A method and apparatus are provided for detecting an object to be detected. The object is associated with a profile, wherein the profile characterizes the reflection of a signal on the object. The method includes, for a device in a telecommunication network, the acts of selecting a first profile corresponding to a first object to be detected; requesting, based on the first profile, a resource allocation to the communication network; receiving the resource allocation from the communication network; transmitting a signal in the direction of a second object using the allocated resource; receiving a reflected signal, corresponding to the reflection of the transmitted signal on the second object; computing a second profile using the received reflected signal; and indicating the detection of the first object to be detected when the second profile matches the first profile.

Wireless telecommunication networks are designed for convenient data exchange between devices. Communication between one device and another in the network occurs across a wireless link, where the transmitting device or transmitter emits certain electromagnetic signals from its antenna which propagate over the wireless link and are picked up by the antenna of the receiving device or receiver. Communication devices may be used nowadays to locate or detect an object such as for instance a shop, a car, a monument, a person etc. . . . In some situations, communication devices may be used to detect the position of an object such as assisted car-park devices. Such devices use signals reflecting on the obstacle to detect it or determine the distance between the obstacle and the parking car. In the case of emergency situations such as major earthquakes or snow avalanches, persons may be trapped inside buildings or under rubble or snow and unable to escape. Clearly, time is of the essence in rescuing these persons since they may have serious injuries, lack of air, food and water, be exposed to extreme weather conditions and subject to further dangers such as falling rubble, fires, snow and so on. Conventionally, rescue services attempt to find these persons using infra-red cameras to detect body heat. However, this requires the use of trained personnel with expensive professional equipment in the case of human body detection, which is not readily available in most locations at short notice. Similarly, an embedded device that is dedicated to obstacle detection is required for instance for car-park assistance. In these cases, the device is not part of a public telecommunication network and a telecommunication network device such as a user equipment may not be commonly used to detect an object.
An existing solution described in "A Compact Low-Cost Add-On Module for Doppler Radar Sensing of Vital Signs using a Wireless Communications Terminal", V. Lubecke et al, 2002, proposes a passive free-standing module that can be used in combination with an arbitrary telecommunications device for micro-Doppler sensing (i.e. detection). The module uses the transmitted signals from the telecommunications device as an "illuminator of opportunity", and mixes both the direct signal and Doppler-shifted signal to produce the Doppler frequency. Communication of detected signals (i.e. detection of vital signs) is performed separately by the free-standing module. Drawbacks of this solution are that, as the module is dedicated and independent from the device, the module is not integrated in a telecommunication network nor embedded on a communication device. This solution prevents thus the user equipment to take advantage of the existing infrastructures and resources of a telecommunication network to perform the detection of a given object with a given profile.
Another existing solution described in "Wireless IC Doppler Radars for Sensing of Heart and Respiration Activity", O. Boric-Lubecke et al, 2003, proposes detection of heart and respiration activity with micro-Doppler using a sensor constructed from components designed for telecommunications devices rather than a custom radar system. However, in this solution, the specificity of the telecommunication system is not taken into account, such as in particular the resource allocation. This sensor solution cannot be adapted to a user equipment in a telecommunication network and prevents thus the user equipment to take advantage of the existing infrastructures and resources of a telecommunication network to perform the detection of a given object with a given profile.
Another existing solution described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,528 B2 "Motion Detection and Alerting System", C. Williams, 2004, proposes a motion detection device using Doppler comprising a low cost radar IC, battery, and separate mobile phone device for communications. Drawbacks are that the solution prevents the user equipment to take advantage of the existing infrastructures and resources of a telecommunication network to perform the detection of a given object with a given profile.
Another existing solution described in WIPO patent application WO 2007/136610 A2 "Determining Presence and/or Physiological Motion of One or More Subjects with Multiple Receiver Doppler Radar Systems", O. Boric-Lubecke et al, 2007, proposes the use of multiple radar receivers for motion detection using Doppler (this is well-known in the literature as multistatic radar). The novelty is mostly regarding a blind source separation (BSS) signal processing technique (e.g. for separation of Doppler signals from multiple persons) and demodulation techniques. This solution prevents thus the user equipment to take advantage of the existing infrastructures and resources of a telecommunication network to perform the detection of a given object with a given profile.
Today there is no solution to efficiently detect objects that allow using common devices in wireless telecommunication systems and thus improving the functionality of such wireless telecommunication systems.
Therefore, there is a need for a device, of which one or several might be present in an average home, office, vehicle or mountain environment, which is capable of independently detecting the presence of objects such as e.g. persons in its local vicinity and reporting this fact to a user or rescue services or other volunteers who then have the opportunity to save these persons as quickly as possible. Today there is a need for an object detection solution that can be easily implemented on the existing communication infrastructures.

Object detection method, device and system


When voltage changes occur in the battery used as a power supply in a fuel injection system, the amount of fuel injection also changes and the required amount of fuel injected cannot be obtained. To eliminate this problem, a fuel injector system is provided which has a fuel injection valve with at least one coil, a power supply, a power supply voltage detector, and a control unit for controlling the fuel injection valve. The control unit sets a reference value of a power supply voltages, and the above-mentioned fuel injection valve is controlled so as to obtain the required ampere-turns by reducing the resultant inductance of the coil when a power supply voltage detection value is less than the above-mentioned reference value, and the resultant inductance of the coil is increased when the power voltage detection value is greater than the reference value.

The present invention relates to a fuel injector system having a fuel injection valve, which is mounted in an internal-combustion engine to control the amount of fuel supplied to the engine, and to a method of controlling the fuel injection valve.
In general, a fuel injection valve comprises a fuel injection orifice, a valve seat disposed in the vicinity of the fuel injection orifice, a valve body slidably supported in an axial direction at the position facing the valve seat, and a spring. The spring generates a force that presses the valve body in the direction of and into contact with the valve seat so as to close the valve orifice. Thus, while the valve seat and the valve body are kept in contact by the spring force, that is to say, in the closed status of the valve, since the fuel passageway through the fuel injection orifice is closed, fuel is not injected from the fuel injection valve.
The fuel injection valve also has a magnetic circuit and coil assembly for driving the valve body. The application of a current to the coil assembly exerts a magnetic attraction force on the valve body, causing the valve body to slide in an axial direction and move away from the valve seat, thereby to open the fuel passageway through the fuel injection orifice. At this time, since the fuel passageway is opened, fuel is injected from the fuel injection valve.
In the operation of such a fuel injection valve, the amount of fuel supplied can be controlled by adjusting the time during which the open status of the valve is maintained. To precisely control the amount of fuel supplied to the internal-combustion engine, it is necessary to reduce the minimum amount of injection that represents the minimal value of the controllable amounts of fuel capable of being supplied. To achieve such a reduction, the valve body needs to be opened at high speed, and, for this purpose, the supply of current to the coil assembly needs to be rapidly started.
A patent document 1 (Japanese Application Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 08-45735) exemplifies the conventional technology related to the above-described fuel injection valve operation.
According to the patent document 1, in an electromagnetic load-driving method that uses at least one series circuit, which includes a load and a changeover means, changeover control is provided so that supply of a current to the coil assembly can be rapidly started by setting a small resultant inductance for a first time interval, in other words, for valve opening, and a large resultant inductance is then set for a second time interval, which represents the valve-opening retention duration, following the above-mentioned first time interval.


A dispersion-shifted optical fiber (NZDSF) includes a central core (r1, Dn1), an inner cladding having at least three zones with a first intermediate cladding zone (r2, Dn2), a second ring zone (r3, Dn3) and a third buried trench zone (Wtr, Dnt). The buried trench zone has an index difference (Dnt) with the optical cladding between −5·10−3 and −15·10−3 and has a width (Wtr) between 2.5 μm and 5.5 μm. The present optical fiber, at a wavelength of 1550 nm, has reduced Rayleigh scattering losses of less than 0.164 dB/km, with limited bending losses.

