switch servicing one or more lamps.
Instead of user-operable switches, also automatic switches exist, which have a built-in detector, and which switch ON or OFF depending on a detected event. For instance, light detectors switch ON automatically when it starts getting dark, and switch OFF when it starts getting lighter again. Movement detectors switch ON automatically when a movement is detected, and switch OFF when no movement has been detected for a predefined time period.
Such switches, be it user-operable or automatic, switch the mains power. Such switch can be integrated with a lamp fitting or lamp housing, or even with a light bulb itself, in which case a switch is a dedicated switch for switching one specific lamp. Such switch can also be a separate device having a switched power output, to which one or more remote lamps can be connected. In that case it is possible to detect movement in one location and switch ON the light at a distance. A disadvantage is, however, that separate power lines must be arranged from the switch to the corresponding lamps.
In the following, the word "lamp" will be used for the actual light-generating element, such as a light bulb, a fluorescent tube, etc. A lamp will be mounted in a fitting, which is arranged in a housing, possibly comprising a ballast, the housing further in general being provided with mounting means for mounting against a wall or in a ceiling; such combination will in the following be indicated by the word "luminaire".
More recently, a system has been developed comprising multiple luminaires and a communication bus to which all luminaires are connected. One luminaire comprises an integrated movement sensor; this luminaire will be indicated as a MASTER luminaires The other luminaires do not have such sensor; these luminaires will be indicated as a SLAVE luminaire. All luminaires are connected directly to the mains. Each luminaire comprises a controllable switch, controlled by a controller that is coupled to the communication bus. The controller of the MASTER luminaire is also coupled to the integrated movement sensor. If the sensor detects a movement, the MASTER controller controls its own switch to go ON, but it also sends a digital command signal over the communication bus to the SLAVE luminaires. A SLAVE controller controls its corresponding switch in response to commands received from the MASTER controller over the communication bus. Thus, it is possible to illuminate a relatively large area (for instance an entire room) in response to detection of movement in one small region (for instance the entrance door).
In some situations, it may be that the detection zone of the movement sensor is too limited, so that it is desirable to enlarge the detection zone. For example, a room may have two or more entrances. For such situation, it would be possible to arrange a second MASTER luminaire for defining a second detection zone. A problem then would be that two (or more) masters are connected to one and the same bus, and their respective command signals may collide with each other. In order to prevent this, multi-master systems usually use a complicated communication protocol.
Another practical problem may be that no mains power line is available at the location where it is desired to add a detection zone. For such situation, it would be desirable to have available a separate, auxiliary movement detector which can be battery-powered. In order to provide long battery life, the energy consumption should be kept to a minimum. On the other hand, the auxiliary movement detector should be operational 24 hours each day.
The present invention aims to solve the above problems.


A washing machine and a method for controlling the same are provided. The washing machine includes a first rotary tub, a first driver configured to rotate the first rotary tub, a second rotary tub, a second driver configured to rotate the second rotary tub, and at least one processor configured to control the first driver and the second driver in a manner that the first rotary tub and the second rotary tub rotate. If a rotation speed of the first rotary tub is equal to or higher than a first reference speed, the at least one processor controls the second driver such that a rotation speed of the second rotary tub increases to a target speed and then decreases.

A washing machine is an electronic appliance that washes laundry, such as clothing, bedding, towels, fabrics, and the like. The washing machine may include one or more washing tubs configured to store laundry and wash water therein, and may wash laundry by rotation of the washing tub.
The washing tub of the washing machine may include a rotary pulsator installed at a bottom surface thereof, or may include a rotary rod having wings installed at the center thereof, such that the washing machine may wash laundry by rotating the pulsator or the rotary rod.
The washing machine provided with the pulsator may wash laundry stored in the washing tub using eddy currents produced by rotating the pulsator disposed at the bottom surface of the washing tub at a high speed. The washing machine may agitate laundry by periodically rotating the pulsator in different directions within the range of a predetermined angle, such that the laundry may be washed.
The washing machine may include a laundry inlet (or opening) provided at a front thereof, and may include a drum that rotates while being tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to a line perpendicular to the ground. In this case, laundry may be washed using a head of water obtained by rotation of the drum.
The washing machine may perform a washing process using various methods as described above. Upon completion of the washing process, the washing machine may wash laundry by further performing at least one of a rinsing process and a dehydration process in order of precedence.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