A refractive index profile of an optical fiber is a graphical representation of the value of the refractive index as a function of optical fiber radius. Conventionally, the distance r to the center of the optical fiber is shown along the abscissa (i.e., the x axis), and the difference between the refractive index at radius r and the refractive index of the outer optical cladding of the optical fiber is shown along the ordinate axis (i.e., the y axis). The outer optical cladding has a constant refractive index and usually consists of pure silica. The outer optical cladding, however, may also contain one or more dopants. The refractive index profile is referred to as a "step" profile, "trapezoidal" profile, or "triangular" profile (e.g., an "alpha" profile) for graphs having the respective shapes of a step, a trapezoid, or a triangle. These curves are generally examples of the theoretical or set profile of the optical fiber. The manufacturing stresses of the optical fiber may lead to a slightly different profile.
An optical fiber typically includes an optical core, whose function is to transmit and possibly to amplify an optical signal, and an optical cladding, whose function is to confine the optical signal within the core. For this purpose, the refractive indexes of the core nc and the outer cladding ng are such that nc>ng. As is well known, the propagation of an optical signal in a single-mode optical fiber is divided into a fundamental mode (i.e., dominant mode) guided in the core and into secondary modes (i.e., cladding modes) guided over a certain distance in the core-cladding assembly.
As line fibers for terrestrial transmission systems, SSMF (Standard Single Mode Fiber) of dispersion-shifted fibers, also called NZDSF (Non-Zero Dispersion-Shifted Fiber), are conventionally used. Shifted dispersion fibers having non-zero and positive chromatic dispersion for the wavelength at which they are used, typically around 1550 nm, are described as NZDSF+.
Typically, the SSMFs meet specific telecommunications standards and notably the G.652 standard. The SSMFs have an attenuation of about 0.19 dB/km, measured at the wavelength of 1550 nm with a Rayleigh contribution of the order of 0.160 dB/km, an effective area of about 80 μm2, an effective cut-off wavelength less than 1350 nm, a positive chromatic dispersion of about 17 ps/(nm·km) at 1550 nm and a positive dispersion slope of 0.058 ps/(nm2·km).
The NZDSF+ fibers, at the wavelength of 1550 nm, have a lower chromatic dispersion than SSMFs, typically between 3 and 14 ps/(nm·km), and a chromatic dispersion slope typically less than 0.1 ps/(nm2·km). The NZDSF+ fibers are generally used for short distance transmission systems and meet specific telecommunications standards, notably the G.655 and G.656 standards.
FIG. 1 shows the set profiles of an SSMF and of a standard NZDSF. The illustrated profiles are set profiles (i.e., representative of the theoretical profile of the fiber). Those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the fiber actually obtained after drawing a fiber from a preform may have a slightly different profile.
Typically, an SSMF includes a central core with a radius of 4.35 μm and having an index difference of 5.2×10−3 with the outer cladding acting as an optical cladding. A standard NZDSF includes a central core having an index difference Dn1 with an outer cladding, acting as an optical cladding, an intermediate cladding having an index difference Dn2 with the outer cladding, and a ring having an index difference Dn3 with the outer cladding. The refractive indexes in the central core, in the intermediate cladding, and in the ring are substantially constant over all their widths. The width of the core is defined by its radius r1. The widths of the intermediate cladding and the ring are defined by their respective outer radii, r2 and r3. Typically, the central core, the intermediate cladding, the ring, and the outer cladding are obtained by CVD-type deposition in a silica tube and the optical cladding is formed by the tube and the overclad of the tube, generally in natural or doped silica, but it may also be obtained by any other deposition technique (VAD or OVD).
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the NZDSFs have a central core with a smaller radius and a larger index difference than the central core of an SSMF. With this core dimensions, chromatic dispersion may be reduced. The more significant doping of the core as compared with an SSMF, however, introduces more significant Rayleigh scattering losses, larger than 0.164 dB/km leading to an attenuation larger than 0.190 dB/km at 1550 nm.
It is desired to be able to reduce the attenuation of an NZDSF to a value equivalent to that of an SSMF. The attenuation in an optical fiber is due mostly to Rayleigh scattering losses and partly to absorption losses and to losses due to defects of the guide.
In the case of an NZDSF, the presence of dopants in the core in a higher concentration as compared with an SSMF, increases losses by Rayleigh scattering. It is known to reduce Rayleigh scattering losses by making fibers with a pure silica core. This for example is what is proposed in the publication "Ultra Low Loss (0.1484 dB/km) Pure Silica Core Fiber" of K. Nagayama et al., published in SEI Technical Review, No. 57, January 2004; or in the publication "Optical Loss Property of Silica-Based Single Mode Fibers" of M. Ohashi et al., published in the Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 10, No. 5, May 1992, pp. 539-543. The fibers with a pure silica core, however, are costly to manufacture because of the obligation of burying the optical cladding by doping (e.g., with fluorine).
It is also known to reduce losses by Rayleigh scattering by optimizing the fiber-drawing conditions. This for example is what is described in the publication "Rayleigh Scattering Reduction Method for Silica-Based Optical Fiber" of K. Tsujikawa et al., published in the Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 18, No. 11, November 2000, pp 1528-1532; or in the publication "A high performance GeO2/SiO2 NZ-DSF and the prospects for future improvement using Holey Fiber technology" of K. Mukasa et al., published in ECOC'05, Tu 1.4.6. The proposed solutions are complex to apply industrially, however, because several fiber-drawing temperatures are used with heating and cooling cycles, which are difficult to control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,164, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a method for making SSMF wherein the fiber-drawing conditions are optimized in order to reduce the losses by Rayleigh scattering. The method proposed in this document however requires complex equipment with additional cooling devices.
European Patent No. 1,256,554, and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 6,904,213, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a method for making a step-index fiber comprising a germanium-doped central core and outer and optical claddings with an index less than that of silica. Because the cladding is partly buried, the amount of dopant in the core may be reduced and attenuation in the fiber is reduced. Such a solution is however costly and not directly applicable to an NZDSF type fiber.
European Patent No. 1,288,685, and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,850, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a non-zero dispersion-shifted fiber comprising a central core, an intermediate cladding, a ring, a depressed cladding and an optical cladding. Rayleigh losses are not mentioned.
European Patent No. 1,434,071 and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,092, European Patent No. 1,382,981 and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,222, European Patent No. 1,734,390 and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 7,428,361, and European Patent No. 1,865,348, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, disclose a dispersion compensating fiber having a central core, an intermediate cladding, a ring, a depressed cladding, and an optical cladding. Rayleigh losses are not mentioned.
European Patent No. 1,610,160, and its counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 7,327,921, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a dispersion compensating fiber comprising a central core and at least five inner claddings. Rayleigh losses are not mentioned.
FIG. 2 shows a set profile of an NZDSF for which the whole of the structure would have been partly buried, i.e., lesser doping of the core and with an intermediate cladding and outer cladding having smaller indexes than that of silica. The optical cladding (which can be made by OVD, VAD, CVD, by the tube or by the overclad of the tube in which the fiber preform is made) is maintained in silica for reasons of costs. If such a fiber profile actually reduces the losses by Rayleigh scattering to a value substantially equal to that of an SSMF, the bending losses are very clearly degraded (see Example 2a of the Tables I and II below).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,968, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses that with a buried trench it is possible to reduce the bending losses. However, by simply adding a buried trench to the structure proposed in FIG. 2, it is not possible to reach acceptable bending losses as this is shown by Example 2b of the Tables I and II (below).
Therefore, there exists a need for an NZDSF+ fiber having reduced Rayleigh scattering losses without degradation of the other optical parameters, notably bending losses, and which can be manufactured at reasonable cost and without changing the fiber drawing equipment.


Technologies are generally described for projecting structured light patterns onto an Augmented Reality (AR) scene in order to track AR camera motion in AR systems. In some examples, structured light patterns may be projected onto the AR scene from a light source in the same plane as the AR camera in order to preserve a consistent reference point for detecting the structured light pattern. The AR camera may detect the structured light patterns and determine the location of the AR camera based on a distance analysis of the detected structured light patterns. Based on the changing locations of the AR camera, the system may track the movement of the AR camera as its location relative to the AR scene changes.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Augmented reality (AR) refers to a view of a physical (real) world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual, typically computer-generated, imagery, thereby creating a mixed reality. The augmentation may be conventionally in real time and in context with environmental elements, such a sporting event, a military exercise, a game, etc. AR technology enables the information about surrounding real world of a person to become interactive and digitally usable by adding object recognition and image generation. Artificial information about the environment and the objects may be stored and retrieved as an information layer separate from a real world view layer.
Tracking AR camera motion is a major component of AR, and image processing, markers, sensors, edge detection and object recognition are commonly used for tracking the AR camera motion. Using image processing places a computational load on the image processor and requires complicated interpretation and processing of the imaged scene. Additionally, markers and sensors add bulk and complexity to the AR camera and increase the cost of motion tracking. In some cases, image acquisition and processing may be replaced by three dimensional (3D) image sensors, which utilize structured light for 3D image construction and understanding, however these methods require significant processing power as well and complex and expensive laser projectors to cover the complete scene in the structured light. Further, structured light is typically produced by external independent light projectors, which may add to the computational burden in the 3D image construction, requiring extensive computing resources for AR camera motion tracking.

Structured light projection for motion detection in augmented reality


The present invention relates to the preparation of ethers and esters of diallylphenols and the epoxidation of the diallyl moiety to provide bis-epoxide ether and ester intermediates useful in the preparation of epoxy resins.

The Epoxy Intermediates and resins industry (Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Volume 9, Fourth Edition, John Wiley & Sons Page 370) is a multibillion dollar business that is based on the following technology that involves no less than ten chemical reactions.    Benzene+propylene→isopropyl benzene    Isopropyl benzene→cumene hydroperoxide    Cumene hydroperoxide→phenol+acetone    Phenol+acetone→"Bis-A" or ( Phenol+formaldehyde→"Bis-F")    Propylene+chlorine→allyl chloride    Allyl chloride+sodium hydroxide+chlorine→propylene chlorohydrins    Propylene chlorohydrins+sodium hydroxide→epichlorohydrin    Bis-A+epichlorohydrin+NaOH→"Bis-A glycidol ether"    Bis-A glycerol ether+Bis-A→epoxy resin    Sodium chloride+water→chlorine+sodium hydroxide
Several aspects of the above reaction sequence have negative process implications with regards to yields, chlorinated byproducts, hydraulic load and biological hazards. These include but are not limited to the following: (a) benzene is a known carcinogen, (b) Bis-A is an endocrine disrupter (mimics estrogen). Recent research (Current Biology, Volume 13, page 546, 2003) has shown that abnormalities in developing mouse eggs occurred at levels of bisphenol A to which people are commonly exposed. Similar aberration in human eggs would lead to miscarriages and birth defects, and (c) chlorination of propylene to allyl chloride and the addition of hypochlorous acid to allyl chloride yield higher chlorinated byproducts resulting in ˜⅓ pounds of chlorinated waste per pound of epichlorohydrin. In addition, the process requires a chlor-alkali facility, hence a local hence a local source of salt and huge volumes of water. The products and processes of the present invention ameliorate if not eliminate some of the disadvantages of prior art of epoxy products and processes.

Diepoxide derivatives of diallyl phenolics


A propulsion system for an appliable product, includes a distal tube which has an open end. A proximal tube is rotatably connected to the distal tube on a common central axis to form a cavity. A holder which carries the appliable product is shaped and dimensioned to slide in the cavity along the common central axis. A line having two strands connects the distal tube and the proximal tube. When the proximal tube is rotated with respect to the distal tube, the two strands of the line twist together and the line exerts a force upon the holder so that the holder moves toward the open end of the distal tube.

In the current art of spiral wound paper tube packaging, typically a hot-pour product is poured and chilled within a cylindrical tube. Both ends of the tube are open, and a cylindrical disk is present in the lower end of the tube, and serves as a floor/piston which can slide vertically within the tube when pressed from below. To use the product, the user removes an over cap, and places a finger up inside the lower end of the tube to press the floor/piston upwardly. This causes the solid cylindrical bulk to slide upwardly within the tube, exposing a portion of the bulk for use at the upper open tube end. As the product gets used, the piston must be pushed further and further upwardly, until the product is exhausted. This manual push method is cumbersome, and requires a tool such as a pencil to advance the bulk in smaller diameter tube packages where the finger will not fit inside.

Propulsion system for an appliable product and method of use


A sprinkler structure includes a base with a rotatable stripe-shaped pipe and spraying pipes installed on the stripe-shaped pipe. The stripe-shaped pipe has an end connected to the base through a hollow shaft which has an outlet pipe, and the other end connected to the base through a pipe plug. A water fetching device is installed at an end of the base for driving the stripe-shaped pipe to rotate and includes a sleeve sheathed on the hollow shaft. A water fetching target is installed at an upper end of the sleeve and near the outlet of an outlet pipe. The base has an inlet pipe interconnected with the hollow shaft, the outlet pipe and the spraying pipe, and further has a conversion device for controlling the water fetching device to rotate in a forward or reverse direction.

Water dance equipments are sprinklers installed in a garden, a square or a lawn and provided for spraying water to a large area of plants. Since the conventional water dance equipments available in the market still have drawbacks such as having many internal components, incurring a high cost, and requiring a complicated structure, therefore the assembling of these equipments is very inconvenient. For example, the conventional sprinklers generally use gears that rotate in two different directions to drive a water spraying pipe to move reciprocally. However, such conventional sprinklers come with many components and require a high installation precision of gears, a highly difficult installation of the equipments, and a time-consuming process. Obviously, the conventional sprinklers require improvements.

Zhongshan Qingyi Metal Products Enterprise Co., Ltd.


In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for autonomous object tracking. In one embodiment, a method for tracking a moving object across at least a portion of a video signal made up of a plurality of image frames includes stabilizing the video signal by processing selected portions of selected image frames, detecting at least one movement in the stabilized video signal, and computing a location of the detected movement(s).

Surveillance applications are increasingly deploying unmanned vehicles, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to aid in object tracking. Unmanned vehicles are remotely piloted or self-piloted vehicles that can carry cargo such as cameras, sensors and communications equipment. They have been used in a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering role since the 1950s.
Many of these applications include tracking moving objects by mounting an image capturing device (e.g., a video camera) to the unmanned vehicle. Typically, the image capturing device captures video of the object being tracked and sends the video signal to a base station with which the unmanned vehicle is in communication. The base station then stabilizes the video signal and tracks the object.
Although such an arrangement provides reliable tracking capabilities in many circumstances, it also imposes limits on the range of the unmanned vehicle, as well as the types of tasks that the unmanned vehicle may perform, because the unmanned vehicle must be in constant communication with the base station, which performs the video stabilization and tracking. However, to date, few viable alternatives to this arrangement have been proposed, because the sizes and power requirements for the stabilization and tracking equipment make them too large to feasibly incorporate in the unmanned vehicle itself.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for autonomous object tracking.

Method and apparatus for autonomous object tracking


A method of modeling electric supply and demand with a data processor in combination with a recordable medium, and for estimating spatial distribution of electric power outages and affected populations. A geographic area is divided into cells to form a matrix. Within the matrix, supply cells are identified as containing electric substations and demand cells are identified as including electricity customers. Demand cells of the matrix are associated with the supply cells as a function of the capacity of each of the supply cells and the proximity and/or electricity demand of each of the demand cells. The method includes estimating a power outage by applying disaster event prediction information to the matrix, and estimating power restoration using the supply and demand cell information of the matrix and standardized and historical restoration information.

Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems include transmission lines and substations between generating plants and the consumers. Substations can perform many functions, and electric power may flow through several substations between the generating plant and the consumer. Natural disaster events, such as severe weather conditions including hurricanes, ice-storms, and tornadoes, as well as technological issues and faults and man-made issues including attacks, have the potential to cause damage to electrical systems including substations and transmission lines. These damages often disrupt electrical services and can result in a massive number of customer outages, taking from days to weeks to repair depending on the condition of the roads leading to the damage areas. As a result, two challenges in emergency preparedness and response, particularly during the hurricane season and other natural disasters are: how to determine the location and number of people that may be losing power and the duration of the power outage. The ability to accurately estimate the number of people that may be losing power in space and time during extreme weather conditions is valuable to emergency responders and utility companies. It helps the emergency responders to determine the number of people that may need their assistance and where they are located, as well as where the first responders need to stage their equipment and staff so that they can move in quickly to begin the recovery process once the extreme weather is over. It also helps the utility companies to determine ahead of time how many repair crews they would need for quickly restoring power, and where those repair crews should be stationed so that they are not delayed or trapped by the conditions on ground.
The spatial locations and capacities of new and existing electric substations are publicly available through the mandatory annual filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. However, the data do not include information about the geographical areas served by each substation and transmission line. Therefore, there is no mandatory source of information for substations and transmission lines service areas. This information is also not easily obtainable from utility companies due to restrictions on proprietary information. In cases where the utility companies are willing to share the information, there may be a need for a non-disclosure agreement and the requirements and formats of such an agreement vary from one company to another. This will become a huge burden on the partnering organization in view of the fact that there are about 3000 utility companies in the USA. There is a need for an approach that will mimic the distribution system as well as the incremental development of the distribution system.
Furthermore, the ability to predict when power would be restored to an area is generally a function of several factors such as the availability of internal resources (manpower and equipment) and extra resources from other utility companies or contracting agencies. However, the determinations of the number of repair crews and equipment needed depend on the situation on the ground such as, without limitation, the amount of debris that must be removed, the number of hours/days required for the area to be de-flooded, and the severity and coverage of the storm. Even though these numbers can be estimated, utility companies may not have the capability to estimate the size of the storm ahead of time. There is a continuing need for a methodology for estimating restoration time and strategies based on prior knowledge and restoration time from historic storm events.