Washing machine and method for controlling the same


Anti collision light for an aircraft includes a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged on a common plane. A reflecting arrangement is located above the plane and reflects the light emitted by the diodes in a sidewards direction. A surrounding reflecting arrangement can be provided around the diodes and an additional reflecting arrangement in form of a layer on the plane may also be utilized. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an anti collision light for aircraft and, in particular, to such a light with light emitting diodes as light sources.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Agencies such as, e.g., EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) or FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations) have international regulations for airborne aircraft with fixed wings or rotary wings (airplanes or helicopters) which require an external lighting which, in addition to the position lights, requires so called anti collision lights which must radiate by day and by night above a certain minimal intensity indicated in Candela. According to EASA, the anti collision lights must, e.g. radiate in red ("aviation red") or in white ("aviation white") with a predetermined intensity and color, and also within a given solid angle.
A usual source for flashing anti collision lights is, for example, provided by Xenon flashing tubes which emit a light spectrum that appears white to the human eye, and which is provided with a red filter (typically red glass) for operation in the red spectral region. It is known, as well, to provide anti collision lights with light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources.


An apparatus for moving a carriage assembly from an initial position to a target position relative to a storage medium rotating at a circumferential velocity. The apparatus includes a suspended body having a center of mass and a lens defining an optical axis. The center of mass being disposed substantially on the optical axis. The carriage assembly suspends the suspended body and has a center of mass on the optical axis proximate the center of mass of the suspended body. A drive producing a plurality of balanced and symmetrical forces moves the carriage assembly from the initial position to the target position. A processor determines a velocity trajectory relative to the radial distance of the initial position and the target position to the center of the medium, the circumferential distance between the initial position and the target position, and the initial circumferential velocity of the medium. The processor directs the drive to move the carriage assembly using the velocity trajectory so that the carriage assembly will arrive radially and circumferentially at the target position at substantially the same time and the moments produced by the forces are effectively absent. Additionally, the rotation of the storage medium may be changed from the initial circumferential velocity to a target circumferential velocity, and the velocity trajectory is further related to the target circumferential velocity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data storage systems of the type that include a housing having an opening for receipt of a removable disc cartridge in which an information recording medium is mounted for protection. More particularly, it relates to a system for rapidly encoding and writing information onto optical disks in a high density format, and for reading and decoding the information written thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art

Apparatus for moving a carriage assembly from an initial position to a target position


The data processing system includes processing nodes and a graphics display device for processing a graphics data stream. The data processing system partitions a graphics data stream into a data segments or work groups for processing by the processing nodes. Next, the data segments are distributed for processing to the processing nodes. In response to receiving a data segment at a processing node, the data segment is processed to produce a processed data segment. The processed data segments are recombined into a processed graphics data stream. This processed graphics data stream is coupled to the graphics display device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for improved graphical computation and in particular to a method and system for utilizing graphical computation to process a data stream. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system of graphical computation to efficiently process a graphics data stream.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing systems such as personal computers and work stations are commonly utilized to run computer-aided design ("CAD") applications, computer-aided manufacturing ("CAM") applications, and computer-aided software engineering ("CASE") tools. Engineers, scientists, technicians, and others employ these applications daily. These applications involve complex calculations, such as finite element analysis, to model stress in structures. Other applications include chemical or molecular modelling applications. CAD/CAM/CASE applications are normally graphics intensive in terms of the information relayed to the user. Other data processing system users may employ other graphics intensive applications such as desk top publishing applications. Generally, users of these applications require and demand that the data processing systems be able to provide extremely fast graphics information.
The processing of graphics data streams to provide a graphical display on a video display terminal requires an extremely fast graphics processing system in order to provide a display with a rapid response. It is desirable to be able to provide the performance required utilizing the present technology without having to change the microcode in a data processing system. In order to meet the performance demands of users employing graphics applications, multiple floating point processors have been utilized to provide the computational power needed for higher performance.
Two basic approaches are presently available for providing extremely fast graphics. One approach for providing fast graphics is a series or "pipeline" approach. Under a pipeline approach, a number of processors are serially coupled to form a "pipeline" for processing the graphics data stream. The work load is then apportioned between the processors in the pipeline. This approach requires that the interface between each processor in the pipeline be able to transfer the entire data stream. In addition, the balancing of work across more than three or four processors in a pipeline is difficult. Often times, one or more processors may be idle because of uneven distribution of tasks over the individual processors.
Another approach involves a parallel processor architecture. All of the processors in a parallel processing architecture must be able to access a common input stream, resulting in the input bus becoming the bottleneck in such a system. Another problem associated with this approach is that when multiple processors are connected together, it is difficult to obtain sufficient bandwidth into and out of a shared memory configuration. Additionally, breaking up the input data streams, which are essentially serial, into a format for parallel processing is also a problem for a multiple tier parallel processing system. More specifically, breaking up a data stream into parallel pieces introduces problems with synchronization, i.e., maintaining temporal order, and the problems arising from the processing of graphics attributes, which must be serially processed.
As a result, an inefficient usage of processing power may occur with either of the presently available systems. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and system in a graphical processing system to efficiently process graphics data streams.

Method and system for processing graphics data streams utilizing scalable processing nodes

International Business Machines Corporation


A method of producing a composite component that includes both a structural insert and a plastic casing. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method uses a closed-loop control system and includes the following steps: evaluating the structural insert for various attributes, placing the structural insert in a mold cavity, adjusting the position and/or orientation of the structural insert with respect to the mold cavity based on, among other things, the evaluated attributes, and injecting molten material into the mold cavity so that it at least partially surrounds the structural insert.

Composite components can be manufactured by molding a plastic material around a structural insert or other reinforcement. In a typical process, the structural insert is formed according to one of a number of different forming techniques, and is then inserted into a cavity of a molding machine for subsequent molding of the composite component.

Composite component and method of manufacturing the same


A system for selective treatment of plants arranged in rows extending along a first direction includes a camera arranged along the first direction over a row of plants and a set of treatment units arranged at a first distance behind the camera along the first direction and over the row of plants. The camera is configured to move along the first direction while obtaining images of a target area that includes one or more plants that are to be treated. The set of treatment units is also configured to move along the first direction behind the camera while maintaining the first distance. The system generates a map of digitized unitary spots covering the target area based on the obtained images, and then sends the generated map to a computing unit, where a plant treatment application adds spot-specific plant treatment instructions to the generated map. The system synchronizes the set of treatment units to treat each of the unitary spots in the target area according to the spot-specific plant treatment instructions at the time when the set of treatment units is positioned over each of the unitary spots. The set of treatment units includes a plurality of individually controllable treatment units arranged consecutively along the first direction. Each individually controllable treatment unit consecutively applies a fraction of the entire spot-specific plant treatment instructions to each unitary spot in the target area until the entire spot-specific plant treatment instructions for each unitary spot are fulfilled.