Method for estimating power outages and restoration during natural and man-made events


A process for preparing 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (p,p-bisphenol-A) from 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chroman (chroman 1.5) is disclosed. Phenol and chroman 1.5 are contacted over an acidic ion exchange resin at a given temperature for a given period of time. The process results in improved quality of p,p-bisphenol-A, better performance of catalyst, improved raw material usage, and reduced waste.

The present disclosure relates generally to processes for forming bisphenol-A, such as processes for purifying waste streams resulting from the synthesis of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, also known as bisphenol-A, BPA, para,para-BPA, or p,p-BPA. For example, one embodiment of the disclosure relates to methods for producing bisphenol-A from an impurity, such as chroman 1.5. Also included are various isolated, converted, or purified products formed by these processes.
Bisphenol-A is used as an intermediate in the production of certain polycarbonates, epoxies, phenoxies, polysulfones, and polyester resins. Bisphenol-A itself is commercially produced by the condensation of phenol with acetone in the presence of an acid catalyst and in the presence of a cocatalyst (e.g., a mercaptan) which acts as a reaction rate accelerator. A common method involves the use of a sulfonated cation exchange resin in the free acid form, through which the phenol and acetone mixture is run. The resulting product stream can then be purified to obtain bisphenol-A and a mother liquor containing various byproducts and impurities. The mother liquor is distilled to reduce water. Fresh phenol, acetone, and co-catalyst are then added to the mother liquor and fed to the sulfonated cation exchange resin again.
One of these impurities in the mother liquor is chroman 1.5, also known as 4-(2,4,4-trimethyl-chroman-2-yl)-phenol or 2,4,4-trimethyl-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chroman. Depending on conditions, chroman 1.5 can be produced at 0.8 to 1.5 weight percent concentrations. Chroman 1.5 has the chemical structure shown below:

The mother liquor may be further processed to increase the overall yield of the reaction. For example, the mother liquor may be sent to a tar cracker unit to crack the impurities into phenol and other light or heavy molecules. The phenol can then be separated from the heavy molecules (via distillation) and recycled into the bisphenol-A production line. The light molecules remain with the phenol and are also recycled into the bisphenol-A production line.
However, chroman 1.5 co-distills with phenol and is thus difficult to remove via distillation. Although present in low quantities of from 0.1 to 6 weight percent in the phenol, the presence of chroman 1.5 has been found to reduce the lifetime and the selectivity of the acid catalyst used in the phenol-acetone condensation process. In addition, chroman 1.5 has color-forming tendencies at elevated temperatures and its presence is unsuitable in the polycarbonates made from the bisphenol-A, which may need to be transparent and clear.
It would be desirable to remove or convert impurities, such as chroman 1.5, to improve the performance of the acid catalyst system, increase catalyst lifetime, improve the quality of the resulting bisphenol-A, and/or increase the yield by improving the usage of the raw material (i.e. minimizing the amount of waste that needs to be disposed).


A deicing fluid recovery system for aircraft deicing apparatus includes a storage tank from which a deicing fluid/water deicing mixture is pumped through a line heater to a deicing fluid distribution and collection zone for application to the wings and fuselage of aircraft. Expended deicing fluid is collected in a drainage system incorporated into a concrete or asphalt pad and directed to a sump. Upon accumulation of a sufficient quantity, the diluted used deicing fluid is pumped to a sludge tank. Solids and free water are separated by settling and filtration processes in the sludge tank. The filtered deicing fluid mixture is heated through sequential heat exchangers and directed to a regenerator. The deicing fluid mixture is leaned by a dehydration process in the regenerator in which the mixture is heated and compressed air is injected to exhaust water from a stripping column. The lean deicing fluid flows over an overflow weir into an accumulator. The heated and leaned deicing fluid mixture then is passed back through the sequential heat exchangers, as a heat source, and pumped back into the storage tank for subsequent reuse.

The present invention relates to deicing fluid recovery systems, and more particularly pertains to an improved deicing fluid recovery system especially adapted for aircraft deicing apparatus.
During inclement weather, ice, freezing precipitation, and snow collect on the wings of aircraft awaiting take-off. Frequently, planes must wait for relatively long time periods prior to take-off, during which time additional ice, freezing precipitation, and snow can accumulate after the initial deicing. Accordingly, repeated deicing is frequently required. Deicing is typically accomplished by the application of a glycol and water mixture via spray nozzles to the wings and fuselage of the aircraft. Such deicing fluids are normally applied through spray nozzles in the gate area from fixed application platforms, or from mobile tanker trucks. After application, the deicing fluid and water mixture is allowed to flow onto the asphalt or concrete runway surface, where it is disposed through natural rainwater drainage channels.
Disposal of deicing fluid in this manner is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, glycol is a material which pollutes rivers and aquifers. Second, human and animal contact with glycol can result in health problems including eye and skin irritation, kidney damage, and even death. Third, glycol is an expensive material, and thus consumption of deicing fluid represents a substantial operating expense to air carriers. Accordingly, there is a considerable interest in and need for a system to recover and reuse glycol to prevent environmental damage, preserve human and animal health, and minimize airline operating costs.
Accumulation of ice on the wings of aircraft during a delay prior to takeoff after an initial deicing operation conducted adjacent the gate is believed to be a contributing factor in several recent accidents. These recent accidents have resulted in proposed Federal Aviation Administration rule changes requiring deicing of aircraft immediately prior to beginning take-off. If implemented, such rule changes would require the provision of facilities adjacent the runway for rapidly deicing aircraft in relatively rapid succession. The provision of such central, defined deicing zones also creates an opportunity for the provision of centralized deicing fluid recovery and recycling facilities.

Deicing fluid recovery system especially adapted for aircraft deicing apparatus


A clear, lockable, sealable container for the storage of controlled substances in ambulances and other emergency medical vehicles, allowing paramedics and other emergency medical personnel to inspect and inventory readily the pharmaceuticals in the container without opening, unlocking, or breaking the seal on the container.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of strong boxes, safes, and other lockable containers, particularly those for use in ambulances and other emergency services vehicles to secure controlled substances.
2. Description of Related Art
Advanced Life Support (ALS) and air ambulance service providers are commonly required by state and federal regulatory authorities to develop, implement, maintain, and have available for review and approval by those authorities written operating procedures for procuring, storing, handling, dispensing, and disposal of all controlled substances, medications, and fluids employed in connection with those services. In particular, the security procedures submitted by a provider typically must include the provider's method of ensuring against theft; tampering with, or contamination of, controlled substances, medications, and fluids; and the identities and position titles of employees who have access to controlled substances.
Providers must be able to document the amount of each controlled substance in on-site storage, and therefore must track the distribution, disposal, and re-supply of controlled substances, medications, and fluids. Procedures for developing and maintaining such documentation must address on-site and shift change inventory procedures for all controlled substances stocked by the provider, and identify a procedure for keeping records, including inventory schedules for stocking of medical supplies and reporting and resolving any discrepancy found during an inventory.
Providers currently employ opaque narcotics storage containers manufactured of metal, plastic, or other materials. These containers may be secured from tampering by way of a numbered tamper-resistant break lock, pull-tight seal. An unbroken seal ensures that the box has not been opened, whereas any break in the seal suggests that the box may have been opened.
Because the tamper-resistant seals are easily compromised, their function is limited to providing information regarding possible tampering. In order to actually prevent unauthorized access to the controlled substances, the narcotics box is separately secured by a lock or the box itself is placed into a larger lockable storage container on or within the emergency vehicle, or both. Frequently, the storage container is rigidly secured to the vehicle, more or less permanently.
Emergency vehicles usually carry at all times standard quantities and types of controlled substances—typically, morphine, Versad, and Diazepam —in tamper-resistant glass ampules, which are stored in the narcotics container on board. Documentation procedures to track storing, handling, dispensing, and disposal of these controlled substances ordinarily will detail information about the narcotics container and the medications contained in them. This information generally includes the date and time the container was last inspected and sealed, the number of the seal, and the identity of the person who last inspected and sealed the container. Inventory information regarding the contents of the container would normally include the types, amounts, unit control numbers, and expiration dates of medications, as reflected on the labels of the ampules. Any use or disposal (e.g., due to expiration or damage) of any medications must also be documented.
When the emergency personnel on a vehicle change shifts, an individual coming on shift must confirm that the documentation generated by those coming off shift reflects properly the contents and condition of the narcotics container. Because the narcotics containers currently used by providers are opaque, the seal on a container must be broken and the container opened in order to confirm the identity of the medications in the container and their respective unit control numbers, expiration dates, and general condition. Moreover, individual ampules often must be handled physically in order to observe their respective labels and the condition of their respective tamper-resistant seals, which handling can itself lead to impairment of the integrity of the individual seals or cracking of the glass ampules and consequent loss of use of those medications. Following confirmation and documentation of the contents of the narcotics container, and replacement of any used medications, the container must be re-sealed using another numbered tamper-resistant seal. The process by which emergency medical personnel must unseal, open, and reseal narcotics containers to conduct routine, periodic drug inventories wastes time, labor, and material resources.

Apparatus to secure and facilitate the inventory of medications in emergency medical services vehicles


A backframe may be utilized to align a plurality of emissive display tiles precisely with respect to one another. The individual display tiles may be removable from the backframe for replacement or other reasons. As a result, the spacing between individual tiles in an overall large format display may be precisely controlled in some cases. In addition, regularly occurring gaps between adjacent tiles may be filled with a suitable light absorbing material to reduce the visibility of seams.

This invention relates generally to large format emissive displays.
Large format displays may be utilized to create displays of a size greater than the size of conventional displays. For example, large format displays may combine the images produced from a plurality of conventional displays. The composite display may be able to produce an image which is much larger and more economical than that possible with existing display technologies.
Emissive displays include light emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays, and organic light emitting displays. These displays actually emit light at the pixel level which can perceived by viewers. Emissive displays may be combined together to create a large format display.
When emissive displays are combined to create a large format display, those displays may suffer from visible seams. The visible seams arise from the joints between the combined displays. The user looking at the large format display notices the individual displays which together are combined to create the overall image. Thus in some cases, the large format display may not produce a seamless image.
Another problem with large format displays is that the individual displays that are combined to form the large format display may be misaligned with respect to one another. Even the slightest misalignment may result in an irregularity in the overall image that may be noticeable to anyone viewing the large format display.
Thus, there is a need for better ways to combine emissive displays into large format displays.


An electronic device for preventing leakage of a received sound is provided. The electronic device includes a receiver which outputs the received sound; a receiving portion which receives the receiver; and a hole which communicates with the receiving portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a technology of treating a received sound in an electronic device, and more particularly to an electronic device for preventing a received sound from leaking outside of the electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electronic device enables a receiver to reproduce and transfer a sound to a user receiving a call so that the user hears contents in a voice call.
The user may perform the voice call through an earphone or a Bluetooth headset.
The conventional electronic device allows the received sound to leak outside of the electronic device, and causes a problem of personal security as it relates to the contents of the voice call. That is, in a public place under a calm environment, the user may unintentionally leak the contents of the voice call to unknown people, and the unknown people may unintentionally hear the contents in the voice call.
When the sound reproduced by the receiver is loud, it is advantageous of the user to clearly understand the content of the voice call, but the received sound leaking out becomes louder.
If the user performs the voice call using an earphone, the leakage of the received sound can be prevented. However, an additional unit, e.g., an earphone, is required and it is difficult for the user to hear sound from outside of the electronic device during the voice call.

Electronic device for preventing leakage of received sound


A ready to eat, nonfried food made up of a cooked and hydrated carbohydrate core, and a cation crosslinked polysaccharide coating which substantially reduces the core's glycemic response.