Various camera-based, decision-making, mapping techniques to represent a plant or a part of a plant for treatment, such treatment being stimulating/hindering the growth, are known: Some systems use plant recognition by means of analysis of radiated/reflected spectra being specific to the plants of interest; other systems use pattern recognition technique based on analysis of form and structure of leaves from the relevant plants; even systems discriminating crop/weed depending of determination of plant height are known. Such systems are often "biased" with additional information of characteristics of the plants/crop/weeds expected to be involved, and/or of the characteristics of the place of growth, e.g. data from previous mapping of same field—possibly with same rows of plants, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,035 discloses examples of such techniques.
The invention is not specifically related to a specific one of such techniques, as the most suited for the actual need may be selected—alone or in combination(s).
The point in the use of an appropriate mapping technique in relation to the inventive apparatus comprising individually controllable treatment means, comprises:                moving the "camera" means along the one or more rows, in which the plants of interest for treatment are positioned, and so, that the area(s) actually being observed/recorded by the camera means is/are located a physical distance in front to the target area of the treatment means, to yield time during movement forwards, to establish a prepared map of digitized unitary spots covering the area for treatment, so this prepared map in the form of an organized data structure is available to the treatment means, when their target area is positioned over the physical area represented by the prepared map;        via the camera observations, biasing data, and decisive software, also preparing the map with inclusion of spot-specific information of nature of treatment decided;        via speed-of-movement data, and via the actual physical distance from a physical unitary spot in the area of interest for treatment at an observation point of time, to the target area of the treatment means—at the same point of time, (to a little later treat said physical unitary spot,) synchronizing the treatment means to treat said physical unitary spot with the decided treatment, when at treatment-time being positioned/"framed" in the target area.
From above is to be understood, that a prepared map is a dynamic phenomenon, as such a treatment system normally in a suitable elevation is being continuously moved along the rows, at a suitable speed; thus, the camera means all the time during the movement, at the front "take in" successive lines across the direction of movement, of new spots to be mapped and decided for, while the treatment means a distance rearward "leave behind" "used" spots after their passage of the target area, which is moved together with the system. The map can to some degree be imagined as a semi-stationary overlay on an area for treatment, being rolled out by the system on that area at observation time, being transformed to a prepared state and used for the decided treatment during the system's passage of that area, and the overlay/map then being rolled in again by the system after the prepared map overlay has been used and passed by the treatment means.

System for selective treatment of plants in a row


The present invention relates to a mold drum for molding products from a mass of food starting material. The mold drum comprises one or more cavities with a mold cavity wall having at least partially a porous structure, whereas each cavity is connected to a passage. The present invention further relates to a cleaning apparatus for the inventive mold drum with supporting means for supporting the axis of the drum. Additionally, the present invention relates to a process for cleaning the inventive drum.

Hygiene is an important issue in the food processing industry. It is therefore important that machine parts, which are in contact with a food product, are cleaned regularly. Particularly, when using a drum with cavities with a porous structure for producing formed food products, the drum must be cleaned regularly and as soon as possible after the mould drum has been removed from the forming apparatus. If this is not done, for example dry meat will result in blocking of the pores of the porous cavity and will make it very difficult to clean these cavities.
From WO 2005/107481 A2, a mould drum is known, which can be cleaned. However, the cleaning of this mould drum is not sufficient. Furthermore, from this patent application, a cleaning apparatus is known, which is however rather complicated and results in an insufficient cleaning.

Mould drum and cleaning apparatus for a mould drum


The present disclosure provides a camera module mounted in a display device, comprising: a lighting lens configured to collect light; a photoelectric sensor configured to convert the light collected by the lighting lens into a corresponding electrical signal; and a reflector arranged to be capable of reflecting the light from the lighting lens towards the photoelectric sensor.

With the continuous development of science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has become the development trend in the future, and the camera module is one of the important structures to realize artificial intelligence. Therefore, a display device such as a laptop or a mobile phone integrates one or more camera modules, which makes it difficult to reduce the width of the frames of the display device.

Camera module with a reflector mounted in a display device

Beijing BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.

Beijing BOE Technology Development Co., Ltd.


Described are general means and methods of diagnosing and treating the phenotypic spectrum as well as the overlapping clinical characteristics with several forms of inherited abnormal expression and/or function of the hPXR gene. In particular, polynucleotides of molecular variant hPXR gene which, for example, are associated with insufficient metabolization and/or sensitivity of drugs, and vectors comprising such polynucleotides are provided. Furthermore, host cells comprising such polynucleotides or vectors and their use for the production of variant hPXR proteins are described. In addition, variant hPXR proteins and antibodies specifically recognizing such proteins as well as transgenic non-human animals comprising the above-described polynucleotide or vectors are provided. Described are also methods for identifying and obtaining inhibitors for therapy of disorders related to the malfunction of the hPXR gene as well as methods of diagnosing the status of such disorders. Pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions comprising the above-described polynucleotides, vectors, proteins, antibodies and inhibitors by the above-described method are provided. Said compositions are particularly useful for diagnosing and treating various diseases with drugs that are substrates, inhibitors or modulators of the hPXR gene product.

Members of the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) family of hemoproteins metabolise a wide variety of endogenous substrates such as steroid hormones, and of xenobiotics including carcinogens, toxins and drugs(1,2). Of the human CYP proteins, those of the CYP3A subfamily are of a major importance, since collectively, they are by far the most abundant of all the human CYP isoforms. Moreover, their substrate specificity is extremely broad; accordingly, many structurally diverse compounds are, exclusively or to some extent, substrates for CYP3A proteins. Based on the data available it is generally assumed that all CYP3A isoforms have similar substrate spectra; however, limited studies indicate the possibility of differences (3). All CYP3A isoforms are localized in organs of particular importance to drug disposition (gastrointestinal tract, kidney and liver).
At least three functional CYP3A proteins exist in humans. The CYP3A4 monooxygenase is the predominant cytochrome P450 in human liver and small bowel. The protein displays a broad substrate specificity and it metabolises more than 60% of all drugs that are currently in use, including contraceptive steroids, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, immunosuppressive agents, imidazole antimicotics, and macrolide antibiotics (4,5). In addition, CYP3A4 plays a major role in the protection from environmental toxins. For example, the protein metabolizes aflatoxin B1, which has been implicated in the etiology of liver cancer, which is a major cause of premature death in many areas of Africa and Asia. Aflatoxin B1 is a mycotoxin produced by species of Aspergillus, and human exposure results principally from the ingestion of stored foodstuffs contaminated with the mold. Carcinogenicity is associated with its conversion to 8,9-oxide by the hepatic cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase system. Forrester et al. (6) found that the rates of metabolic activation of aflatoxin B1 were highly correlated with the level of proteins of the CYP3A gene family in the microsomes. Furthermore, Paolini et al. (7) found significant increases in CYP3A in the lungs of rats treated with high doses of beta-carotene. Consequently, it was proposed that correspondingly high levels of CYP3A4 in humans would predispose an individual to cancer risk from the bioactivated tobacco-smoke procarcinogens, thus explaining the cocarcinogenic effect of beta-carotene in smokers. All this implies that individual variation in the CYP3A4 activity could influence the efficacy of a variety of drug therapies as well as the individual predisposition to several major cancers caused by environmental carcinogens.
A considerable variation in the CYP3A4 content and catalytic activity has been, indeed, described in the general population. For example, the metabolic clearance of the gene substrates exhibits a unimodal distribution with up to 20-fold interindividual variability. The activities of the CYP3A4 protein in liver biopsies vary up to 30-fold (8). Furthermore, many common drugs alter the expression levels of the gene (induction or repression) and the extent of this phenomenon is individually variable. The inducers of CYP3A4 expression include commonly used drugs such as the glucocorticoid dexamethasone, the antibiotic rifampicin, and the antimycotic clotrimazole. The inducibility of CYP3A4 expression, combined with the diverse range of substrates, creates a potential for potentially harmful drug interactions involving this isozyme in patients undergoing therapies with multiple drugs.
CYP3A3 is a very closely related isoform to CYP3A4 (>more than 98% cDNA sequence similarity), but it is not known whether this reflects a separate gene product or an allelic variant. By contrast, CYP3A5 is a gene distinct from CYP3A4 and it is expressed polymorphically both in the adult and fetal liver and in the kidney and intestine. In adult Caucasians, the mRNA and the protein were detected in the liver of 10 to 30% of samples, while the protein was detected in the kidney and intestine of 70% of subjects (Ref. (9) and references therein). A point mutation described in the CYP3A5 gene which possibly results in the synthesis of an unstable protein, may account for the polymorphic expression of this enzyme (9). CYP3A7 is the third functional CYP3A isoform. CYP3A7 was originally isolated from a fetal liver but it was subsequently found in 54% of adult livers (10).