In the human digestive system, food is mechanically ground up and chemically broken down into small molecules that can be used by the body. Digestive enzymes from salivary, gastric, pancreatic, and intestinal glands hydrolyze proteins to amino acids, starch to simple sugars, and fats to glycerol and fatty acids. The digestive system consists essentially of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. The stomach acts as a reservoir which releases food slowly into the small intestine. Digestion is completed in the small intestine where the food is absorbed into the bloodstream or lymph vessels. The small intestine is around 5 meters in length and it normally takes food around 4-5 hours to pass through it before reaching the large intestine.
In the human diet, carbohydrates carry energy and supply carbon atoms to biosynthetic pathways. They are found in nature as structural elements in most types of cells and tissues. Based on the number of monomeric units which they contain, carbohydrates are classified as monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides (chains of 3-10 monosaccharide units), or polysaccharides. Starch is one of the most common naturally occurring polysaccharides. The monomeric unit of starch is glucose. Other common polysaccharides are glycogen and cellulose. These are respectively the carbohydrate used to store energy by animals and the substance forming the skeleton of plant structures. The monomeric unit of both of these polysaccharides is also glucose.
Starch is present within plant cells as discrete microscopic granules enclosed in phospholipid membranes. The size and form of a granule is often characteristic of the plant of its origin. Within each granule, amylopectin forms a branched, helical, crystalline system with the linear amylose dispersed within the amylopectin structure. The digestibility of raw starch depends upon the accessibility and crystalline structure of its granules. The granules are gelatinized during cooking and freshly cooked starchy foods are easily digestible.
In western countries, starch constitutes about 60% of carbohydrates consumed. Starch is hydrolyzed in the intestinal tract into oligo-, di- and mono-saccharides. The enzymatic breakdown of polysaccharides, such as starch, into oligosaccharides actually starts in the saliva. However, the bulk of starch breakdown occurs in the small intestine. Here, enzymatic splitting takes place of poly- and oligosaccharides into low-molecular, and hence absorbable, monosaccharides such as glucose. Starch breakdown in the small intestine can be a quite rapid process so that the majority of the starch is broken down within one hour of entering the small intestine from the stomach.
The total starch (TS) content of a food is measured as the yield of glucose from a finely milled or homogenized sample of the food in which the starch is completely gelatinized at 100.degree. C., treated with potassium hydroxide to ensure complete dispersion of the starches to an amorphous, digestible form and then enzymatically digested with pancreatin and amyloglucosidase.
Starches can be classified into a number of different types or fractions according to their behavior when incubated with enzymes without prior exposure to dispersing agents.
Three types of starch can be identified according to how they react to controlled periods of enzymatic digestion of homogenized and non-homogenized food samples. Firstly, rapidly digestible starch (RDS) consists mainly of amorphous and dispersed starch. It is typically found in high amounts in starchy foods which have been cooked by moist heat such as bread and potatoes. It is measured chemically as the starch which is converted to the constituent glucose molecules within 20 minutes of enzyme digestion. The next type is slowly digestible starch (SDS), which like RDS is in normal circumstances completely digested in the small intestine. However, its digestion proceeds more slowly than RDS. This fraction includes for example physically inaccessible amorphous starch. It is measured chemically as the starch converted to glucose after a further 100 minutes of enzyme digestion. The final starch type is resistant starch (RS) which may potentially resist digestion in the small intestine. It is measured chemically as the difference between TS obtained from the homogenized and chemically treated sample and the sum of RDS and SDS generated from non-homogenized food samples by enzyme digestion.
RS can be further subdivided into three sub-types. These are RS.sub.1 which is starch resistant to digestion because it is in a physically inaccessible form such as partly milled grains and seeds; RS.sub.2 which has a granular form which is particularly resistant to enzyme digestion; and RS.sub.3 which is the starch fraction most resistant to digestion and which mainly consists of retrograded amylose formed during the cooling of gelatinized starch.
RS which is not digested in the small intestine passes through to the large intestine where it is fermented by colonic bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids, carbon dioxide and methane. It is evident that the speed at which a starchy food is digested will depend upon the relative proportion which it contains of RDS, SDS and the different RS sub-types.
The amounts and relative amounts of RDS, SDS and RS in foods are highly variable. They depend partly on the source of starch, but also on the type and extent of processing which the food is subjected to. It should be noted that, for most starchy foods, cooking converts starch to a readily digestible form. The Table below provides data for the in vitro digestibility of starch in a variety of foods. The values are obtained by carrying out assays in accordance with the techniques described above.
______________________________________ % RDS % SDS RS.sub.1 RS.sub.2 RS.sub.3 ______________________________________ Flour, white 38 59 -- 3 t Shortbread 56 43 -- -- t Bread, white 94 4 -- -- 2 Bread, wholemeal 90 8 -- -- 2 Spaghetti, white 55 36 8 -- 1 Biscuits, made with 50% 34 27 -- 38 t raw banana flour Biscuits, made with 50% 36 29 -- 35 t raw potato flour Peas, chick, canned 56 24 5 -- 14 Beans, dried, freshly cooked 37 45 11 t 6 Bean, red kidney, canned 60 25 -- -- 15 ______________________________________
In the above Table, values are expressed as a percentage of the total starch present in the food. The index "t" represents that only a trace of the particular starch type could be detected. It is evident from the data set out in the above Table that different foods have quite different relative contents of the different starch types.
When starch is digested in the small intestine it causes the level of glucose present in the blood to rise. The level of blood glucose in a healthy individual usually lies in the range 75-125 mg/100 ml. A greater glucose level can lead to heart, circulation, eye and kidney problems. A lower glucose level can lead to fatigue, fainting and hypoglycemic shock.
The highest point of the blood glucose level engendered by the indicated digestion of a food is known as the "glycemic response" of the food. The precise glycemic response of a food will vary according to the amount of food eaten and from individual to individual, depending upon such factors as the properties of the food, the efficiency of the individuals' digestive systems, and whether they suffer from diabetes.
With respect to digestion and health, it is important--as previously noted--for the blood glucose level of an individual to be controlled within a certain range. The two factors of greatest importance to enable this control are the activity of the liver and the balance of hormones. The liver has a certain autonomy. It is presently understood to have sensors which monitor blood glucose level. When the level is high, the liver removes glucose from the blood; when the level is low, it releases glucose into the blood.
In the hormonal regulation of blood glucose, the balance between insulin and glucagon is of prime importance. These two hormones are secreted by the pancreas in varying ratios, depending primarily upon the prevailing concentration of blood glucose. Any increase in the blood glucose level stimulates increased secretion of insulin, whereas a decrease in the blood glucose level stimulates the secretion of glucagon.
Some individuals are unable to control their blood glucose level by their own naturally produced insulin. This leads to the disease of diabetes. This disease is characterized by an above normal concentration of glucose in the blood. Diabetes is presently the third leading cause of death in the United States, where it kills 300,000 people per year. In 1950, there were 1.2 million diabetics in the United States, in 1975 there were 5 million diabetics and in 1991 there were more than 11 million diabetics. Accordingly, it is increasingly important to provide effective palliatives for the disease.
There are two types of diabetes which have different underlying causes. In Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes, there is an absolute deficiency of insulin and the patient may require regular injections of insulin to maintain glycemic control. In addition to insulin, diet and exercise must be carefully regulated in order to maintain good blood-sugar control.
In contrast, in Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetes, the pancreas is producing insulin, although it may not be doing so at normal levels. Although insulin is present, blood glucose levels are still abnormal because the body does not respond to it. However, the cause of this insulin resistance is presently unknown. Of people who are diagnosed as having this form of diabetes, 80% are overweight. Some non-insulin dependent diabetics can control their condition through diet and exercise alone. Other diabetics may need a combination of diet, exercise and medications. Medications for this type of diabetes include a class of drugs called oral hypoglycemic agents that help non-insulin dependent diabetics use blood glucose better.
A related disease, hypoglycemia, is caused by excessive circulating insulin. This is normally a result of an accidental overdose of insulin by a diabetic. This excess insulin results in a lowering of the blood glucose level. This particularly affects the brain which utilizes glucose as its main source of energy. Mild hypoglycemia can result in a lack of coordination. If the insulin excess is great enough, convulsions may occur, followed by coma.
With regard to the characteristics of the food itself, carbohydrates are an important part of a diabetic's diet. It is evident that diabetics should usually avoid foods having a high glycemic response, i.e., those which result in a relatively high level of blood glucose soon after digestion. Instead, diabetics require foods having a relatively low glycemic response which produce a slower rate of glucose release into the blood. Slowing the rate of release of glucose into the blood reduces the risk of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
This slowing of the glucose release rate can be achieved by reducing the rate of digestion of the food. Thus, if the speed of digestion can be lowered, the initial rush of glucose from RDS can be prevented and instead replaced by a controlled and lengthier digestive process along the whole length of the small intestine leading to slow release of glucose into the blood stream. Foods which only slowly release glucose into the blood stream may also be advantageous in suppressing the appetite of an individual, and for assisting an individual to perform sustained physical activity. In the former case, the presence of an above normal level of glucose in an individual's bloodstream may cause a feeling of satiety and so discourages snacking. In the latter case, the continual release of glucose into the bloodstream assists an individual to perform strenuous exercise as the glucose acts as a readily accessible form of fuel to working muscles.
Particularly as to the effect of a food's properties upon the glucose release rate, there are a number of basic principles concerning the glycemic response of a food. For instance, a food which includes a substantial content of RDS will possess a higher glycemic response, weight for weight, than a food formed substantially from SDS. In turn, such SDS-containing foods will give rise to a greater glycemic response than foods formed mostly from RS. In general, slowly digested foods produce flatter glycemic responses. Such foods have been termed "lente carbohydrate foods."
Several other characteristics of a food can affect its glycemic response. These include its particle size and texture, and any disruption which has taken place of its cell wall structure. Thus, cooked rice grains give rise to a smaller glycemic response than cooked flour. Cracking or milling of cereal grains to produce progressively greater disruption and finer particle sizes result in increased glycemic response values. Foods of coarse consistency possess smaller glycemic response values when swallowed without chewing, reinforcing the importance of particle size.
Further with respect to effecting modifications in foods' physical properties, the encasing of foods in different coatings is known. However, the various embodiments as taught in the art are characterized by disadvantages.
For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,517,595 and 2,611,708 disclose food articles encased in calcium-alkali and calcium pectinate and pectate films. Both identify rice as one of the foods that can be thusly coated.
These references indicate that the coating offers resistance against dirt and bacteria. They also state that food products provided with the coating can be eaten with the coating left on. Yet further, both references teach that if the coated food is cooked before eating, such as by boiling in water, then the film will dissolve in the cooking water and thereby be entirely removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,708 still additionally indicates, in this regard, that the indicated dissolution and entire removal is effected where the calcium content of the film is low. This patent in particular teaches that the food article is first coated with pectinate or pectate; then contacting with a calcium salt solution is effected while this coating is wet, to convert the alkali pectinate or pectate into a calcium-alkali or calcium pectinate or pectate. It further teaches that if the replacement of alkali ions is virtually complete, the resulting calcium pectinate or pectate films are stronger and more suited for the coating of foods which are to be cooked; in such instance, the film is softened during cooking, and can be easily stripped off the food article--if desired, by immersing the coated food article in hot water containing a small amount of a calcium sequestering agent.
These references do not disclose or suggest a food product including both a cooked and hydrated carbohydrate core, and a cation-crosslinked polysaccharide coating to substantially reduce the core's glycemic response; glycemic response is not mentioned. These references also do not disclose or suggest a food product with a carbohydrate core and such a glycemic response-reducing, cation-crosslinked polysaccharide coating which is disclosed to be insoluble in boiling water.
Yet further, cooking is discussed only in the context of occurring after crosslinking of the polysaccharide. There is no teaching or suggestion of effecting the crosslinking during cooking in an aqueous medium, or of a product obtained by such means.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,286 discloses the coating of foodstuffs with a combination of low methoxyl pectinate modified by a calcium salt, and methyl cellulose. A calcium chloride solution is applied to the foodstuff before and/or after application of the methyl cellulose and pectinate coating composition; if completely demethoxylated sodium pectinate is employed, the methyl cellulose is not required. Foodstuffs disclosed as being suitable include fruit bars, candy bars, cereal bars prepared by compressing mixtures of ingredients including cooked flour, and dried meat bars.
Here also, there is no disclosure or suggestion of a food product including both a cooked and hydrated carbohydrate core, and a cation-crosslinked polysaccharide coating which substantially reduces the core's glycemic response; once again, glycemic response is not mentioned. Further, there is no disclosure or suggestion of a food product with a carbohydrate core and such a glycemic response-reducing, cation-crosslinked polysaccharide coating which is insoluble in boiling water.
Yet additionally, in this reference cooking is discussed only in the context of prior treatment for starting materials, with the application of the pectinate coating and the crosslinking being subsequently effected. As with U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,517,595 and 2,611,708, there is no teaching or suggestion of effecting the crosslinking during cooking in an aqueous medium, or of a product obtained by such means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,614 discloses encapsulating metabolizable carbohydrate in a time delay release layer, to provide a controlled release upon ingestion, and modulate the blood glucose response. This delayed release action is indicated to be helpful in counteracting the effects of diabetes; further administration of thusly coated carbohydrates is stated to be useful in conjunction with exercise programs calling for sustained effort. Among the coatings disclosed in this reference is ethyl cellulose. Controlled release of carbohydrates from pre-gelatinized starch granules obtained from cereals, such as rice, is also disclosed.
In this reference, there is no teaching or suggestion of crosslinking the coating at all.
European Application No. 487,340 discloses fried food compositions, encased in cation crosslinked polysaccharide coatings to impede the penetration of oil during the frying process; the products thusly coated and fried have a low concentration of the oil. Particularly, Example 31 teaches the soaking of potato strips in an aqueous solution of low molecular weight pectin and calcium for 6 minutes at 85.degree. C., with the thusly treated strips being subsequently fried in oil.
With regard to the present invention, this reference does not disclose or suggest a crosslinked polysaccharide-coated food which is ready to eat in the nonfried condition; rather, the food requires frying before consumption. The unfavorable properties which characterize fried foods are well known in the art; this point is of course recognized in European Application No. 487,340 itself, with the very purpose of the invention set forth therein being to reduce the disadvantageous effects of frying. In any event, fried foods are further known as being particularly unsuitable for individuals attempting to minimize their caloric intake, or who are afflicted with conditions affecting the body's ability to maintain a proper blood glucose level--e.g., diabetes and hypoglycemia, as discussed herein.