Tests to estimate the inducibility and the activity of CYP3A isozymes in an individual patient would be of obvious relevance for the optimization of therapies with drugs which are their substrates, and for the prevention of the associated side effects. Direct estimates of the activities of CYP3A isozymes in liver biopsies are possible but impracticable for both ethical and cost reasons. The indirect in vivo tests of CYP3A4 activity such as the erythromycin breath test or the 6-β-hydroxycortisol test pose ethical problems such as the invasive administration of undesirable probe substances and they are obviously unsuited for routine testing. In addition, the lack of correlation between these tests questions their informative value regarding the CYP3A4 activity (11).
A major portion (83%) of the interindividual CYP3A4 variability has been attributed to genetic factors (12). The establishment of a genetic test for the activity of CYP3A4 and of the other CYP3A isozymes should be possible, assuming the prior identification of those factors. Genetic variance affecting the activity and the expression of CYP3A isozymes could be localized in the genes itself, or in one or more of their regulators. A comparison of the three originally published sequences of the best characterized CYP3A gene, CYP3A4, suggested the existence of polymorphisms affecting the amino acid sequence of the CYP3A4 protein (13). Unfortunately, this observation has not been, to our knowledge, confirmed in the general population. More recently, a polymorphism (CYP3A4-W) has been described in the nifedipine-specific response element of the CYP3A4 promoter (14). Its presence associates with a more advanced prostate tumor stage (14). Felix et al. (15) examined this polymorphism in 99 de novo and 30 treatment-related leukemias. In all treatment-related cases, there was prior exposure to one or more anticancer drugs metabolized by CYP3A, such as epipodophyllotoxins. These data suggest that individuals with the CYP3A4-W polymorphism may be at increased risk for treatment-related leukemia and that epipodophyllotoxin metabolism by CYP3A4 may contribute to the secondary cancer risk. At present it is unclear if the polymorphism influences the expressivity or inducibility of the CYP3A4 protein. A first published analysis suggests that it has no effect on the basal expression level of CYP3A4 (8). A point mutation was described in the CYP3A5 (9), whereas no mutations have been reported in CYP3A7.
Experiments with amino acid exchanges artificially introduced into the CYP3A4 gene indicate that the function of the family members may be quite sensitive to amino acid exchanges (16–21). Besides amino acid exchanges, silent polymorphisms and those localized in untranslated or intronic sequences also could influence the expression level of these genes. Alternatively, such polymorphisms could serve as markers for nearby, unidentified polymorphisms. This effect is known as linkage, i.e. defined polymorphisms serve as markers for phenotypes that they are not causative for.
A major breakthrough in the understanding of the CYP3A expression and inducibility took place in 1998 when three research groups independently showed that the expression of CYP3A4 is regulated by a member of the orphan nuclear receptor family termed hPXR (pregnane X receptor), or PAR (22–24). Upon treatment with inducers of CYP3A4, hPXR binds to the rifampicin/dexamethasone response element in the CYP3A4 promoter as a heterodimer with the 9-cis retinoic acid receptor (RXR). Northern blot analysis detected most abundant expression of hPXR in liver, colon, and small intestine, i.e. in the major organs expressing CYP3A4. The available evidence suggests that human hPXR serves as a key transcriptional regulator of the CYP3A4 gene. A recent report describes the induction of CYP3A7 mediated by hPXR suggesting that all members of the family may be regulated by this common transcriptional activator (25).
It is clear that naturally occurring mutations in hPXR, if they exist can have effects on drug metabolization and efficacy of therapies with drugs, in particular in cancer treatment. It is unknown, however, how many of such variations exist, and with what frequency and at what positions in the human hPXR gene.
Accordingly, means and methods for diagnosing and treating a variety of forms of individual drug intolerability and inefficacy of drug therapy which result from hPXR gene polymorphisms that interfere e.g., with chemotherapeutic treatment of diseases, in particular cancer, was hitherto not available but are nevertheless highly desirable.
Thus, the technical problem of the present invention is to comply with the needs described above.
The solution to this technical problem is achieved by providing the embodiments characterized in the claims.

Polymorphisms in the human hPXR gene and their use diagnostic and therapeutic applications


An airflow deflector (5) guides the airflow (6) between a towing machine (1) and a transported unit (4, 32) adjoining the towing machine (1) in the travel direction (F) and is coupled with a setting system (7) for adjusting the orientation of the airflow deflector as needed. To ensure an optimal position of the airflow deflector at all times without human interference even when transported units of different external geometrical configurations are utilized, geometrical data (11) on the external geometry and/or positional data (12) are assigned to the transported unit (4, 32). This data, at least in case of a replacement of the transporting unit (4, 32) may be called up or read and forwarded to a control unit (21) that converts the geometrical and/or positional data into setting commands for the setting system (7) to adjust the airflow deflector (5).

The invention finds application particularly in the field of the truck and transport technology, where the vehicle is a truck and the unit is a transported unit. Within the framework of the invention, under transported unit there is meant a unit that is connected with a self-propelled towing device (tractor or towing machine) of a truck and/or is transportable by such a towing device. The unit may be a construction which travels on its own wheels, such as a semitrailer or trailer coupled in a known manner with the towing device. The transported unit, however, may also be a container or transporting crate which has a given external geometrical configuration and which is situated in a certain position on a loading platform of the towing device.
German Offenlegungsschrift (Laid-Open Application) DE 26 16 948 A1 describes a two-part vehicle spoiler whose adjustable part close to the road is pivoted away from the road at low speeds and which, forced by the travel-generated air stream, pivots back as a function of increasing vehicle speed.
German Offenlegungsschrift (Laid-Open Application) DE 38 28 752 A1 describes a further development of a device for adjusting a vehicle spoiler. The device, based on a continuous evaluation of detected operational parameters of the vehicle (such as speed, acceleration and travel in curves), adjusts the spoiler such that an optimal road-handling ability of the vehicle is ensured.
German Offenlegungsschrift (Laid-Open Application) DE 38 23 161 A1 discloses a wind deflecting device situated between the driver's cab and the adjoining semitrailer. For obtaining, in a simple manner, a uniform appearance with identical flow conditions between the cabs and/or the semitrailers of substantially different geometrical configurations, a kit, which comprises aerodynamic and complementally shaped unitary wind deflecting flaps or plates adjustable from the cab as well as different intermediate elements, is provided at the assembly plant. During vehicle assembly at the plant, a selection is made from the kit in accordance with the geometrical variants at hand.
An apparatus generic to the invention is disclosed in European Patent Application EP 1 031 497 A2 which relates to a mechanism for adjusting an airflow deflector mounted on the roof of a vehicle cab, for example, on the roof of a towing machine or tractor of a truck. In order to be able to adapt the position of the airflow deflector to trailers with different geometrical design in a possibly economical manner, the described apparatus includes an electrical setting device which comprises a spindle, a spindle nut and a rod connecting the spindle nut with the airflow deflector. The rotation of the spindle may be controlled from the cab of the towing machine to enable the driver to manually vary the position of the airflow deflector. The actual position of the airflow deflector may be displayed in the cab.
The operation of the above-outlined, relatively flexible and convenient apparatus which is adaptable to trailers and semitrailers of different geometrical configurations, largely depends on the experience and skill of the driver or relevant personnel for setting the airflow deflector in its flow-optimized position. Should the operator miss an (optimal) adjustment of the position of the airflow deflector, such a circumstance affects directly the aerodynamics of the entire system (for example, the Cw value) and thus has, among others, an adverse effect on the fuel consumption and travel noise behavior of the vehicle. To avoid such misses, an intensified instructional and supervisory outlay is required which, however, particularly for the costs involved, is to be avoided to the extent possible.
It is thus an object of the invention to further develop an apparatus of the earlier-described type such that, even when using different transporting units having different external geometrical configurations, an optimal position of the airflow deflector is ensured at all times.

Apparatus for the airflow-optimized orientation of an airflow deflector


A patient transport apparatus having a table configured to support a patient, a base attached to the table, a docking system attached to the base, the docking system configured to couple to a mating docking system of an MR imaging system, and a plurality of bays formed in the base, with each bay configured to receive a patient care module therein. The patient transport apparatus further includes a control system configured to be electrically coupled to each patient care module received within the plurality of bays and configured to centrally control each patient care module.