An apparatus for simultaneously molding separate portions of an article which may be subsequently assembled to form the complete separable article. The apparatus includes separate mold portions which, when assembled, define a molding cavity in which each of the mold portions has an outwardly extending flange. The mold portions are fastened together such that the flanges are spaced apart a distance at least twice as great as the thickness of the article to be molded. The mold portions extend along a longitudinal axis and each defines a molding surface which extends around the axis less than 360.degree.. When the mold portions are assembled, the molding surfaces extend completely around the longitudinal axis. The mold also includes silicone bead elements extending along the longitudinal axis in the space between the spaced apart flanges. The bead elements also define molding surfaces which bear against a portion of the molding material and urge it into contact with the surfaces of the flanges to form flanges on the molded portions of the article.

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for simultaneously molding portions of a separable article, more particularly such a method and apparatus for molding objects of revolution made from composite material.
Gas turbine engines for aeronautical applications, such as turbofan engines, and turbojet engines both with and without afterburners typically have an exhaust duct which is made of a metallic material, such as a titanium. In such aeronautical applications, it is highly desirable that all parts of the aircraft, including the power plant, be as light in weight as possible in order to increase the performance of the aircraft, and to make it more efficient. Titanium has been typically selected as the material for the engine exhaust gas duct due to its relatively high strength and relatively low weight.
The weight of the engine assembly could be further reduced by making this duct out of a composite material, rather than a metallic material, such as titanium. However, the production of such an article has encountered heretofore insurmountable problems. In order to obtain access to the internal components of the engine, the exhaust duct must be comprised of at least two sections, which are separable in order to permit such access.
French Patent 2,490,993 describes the molding of a hollow body from laminated material in which the mold consists of at least two mold portions which define a molding cavity which has the outside shape of the hollow body to be molded. This patent also discloses the use of an expansible pouch or bag located within the molding cavity whose external shape corresponds to the inside shape of the hollow molded body. The process described in this document consists of separately covering each mold portion with a pre-impregnated composite mat (prepreg) or by impregnating the fabric portion of the composite material with a resin after placing it into the mold portions. The mold portions are then assembled together with the expansible pouch located within the mold. By increasing the temperature of the mold assembly, the expandable pouch is expanded to thereby press the impregnated composite material against the wall of the mold portions and the composite material is cured. Although this method allows making complex shaped hollow articles, such as pipes, tubes, or the like, it does not describe the making of such an object comprising separable portions.
Obviously, it would be feasible to manufacture the two separate portions of the article separately in different molds. However, in order to ensure that the separate portions of the article have identical properties, it is mandatory that they be manufactured simultaneously in the same mold.

Apparatus for simultaneously molding portions of separable article

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation (S.N.E.C.M.A.)


A device 560, for administering multiple single doses of a medicated cream, includes a cartridge 562 having a barrel 564 for containing the cream, a plunger 608 for moving the cream from within the cartridge, and a stem 610 for moving the plunger within the cartridge. A carrier 612 is formed with a cartridge-receiving nest 712 for receiving the barrel 564. A plurality of spaced, transaxial grooves 726, 728, 730 and 732 are formed in the carrier 612 for receiving a flange 572 of the cartridge 562 during the dispensing of multiple, successive, single doses of the cream. The carrier 612 is formed with a pair of resilient ears 750 and 752 and a passage 738 for removably retaining the stem 610 with the carrier while allowing axial movement of the stem.

This invention relates to an applicator for dispensing a medicinal substance, and particularly relates to an applicator for providing a delivery passage for a medicinal substance.
Various medical conditions, which are located within the vaginal and/or anal openings of the human anatomy, can be treated with medicinal creams and other substances of similar consistency. Frequently, such creams are prescribed by physicians, and are to be applied in measured dosages over a period of time. Because of the necessity for frequent applications of the cream to the affected locations, it is beneficial and economical for the patient to self-administer the measured dosage applications.
However, the act of administering the medicinal cream in such areas, frequently places the patient in awkward physical positions, which require a level of dexterity not inherent in some patients. Under these conditions, imprecise amounts of the cream could be administered undesirably.
In the past, several devices have been developed for storing multiple doses of the medicinal substances within a barrel of a syringe or a cartridge, to facilitate the successive application of time-spaced doses over a period of time. Such devices also include a plunger within the barrel, and a stem for engaging the plunger and urging the cream in successive doses from within the barrel, and through a dispensing means such as an applicator.
Cleanliness of such devices is unpredictable, during dispensing and during storage and transporting thereof. Thus, there is a need for a multiple-dose delivery device which can be easily cleaned while retaining the cream within the barrel, and also during storage and transporting of the device between the time-spaced administering of successive doses of the cream. Also, there is a need for a multiple-dose delivery device which can be dismantled easily for effective cleaning, and for storage and portability.
Devices developed in the past facilitate the dispensing of the cream generally within the vaginal and/or anal openings, but tend not provide structure which focuses the cream directly onto the critical areas for a most effective treatment.
Thus, there is a need for a multiple-dose delivery device, and an applicator thereof, which focuses the cream directly onto the critical areas to be treated.

Applicator for dispensing a medicinal substance


The fluid circuit arrangement comprises two circuit S. The first circuit has a heater and a heat exchange means. The second circuit has a heat exchange means, a cooler and a valve device which is responsive to a control means to bring the cooler into circuit in response to the temperature in the first circuit and optionally to other operating parameters.

The present invention relates to a fluid circuit arrangement which is used for temperature control purposes.
The fluid circuit arrangement may be used in any environment where temperature control is required; such control is to involve not only control of the temperature of the fluid with in the circuit arrangement itself, but of a second fluid passing in, through over or around a heat exchange means of the circuit arrangement.
It should be appreciated that the first fluid and the second fluid may be the same or different but it is particularly envisaged that the first fluid will be a liquid such as water and the second fluid will be a gas specifically air.
Although various uses for the fluid circuit arrangement are envisaged, the invention is particularly applicable in the context of cooling/heating circuits for use in association with prime movers such as diesel engines, internal combustion (i.e.) engines, gas turbines, etc. where the first fluid is water flowing in the circuit arrangement and the second fluid is air which is to be utilised in the combustion process.
To take the specific example of a large horsepower diesel engine the fluid circuit arrangement comprises the main engine temperature control system and includes a heat exchange means which is commonly referred to as a jacket, cooler or radiator whereby heat is removed from the engine to its surroundings. A high power diesel engine will inevitably involve a turbocharging arrangement which involves the introduction into the combustion cylinders via the inlet manifold of air under pressure (charge air) from a compressor. As the air is compressed by the compressor of the turbocharger its temperature is raised. The benefit of the high pressure is substantially reduced if the charge air temperature is allowed to remain at this high temperature and, accordingly, the usual arrangement is to provide a cooling means between the compressor and the inlet manifold. Such cooling means, which is generally referred to as an intercooler or charge air cooler, will involve a heat exchange arrangement through which water is passed to take heat from the charge air passing therethrough, or therearound.
In full load conditions, air leaving the compressor can be at a temperature which may be as high as say 210xc2x0 C., which temperature is drastically reduced to say 70xc2x0 C. as the charge of air passes through the intercooler.
It is known to interconnect the circuit for cooling water for the intercooler and the main engine or jacket cooling circuit via a valve arrangement whereby heat from the intercooler circuit may be dissipated via the heat exchange means of the main jacket circuit and heat from both circuits may be dissipated via a cooling means in the intercooler circuit.
However, the known arrangements mean that under certain conditions, e.g., where the engine is first started, too much heat is lost from the system when it would be more efficient to maintain the temperature at a value higher than ambient temperature.
The present invention seeks to provide a fluid circuit arrangement where the requisite temperature control can be achieved under various operating conditions.
According to the invention there is provided a fluid circuit arrangement comprising a first fluid circuit and a second fluid circuit, an interconnecting means which connects the first circuit and the second circuit, the first circuit and the second circuit having a first fluid for circulation therein, the first circuit comprising a first heat exchange means adapted to exchange heat between the first circuit and its surroundings, the second circuit comprising a cooling means for controlled cooling of the first fluid and a second heat exchange means adapted for the exchange of heat between the second circuit and a second fluid, the second circuit also comprising a valve device which is actuable by a control means responsive to at least the temperature in the first circuit to control the flow of first fluid through the cooling means, and at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit comprising a heating means for heating of the first fluid.
It is preferably arranged that during said controlled cooling, said first fluid circulating in both the first circuit and the second circuit passes through the cooling means.
Both the first circuit and the second circuit may comprise respective said heating means.
The heating means may comprise respective electric heaters provided with respective thermostats.
The control means may also be responsive to the temperature of the second fluid passing through the second heat exchange means.
Preferably the valve device comprises two inlet ports and an outlet port and a valve element movable under control by the control means to progressively close one inlet port as the other inlet port is progressively opened; as the one inlet port is progressively closed and the other inlet port is progressively opened, the first fluid is caused to flow through the cooling means.
The control means may progressively actuate the valve device in response to respective ranges of temperatures in the first circuit or in the second heat exchange means.
The first fluid circulating in the first and second circuits is preferably a liquid.
The interconnecting means may comprise a temperature responsive valve device which operates to interconnect the two circuits at a predetermined temperature and the temperature responsive valve device may be operated progressively to connect the first circuit to the second circuit as the temperature in the first circuit increases over a range of temperatures.
A fluid circuit arrangement as defined above may be combined with a diesel engine. In such a combination the first heat exchange means may comprise a jacket cooling means and the second heat exchange means may comprise an intercooler between a compressor and an inlet manifold of the engine. In a standby condition of the engine, the heating means may operate whereby the temperature of the first fluid in the first circuit is maintained at or above a first predetermined temperature and the temperature of the first fluid in the second circuit is maintained at or above a second predetemined temperature; the second predetermined temperature is higher than the first predetermined temperature, and the control means may be responsive to the temperature in the intercooler and/or the pressure of air in the intercooler and/or the speed of the engine. Further the control means may respond to increasing load of the engine to operate the valve device progressively to bring the cooling means into the circuit whereby the fluid flowing through the second circuit is cooled via the cooling means. Further, the control means may respond to low and/or decreasing load of the engine to operate the valve device progressively to take the cooling means out of circuit.
An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings.


Responsive to braking, a CPU of a driving assist apparatus calculates an average deceleration of the vehicle and then calculates a braking distance. The CPU further calculates a final position at which the vehicle will come to a stop, on the basis of the braking distance. The CPU next activates an assist display for display a map including, superimposed thereon, the route to the final position and an arrival indicator indicating the stop (final) position of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving assist method and apparatus for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a braking assist method and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Driving assist apparatus for assisting driving operations are well known. A driving assist apparatus, for example as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-163795, estimates a braking distance for a vehicle and gives obstacle information and driving guidance to a driver to avoid crashing against an obstacle ahead. The driving assist apparatus also detects an obstacle ahead, calculates the distance to the obstacle, as well as the braking distance of the vehicle, and alerts the driver to a potential crash.
However, the conventional apparatus described above simply informs the driver of the existence of the obstacle and the driver brakes the vehicle, so that the driver cannot predict the actual position where the vehicle will come to a stop. As a result, the driver must brake the vehicle relying upon his/her experience and common sense, taking into consideration the braking force and deceleration of the vehicle.

Driving assist method and driving assist apparatus for vehicle


An integrated network and method for managing cached connections are provided. The integrated network includes one or more Web server clients in communication with one or more data servers that allow the Web server clients to request data over a communication channel. To facilitate repeated data requests, an individual Web server client requests that one or more communication channels be cached. The data server processes the Web server client request based on varying criteria. Upon the instantiation of a cached connection, both the Web server client and the data server may maintain the cached connections.

The continued development of computing devices, such as personal computers ("PCs") and global communication networks, such as the Internet, provides a computer user a number of advantages. In common Internet environment, a computer user, through a user computing device, requests specific content from content-providing computing devices, such as server computing devices, connected to the Internet. As the content-providing computing devices transmit the data, the user computing device generates pages of graphical and textual data that can be displayed to the individual computer user. This embodiment is generally referred to as the World Wide Web ("WWW" or "Web").
In some embodiments, a single service provider can support several content-providing devices that are organized by a topic that each device provides. For example, the single service provider may provide content-providing computing devices that provide weather information, financial information, electronic communication, chat room hosting, sports information and the like. Accordingly, a user request for information from the service provider will be directed to and serviced by a specific content-providing computing device. Accordingly, the user experience can be measured in terms of the specific computing device's ability to process the user request in an efficient and complete manner.
To facilitate a better user experience, many content-providing computing devices attempt to customize at least a portion of the data returned to the computer user. In a typical embodiment, the user request can include some identification information, such as a user identifier or user demographic information, that allows the content-providing computing device to modify the content for a particular user. For example, user demographic information indicating a zip code for a user allows the content-providing computing device to modify content for the particular geographic area of the user. Likewise, a travel-based content provider may be able to modify content to include previous trip information, user travel preferences or financial information for purchases corresponding to a particular identifiable user.
Although the content-providing computing device can maintain some or all of the user information for customizing content, this approach quickly becomes inefficient for a larger number of user requests. For example, one typical implementation, a service provider may utilize a number of content-providing computing devices to server user computer requests. Accordingly, in some embodiments, several content-providing computing devices can share a common set of data that is typically stored in one or more databases. In accordance with one embodiment utilizing a common set of data, each individual content-providing device can access the data directly from the databases. However, as the amount of data stored in the database increases, database access time increases. Accordingly, the overall performance of the content-providing computing device decreases.
One attempt to improve data access times includes the use of one or more data servers optimized to retrieve requested data from the large database banks. In accordance with this embodiment, each content-providing computing device becomes a client of a data server and requests the data from the data server. For ease of explanation, the content-providing computing devices that request data from data servers will be referred to as "clients" or "client computing devices." In some instances, the data server can maintain the data locally and the response time is greatly improved. In other instances, the data server may have to access the database. However, the group of data servers may be configured so that each data server can retrieve a portion of the data much faster. Accordingly, a particular client request, including some type of identification information, can be directed to an appropriate data server.
Although the utilization of a data server configuration can improve data access times, current data server and client configurations can become inefficient in processing repeated user requests. In the typical data server and client configuration, the client issues a communication request to open a communication channel with the data server. In turn, the data server acknowledges the communication channel request. Upon completion of the data transfer, the client issues a request to terminate the communication channel. Accordingly, each data request includes three additional transactions to coordinate communication channels. As the number of data requests between a client and a data server increases, the three additional transactions utilize system resources and decrease system performance.
To mitigate the number of additional transactions, the data server can allow the client to make the communication channel persistent such that subsequent data requests can be transferred over the persistent communication channel without requiring the three additional transactions. The maintenance of persistent communication channels can be referred to as communication channel caching. Although communication channel caching can improve system performance, current caching embodiments can become deficient in managing how many communication channels are cached. More specifically, often a data server can service any number of clients that can have varying data request loads. For example, a chat room client may have a lower request load during the morning than in the afternoon. Likewise, another client may wish to pay higher service costs to achieve better performance in terms of more allowed cached connections.
Current data server caching systems are typically limited to providing each client with a fixed number of cached communication channels, even if they are not being utilized at that time. Accordingly, the data server may have to maintain cached communication channels with a client, even if the communication channel isn't being utilized. Likewise, certain clients may experience severe performance degradation during limited times, such as during a peak usage span, that could be greatly improved with more cached connections. In both above-referenced examples, a fixed number of allowed cached communication channels may be inefficient for certain situations.
Accordingly, based on the above-described deficiencies associated with the prior art, there is a need for a system and method for managing communication channels allocations.

System and method for dynamic caching of data connections