The invention relates generally to an apparatus useful in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and, more particularly, to a table for transporting a patient from a preparation room to an MR examination room. In the MR examination room, the table can be used to position the patient within and retrieve the patient from, the bore of the MR imaging system.
When a substance such as human tissue is subjected to a uniform magnetic field (polarizing field B0), the individual magnetic moments of the spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but precess about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency. If the substance, or tissue, is subjected to a magnetic field (excitation field B1) which is in the x-y plane and which is near the Larmor frequency, the net aligned moment, or "longitudinal magnetization", MZ, may be rotated, or "tipped", into the x-y plane to produce a net transverse magnetic moment Mt. A signal is emitted by the excited spins after the excitation signal B1 is terminated and this signal may be received and processed to form an image.
When utilizing these signals to produce images, magnetic field gradients (Gx, Gy, and Gz) are employed. Typically, the region to be imaged is scanned by a sequence of measurement cycles in which these gradients vary according to the particular localization method being used. The resulting set of received NMR signals are digitized and processed to reconstruct the image using one of many well known reconstruction techniques.
Due to the nature of some MR scans, there is a patient population (e.g., children age 7 and below, claustrophobic patients, patients with Parkinsons'Disease, some elderly patients, etc.) that can benefit from anesthesia and other support systems to assist the patients to remain stationary for long periods of time throughout the MR scans. Generally, anesthesia systems include various pieces of equipment to anesthetize the patient, support or control respiration, and keep the patient in that state until some medical procedure is completed.
Anesthesia systems generally comprise a plurality of pressure regulators, vaporizers, gas mixing devices and flow control devices. The vaporizer converts a liquid anesthetic to gaseous form. The gas is then combined with life support gases and delivered to the patient, usually through a facemask or similar device. The anesthesia machine also handles various monitoring functions and gas supplies depending on the breathing circuit being used. The patient breathing circuit conveys the anesthetic (in gaseous form) to the patient and typically has an inspiratory limb tube through which gases are delivered to the patient and an expiratory limb tube through which exhaled gases are taken from the patient.
The time needed to set up and tear down the anesthesia and other support equipment can add as much as 30 to 40 minutes to MR exam times. Equipment contributing to the setup and tear-down processes may be, for example, an anesthesia machine, an IV pump, and a monitoring module, all of which need to be connected to the patient via associated hardware such as breathing tubes, IV lines, and monitoring cables. Typically these various cables, lines, and tubes lie on the floor near the table where they are susceptible to damage from traffic such as a mobile patient table, medical personnel, or the like. In cases where the setup and tear-down occur outside of the MR examination room, the separate equipment including the cables, lines, and tubes must be moved in and out of the MR examination room, which increases the chances for damaging the cables, lines, and tubes and may require extra personnel to transport the various support equipment and associated hardware to and from the MR examination room.
It would therefore be desirable to have a patient transport apparatus capable of transporting an anesthetized patient and support equipment to and from an MR examination room that reduces opportunities for equipment damage and simplifies transportation of the anesthetized patient and support equipment.

Patient transport apparatus with integrated subsystems for use in magnetic resonance imaging


A printed sheet monitoring assembly utilizes a suction box with a planar lower suction surface to hold a printed sheet to be monitored in a crease-free manner. An area array image sensor is positioned beneath the suction box and is actuated by a trigger device to scan the printed sheet. The sheet grippers on an endless conveying chain are arranged on the chain to be in vertical alignment during scanning of the printed sheet.

The present invention is directed generally to a printed sheet monitoring assembly. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a printed sheet monitoring assembly for controlling printed sheets. Most specifically, the present invention is directed to a printed sheet monitoring assembly for controlling printed sheets in a sheet fed rotary press. The printed sheets are transferred by spaced gripper bars which extend between two parallel endless chains. A suction box is used to pull the printed sheets tightly against a surface of the suction box. While each individual sheet is so situated, it can be checked by a CCD line or area array image sensor which is placed below the suction box so as to not be obstructed by the parallel endless gripper chains.
The opto-electronic device, such as a CCD line or area array image sensor requires a clear, unobstructed view of the sheet or sheets whose quality is being evaluated. The use of sheet grippers and endless gripper chains presents problems since the opto-electronic sheet quality inspecting sensor will be disrupted by the pressure of the sheet grippers or endless gripper chains in its field of scan.
A need exists for a printed sheet monitoring assembly which will provide for the accurate, automatic scanning and monitoring of printed sheets. The printed sheet monitoring assembly in accordance with the present invention provides such a device and is a significant improvement over prior art devices.